Women in politics: Controversies, struggles and male bias

What is particularly disturbing is the fact that at the height of the internecine leadership contestation in the party, misogyny was systematically and routinely weaponised to hound Dr Khupe out of the formation.

THE birth of a new Zimbabwe at independence filled many people - both men and women - with optimism. Pan-Africanist Kwame Nkrumah’s pre-independence clarion call, “Seek ye first the political kingdom and all else shall be added unto you,” was particularly politically edifying for the expectant formerly oppressed black majority.

Many people also hoped for an end to social inequalities.

However, this has not been the case. Inequalities still remain.

It seems a lot of effort has been invested in addressing the political and economic question at the expense of gender issues.

The participation of women in politics and their attempts to occupy leadership positions has remained underwhelming.

Male bias and controversies continue to present significant headwinds for women.

Perceptions, which are informed by patriarchy, impede women as they try to scale the political ladder.

This is why some people do not appreciate how onerous and weighty the Office of the First Lady is.

Although the position of the First Lady is not legally or constitutionally provided for in Zimbabwe, just like in other democratic countries, customarily the office-holder - the wife of the President - is often in good stead to improve people’s lives and change them in so many different ways.

The First Lady is a quintessential part of the political and social life of any given nation-state.

Yet some sections of the society unreasonably tend to pooh-pooh the importance of such an office.

It shows the extent to which the country should fight patriarchy.

First Ladies should not be judged by what they do, but by the impact therefrom.

Zimbabwe is one of the countries where women find it increasingly difficult to assume political office.

There is still need to accept that women are capable and have the capacity to assume leading positions, which can transform society.

But at both State and political party level, historical and religious factors, including the socialisation process, most often shape communities’ views towards women.

This possibly explains the snail’s pace at which women have been getting leadership roles in influential spheres of life.

It took 24 years for Zimbabwe to get its first-ever female Vice President, Dr Joice Mujuru.

She, however, left the coveted post after 10 years.

But of late, there has been another milestone achievement through the appointment of Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri as Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs.

She becomes the first woman to hold that post.

Again prejudicial questions came from some quarters as they queried whether she had the capacity to oversee such an influential and powerful portfolio.

Such parochial views, which are obviously informed by pervasive misogynistic biases, continue to taint the debate on gender equality.

While there might be policies to achieve equality, rules of governance do not, ipso facto, translate to implementation.

The country has signed and ratified a number of regional and international instruments that call for gender equality in all spheres of life.

Nonetheless, in spite of the existence of these reassuring protocols, the country has not made significant progress in promoting the participation of women in politics.

Observably, in some instances, there have been cycles in which token progress is often followed by significant back-sliding.

This phenomenon is not peculiar to a particular political party, but it is commonplace across the political divide and across various spheres of society.

The battle for the leadership of the Movement of Democratic Change (MDC), especially after the death of Morgan Tsvangirai on February 14 2018, showed how vulnerable women are in politics.

As it were, Dr Thokozani Khupe was constitutionally elected as the party’s deputy president at the MDC 2014 congress, while Nelson Chamisa and Engineer Elias Mudzuri were appointed by Tsvangirai in 2016.

In a democracy, being elected is one thing, while being appointed is another.

In essence, elections are the hallmark of a democracy.

What is particularly disturbing is the fact that at the height of the internecine leadership contestation in the party, misogyny was systematically and routinely weaponised to hound Dr Khupe out of the formation.

This is yet another example of how society overtly and covertly frowns on female leadership.

It is high time we audit what progress male-dominated fields have made in Zimbabwe.

Equally, there is also need to highlight the challenges faced by female leaders in order to take corrective action.

Women are capable of bringing about meaningful changes in Zimbabwe, and the Second Republic should give capable women a chance.

However, women in politics ought to be wary of the ‘glass cliff phenomenon’, in which they may be handed over certain positions, particularly during times of crisis, when the chance of failure is high.

Unfortunately, failure in such circumstances often reinforces the stereotype that women are incapable of assuming weightier responsibilities.

Women should not emulate men, they should be themselves since their unique character is their most valuable asset.

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From a small orchard to a large farm, there are crops and plants that are guaranteed to get you good returns when exported.

One such crop is macadamia nuts, an edible seed of the evergreen macadamia tree that belongs to the Proteaceae family (flowering plant predominantly distributed in the Southern Hemisphere).

Demand for macadamia is growing in major markets of the world, which presents export opportunities for local producers.

According to Trade Map, the global export market for macadamia was worth US$ 843 million in 2018.

Major importers of macadamia in 2018 were China ( US$ 199 million), United States of America ( US$ 193 million) and Vietnam ( US$ 118 million).

On the other hand, the biggest exporters were South Africa ( US$ 299 million), Australia ( US$ 223 million) and Kenya ( US$ 87,4 million).

The global demand for macadamia nuts is expected to grow significantly, driven by changes in consumption patterns, including rising demand for alternative sources of protein that substitutes for meat.

In major world markets, macadamia nuts imports are increasingly driven by the health trends, hence offering opportunities for local growers.

In China, America and Europe, consumer demand for vegan, gluten-free and natural foods is forecast to increase significantly in the next several years, leading to more export opportunities for Zimbabwe.

Thus, local producers and exporters have an opportunity to increase production, which, in turn, would support huge exports to foreign markets.

Considering South Africa’s share of the global market, local businesses have the potential to increase their exports as the two countries share almost the same climatic conditions.

Currently, Zimbabwe’s exports are low and local producers are failing to meet demand, regardless of ready offtakers.

In 2018, Zimbabwe exported macadamia nuts worth US$ 15 million, mainly to South Africa and China.