Female freedom fighters hailed
THE critical role played by women in the liberation wars for Zimbabwe’s independence dating back to the First Chimurenga needs to be amplified as they contributed immensely to the freedom the country is enjoying, Women’s Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said yesterday.
In a speech read on her behalf by Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Torerayi Moyo in France during the ongoing 42nd UNESCO General Assembly, Minister Mutsvangwa said women were actively involved in the struggle for independence, including political mobilisation, recruitment, logistics, intelligence gathering, nursing and combat.
The women organised and participated in protests, demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience.
Minister Mutsvangwa said the experiences of the female combatant have rarely been highlighted by the media.
“I am not sure whether it was because jourAssociation nalists had no access to female combatants during the war or because the leadership of the struggle was predominantly male,” she said.
“The media crews who covered our liberation struggle paid scant attention to women combatants. Their focus was trained on the male leaders of the struggle and this tended to annihilate the female combatant. What we often encounter are narratives of women and children as victims of armed conflicts not as protagonists in efforts to dismantle oppressive colonial systems.
“Even our female heroes have had their experiences brushed over by male experience so that the female experience is never audible. I make this point because if the struggle is viewed from male perspectives, it overlooks a whole gamut of experiences of the struggle that only women can narrate and relate with.”
Because of the patriarchal structure of societies, women never really made it to the upper echelons of the struggle, and that further concealed their voices and experiences.
“Many women joined the armed forces, such as the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) and the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA),” said Minister Mutsvangwa. “They fought alongside their male counterparts in battles and guerrilla warfare, demonstrating bravery and resilience.”
Women’s involvement in the armed liberation struggle challenged traditional gender roles and norms, empowering them and enabling them to take on leadership positions.
Historically, armed resistance in Zimbabwe had always involved female figures.
“I give, by way of example, the First Chimurenga,” said Minister Mutsvangwa. “We had Mbuya Nehanda and many others who undoubtedly provided inspiration to us as females in the Second Chimurenga war.
“It is important to note that the contributions of women during Zimbabwe’s armed liberation struggle have been recognised and celebrated, as they played a vital role in securing independence for the country.”
The country’s independence was also a result of regional solidarity which resulted in people from many countries coming together to fight colonialism.
“The ideological position which was advanced was clear, that the region was one, and we were all fighting a common enemy,,” said Minister Mutsvangwa. “Even in terms of strategic direction and consultation in terms of prosecuting the armed struggle, regional actors had as much say as were the leading lights of individual nation states in the struggle. ” ◆ Full story: www.herald.co.zw