There is a need to give dignity to women in politics so that more women can participate in political space, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere has said.
Mahere was speaking on This Morning on Asakhe, on women’s participation in politics.
“It is extremely difficult and being a woman politician in that environment is a million times harder because we really come from a society that does not expect women particularly young women to speak truth to power, women are meant to be seen and not heard,” she said.
Giving an example of Moreblessing Ali who was brutally murdered, Mahere said the political space is not safe for women.
“Women get arrested you spend ten days in Chikurubi maximum prison because there are no remand facilities for women, so you need to go to a prison cell where you sleep with armed robbers, and murderers just because you are women who spoke out, you participated in politics,” she said.
Mahere added that women politicians are also tortured, sexually abused, and abducted.
“I only need to point an example of Joane Mamombe, Cecilia, and Netsai, look at what happened there, it’s a tough space to operate in and we really need as a society to introspect around how we treat women, there needs to be more dignity for women in our politics,” she said.
Mahere said women in politics need to ensure that their competence goes before them and it speaks for them.
“I don’t know how many times I am pregnant by Nelson Chamisa and I am like surely there should be a stop to this gender disinformation because it really doesn’t build well for women participation.
If we want to see more women in politics as a society we have to ask this because we do definitely need women to participate in the political space, we need to hear their voices loud and clear but if we are to achieve that we have to ensure that we don’t terrorize them,” she said.
Mahere said false accusations undermine the ability of women to participate in politics.
“I am not saying anything should be given to a woman on a silver plate, no, the criteria around accountability, ensuring that they have a plan for progress, all of that should be exactly the same but don’t start making lies up, slandering the woman, false accusations because it undermines the ability for women to participate,” she said.
