Former female combatants of the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZPRA) have highlighted safety concerns for women, who make up the bulk of voters, as Zimbabwe heads to the polls on Wednesday.
According to the 2023 voters’ roll figures, Zimbabwe has 6 619 691 registered voters, with women the majority.
There are 3 551 997 female voters, accounting for 53.7 percent of all registered voters.
Men account for 3 067 694 people, or 46.3 percent of the voting population.
Grace Noko, a former ZPRA veteran who served in Mgagao, claimed that women frequently faced politically motivated abuse but either suffered in silence or did not receive justice for the crimes committed against them.
“As we vote today, let’s consider women’s security because since there are more women than men in Zimbabwe they are going to be the most voters. Women will leave their houses to go to the ballot box yet some of them are not sure of what will happen to them on their way to and way back because when there are elections, there is violence in Zimbabwe. There is still uncertainty around women’s safety,” Noko said.
“It is therefore important for us to make sure women and children are protected. We must bear witness, speak out against and demand accountability for any violations of their rights, minds, and bodies during this election and beyond.”
Noko said it was unfortunate that political parties were to blame for the hatred people had among themselves in communities during the electoral period.
“Somehow, somewhere we hate each other because of these parties, yet we are one people. These parties forget that women and children need security,” she said, calling on local leadership to provide security and not be sources of intimidation.
“We have heard how kraal heads and our chiefs who support certain political parties know who families vote for. They know uNakaZibani uzayavotela liphi ibandla, so women will be intimidated and that will make some not vote.”
The former ZPRA fighter stated that communities must work together to prevent political and electoral violence for the common good for all.
“Please let’s watch over women and everyone else. Women are critical in social production and are home providers. You may have many fathers but you only have one mother,” Noko said.
She also lamented how there were few women who were contesting for office yet Zimbabwe’s constitution spoke about gender equality.
“Women are not considered somewhere, somehow and can even be called names yet they are the majority who vote. No country can develop without women. As we speak now, there are only 70 women running for Parliament. How many of them are going to make it in Parliament?”
According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), only 11 percent of women are participating in elections, which is a significant decline from the 14 percent who were in Parliament in 2018.
There are only 70 female candidates out of 637, while in 2018, there were 237 out of 1 648.
The number of women in Parliament will be very few and with those few who will make it, we urge society to support them including men. Sometimes I argue that it was better when Zimbabwe had a female Vice President, Joice Mujuru because ever since she left, women’s development is not moving as there is no female in the presidium,” Noko said.
“We need women in top positions, how can you talk on behalf of women? As ex-ZPRA women we are calling for women in top leadership posts plus peace and quiet as we vote.”
