WOMEN in Gutu have been applauded for standing up to claim positions of
leadership in politics and local governance.
This follows the increased number of women, who participated in the just- ended
harmonised elections from initial selection of candidates by contesting Zanu PF,
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and independent candidates for House of
Assembly and local authority positions.
Although the expected ratio of women in influential leadership positions has not yet
reached the expected 50 percent to that of their male counterparts, the efforts
exhibited have been commended.
Speaking to ZIS after the swearing-in ceremony of 53 Gutu Rural District councillors,
the District Officer under the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Community and Small and
Medium Enterprises Development, Conrad Gwature, said the increased number of
elected women councillors into the local authority is encouraging, with some of them
being elected committee chairpersons and deputies, being a further icing on the
cake, furthering their development.
With the Council having over the years been dominated by male councillors even in
leadership of its seven sub committees and the Town Board, this time around, there
has been a marked improvement, Gwature said.
Three constituencies contributed the nine female elected councillors with only Gutu
West not having any and Gutu East having the highest number – four.
From these nine, a record was set when Ward 15 Councillor Jane Cheuka became
the vice-chairperson, Ward 19 Councillor Alfoncina Goronga, the Community
Services chairperson and three others claiming the vice- chairpersons of Human
Resources, Community Services, Agriculture and Natural Resources committees,
with Fungai Mahofa, daughter to late national heroine, becoming the Town Board’s
vice-chairperson.
The Council last had a woman at its helm in 1984 when heroine Shuvai Mahofa
became the first chairperson between 1981 and 1984. Shuvai Mahofa was
representing Tirizi Ward 20 as a councillor then.
Gwature said the Government and Partner Gender Awareness campaign
programmes and Gender mainstreaming in all governance and socio-economic
activities and programmes have been attributed to increased women participation in
positions of leadership.
He said the women empowerment programmes, which have since shifted from
focusing on women only to inclusion and engagement of males as well, have put
traditional, political and other community leaders at the forefront as they are the
major societal influencers.

"We are witnessing societal attitude and traditional changes that promote the
participation of women in positions of authority particularly in local governance.
Women being the duty bearers and implanters in most family and community chores,
they should be in positions that influence better change.
“They are better placed to understand the challenges faced by their women
counterparts, children, the elderly and people living with disabilities hence they
should be given the chance to be in forums such as councils to ensure resources
distribution and allocation leaves no one and no place behind," Gwature said, adding
that even at village level, women are being encouraged to move from being
secretaries to chairpersons.
Gutu Rural Council Gender Focal Point Officer, Liliosa Kurauone, said she is
encouraged by the current composition of the Council, which she said has been
further boosted by the addition of 12 women under the women's quota system to
bring the number to 21 against 32 males.
"We expect Council debates, recommendations and resolutions to be Gender
sensitive for the betterment of all residents. We applaud the Government for the new
women's quota in local authorities as it ensures gender-based budgets and
implementation to include the marginalised women, children, the elderly and people
living with disabilities, aboard," she said.
Partners in gender issues in the district also commended the developments saying
they all go to show they are on track. They, however, said there is still room for
improvement and that the mentality that women are not able or capable to lead
should be discarded, especially by the women themselves, who need to put aside
petty differences, jealousies and being used by males to take all positions.
The district, which also used to have two female House of Assembly members in the
previous Parliament, now has one under the women’s quota system – Yeukai
Simbanegavi, formerly Gutu North MP. The district also managed to secure one
female Provincial Council seat now held by Berita Chikwama, who was MP for Gutu
East in the last Parliament. – ZIS