Political Women Speak Out

In a world widely dominated by men,the drive towards attaining the 50/50 goals towards equality and equity set by the United Nations through its millenium development goals has been one that only a handfull of brave and courageous women have been able to push. This blog got hold of one of the most beautiful and successful political woman in Zimbabwe and she is a Programs Coordinator - UN January 2015 to present · Zimbabwe, Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe.

It is always a pleasure and informative to interview young women in the political divide in Zimbabwe. Lets hear what Nomusa Sokhela has to say about her experiences as a political woman.

Nomusa Sokhela

How are political women represented in the media

I believe that women in politics are generally vilified and trivialised due to the stereotypes which epitomizes women in general as weaker and less capable.It is the view of the media which is mostly owned and run by males that women should be treated as second class citizens and they belong to the domestic sphere where they have to take care of their families and homes.

What can be done to deal with such a problem?

An attitude change is the answer but it is not that simple if its a matter of lip service without more emphasis being directed at actual implementation processes.The first thing that must be done is to make women realize that they need to stand together as one in this struggle for equal recognition and participation in politics.That is the first point of order which has been a huge challenge to achieve in the real sense.

What advice can you give to the youth who want to venture into politics?
Get into politics for a worthy cause that would be my advice.

Is there hope for the betterment of women in politics?

There is so much that we could do to better our lives and the lives of others as women leaders because we are naturally more sensitive and cognizant of the real bread and butter issues.So many times women are automatically disqualified from positions of leadership due to being viewed as the weaker sex but that automatically cuts overall societal development as the capacity and potential these women have, seldom gets fully harnessed.

As such politics is a difficult field for one to claim space as a woman,where no matter what your accolades and contributions are, can never be fully appreciated since it is a space predominantly with rules that favor men and are designed by men.

ln my time l have lived to hear a lot of senior women leaders in politics who have spoken of the stigmatization of women in politics,You are seen as an uncultured woman with less morals than your fellow sisters outside of politics.

The other challenge is general lack of support, trust and inadequate united efforts by all women in politics to tackle the challenges faced with a uniform and united front irregardless of party affiliation.A failure in this front has maintained the status quo of women just being placed in positions for symbolic reasons.

l personally have coped as l said as a result of my convictions and beliefs in that what l stand for is worth the sacrifice.

My passion is to see the lives of women such as myself improve and change for the better.So no matter where l am required to serve l will do so to the best of my potential because l stand for and identify with the interests of the collective.