Arise Young African Woman

 By Thabiso Makhurane

Arise young African woman, for your time is here. Behold, the time has come for you to blossom into that jewel the world has been longing for. For too long have they silenced your voice, in critical issues in both local and national spaces. For how long shall they confine you to a box? Detecting how you should live, how you should behave, what you should aspire for, and what kind of knowledge you should possess. For how long are you going to seat and succumb to their definition of how a young woman should be?  

Arise young woman and take your place. The world awaits for your contribution. They have told you a young woman should be smart, but not ‘too smart.’ They have told you education is good but don’t let it get to your head. They have also told you to pursue success and education, but to disallow that quest from silencing your ultimate life purpose - marriage. But how come they have not put limits to your prescribed gender roles of ‘womanhood.’ How come they have not put limits to your roles inside the home? They have said you are supposed to be exceptional in keeping the house clean, be an excellent cook, and know how to raise children. Instead of limits in the house, they actually require you to have too much of those abilities.

But today l say to you, arise young woman. You have so much power and greatness in you. Why do you think they bother so much about putting limits to what you can do? They put limits on you young woman because they see your worth and great potential. Today l say arise young woman. Life is so much more than what they have said. You can be anything that you want to be. There is nothing stopping you from occupying those high places they said you won’t occupy. Young African woman, you are worth more and you can do more. The sky is not the limit, the limit exits only in the mind.

Support Her

By Angelinah Chiwonerwa

"The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.” - Ayn Rand

One is bound to come to the conclusion that the women bombarding the informal sector are parading this attitude, "Stop-me-if-you-can". They have turned the CBD pavements into a bustling vending area. Without a sign of shame and remorse, they sit there with their neatly arranged tomatoes and other stuff of course (whatever sells on the streets).

They are entrepreneurs in their own right. Fighting for a dollar in the pocket at the end of the day, a hot meal in order to keep going... that is how far this thing goes. One day at a time. If they survive the fierce attacks from the city council police on a particular day, that is good enough. As a nation, we cannot turn a blind eye to the courage, determination, and strong drive expressed by these young women. Some of them are bread winners of their families yet they are still young enough to be at school. However, they have to face the scorching summers and the frosty winters in the streets.

PROWEB, an organisation that deals with women empowerment initiated a discussion about these women.

One may have the creativity to come up with new business ideas but lack the means to implement the ideas. Different initiatives have been put in place to help young women in the informal sector but more still needs to be done.

The drive is there, but the vision has an expiry date of 24 hours. These young women need to be taught to think about the future in terms of years, plan businesses with SMART objectives. Life must not begin and end with attaining a dollar in your pocket. When ignorance goes on rampage, the nation cries foul. Why not extend the education of women beyond classroom walls? Sometimes what is needed is just an addition of information, just a bit of enlightenment and giving them new perceptions about life.

During a snap survey by the Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) in 2015, one young lady said, “ If you look at my stock, I have mostly small items like Jiggies snacks, and sweets, and from these items I only make R1 profit. Imagine how long it will take me to sell and make a dollar. It is very difficult.” Clearly, vending is not an easy thing to do but the young women are forced to turn to it for survival.

Oliver Mtukudzi sang:

Kunzwa musoro kutema mukoma, handiro dambudziko mukoma,

Chapa musoro kutema mukoma, ndiro ka dambudziko mukoma,

Chapa musana kudzimba mukoma, ndiro ka dambudziko mukoma,

Wongorora chikonzero chaita musoro uteme,

Ugogadzirisa chikonzero chaita musana ubande...

The increase in vending is just a symptom of underlying problems – unemployment, lack of education, and so many other problems.

Instead of fighting with her – support her, she only wants to come out of this economic crisis alive!