Age not a barrier for youngest female councilor

Michael Magoronga, [email protected]

HAD it not been for the Proportional Representation (PR)quota introduced by the Second Republic, Zibagwe Rural District Council could have had only one female councilor.

Councilor Idirashe Dongo (Zanu-PF) was the only duly elected councilor in Zibagwe RDC out of the 33 councilors.

Interestingly, Cllr Dongo, who was elected uncontested, is a national executive member of Women in Local Government Forum (WILGF) which was instrumental in the introduction of the 30 percent quota system in local authorities.

Before, the quota system only applied in parliament and senate but WIGF ensured that there are more women in local authorities, which are the first line of defense for the community.

As a result, Zibagwe RDC received 10 female councillors through the PR system and they can now help each other in finding lasting solutions to problems which directly affect them as women and girls bringing the total number of councilors to 44.

One of the councilors who found her way into council through the quota system is Yvonne Nyathi who, at 24 became the youngest councilor.

A holder of a Human Resources Management degree, she believes anyone who undermines her capabilities because of her age does so at their own risk.

“Undermine me at your own peril because I believe I have a lot to offer in council. Many people looked down upon me during the campaign period and I got used to it. Just because I am a young woman who is single for that matter, they think I have nothing to offer but they are wrong,’ she said.

Cllr Nyathi said the patriarchal norms attached to women being housewives, was a thing of the past and thanked the Government for the quota system.

“Women and girls are directly affected by issues discussed within councils. We are the ones adversely affected by water shortages, our girls need access to clean water for hygienic purposes. They also require sanitary wear and men cannot discuss those issues on their own. I want to applaud the Second Republic for considering that women should be more represented within councils,” she said.

Cllr Nyathi was drafted into the gender committee and said she will push for eradication of challenges faced by women and girls in the community.

“We have so many problems faced by women and girls like unavailability of water in some areas, shortage of sanitary wear by some girls, some girls travel long distance to access clean water and to school and they are prone to sexual abuse. We also have child labour and poverty which is forcing some parents to force their girls into marriage thereby fuelling child marriages. These are the issues that we are going to be looking at as a gender committee,” she said.

A farmer who is into poultry and nutrition gardening among other farming ventures, Cllr Nyathi said she would push for women empowerment through projects.

“Together with my fellow women in council, we will push for construction of more schools, clinics and drilling of more boreholes. The availability of water will not only help in health issues within families but also enable us to embark on projects like nutrition gardens, soap manufacturing, sanitary ware baking among other projects for women,” she said.

Cllr Nyathi said so far, her term in office has been smooth sailing given the support she gets from the older councilors, both male and female.

“I have faced some challenges here and there but my senior councillors always have my back. They make it easy for me as they are always listening. I am glad that they are understating and they do not take what I say for granted because they take me as one of them,” she said.

Asked about her secret weapon, Cllr Nyathi said, “I always put myself underneath my elders in the community. I make sure I consult them regularly so that I get to know firsthand what they want addressed in the community. I also appeal to the youths as one of them, and girls have been willing to talk to me. They open up whenever I engage them for discussion and it has been working wonders.”

Cllr Dongo, a long time gender advocate who is now Vice Chairperson of Zibagwe RDC, applauded the quota system saying it came in handy.

“Imagine I could be alone for five years trying to push a narrative for women, but thanks to a listening President (Emmerson Mnangagwa), the 11 of us can easily put our heads together and stand our ground. This was not going to be possible without the quota system,” she said.

Cllr Dongo said, given her experience, she is always available to give guidance to her fellow councillors, women or men.