Break the bias

Changing Perspectives
Rutendo Gwatidzo

Happy Women’s Month to all the women in Zimbabwe, Africa and the whole world.

This past week we celebrated International Women’s Day.

The theme for this year’s commemorations was, “Break the Bias”.

Imagine!

Imagine a world free of bias, discrimination and stereotyping.

A world that is diverse, adaptive, inclusive and equitable.

Imagine a world where we all value and celebrate one another’s achievements at different levels.

Individually, we are all responsible for our thoughts, words and actions.

Together we can break the bias and create the kind of world where everyone feels safe, loved and appreciated.

The connection!

I believe that each and every one of us is closely connected to a woman either by choice or default.

As such, women are an important part of humanity and everyday life.

Everyone was conceived through a woman. What then can we say to these precious human beings? Break the bias when it comes to women.

Getting real

Let us talk about the great and strong women of our time. Let us get to know them, raise them and appreciate them.

May we take a look at those women who raised us and who are still raising some of us as mother figures. Imagine the love, the care, the support and the nurturing that they give until we all become who we are purposed to be or who we decide and choose to be.

For some, these women maybe sisters, aunties, friends or wives who stand with us.

The question I have for you right now is this, “Did you take time to appreciate and celebrate those women in your life?”

It might be through gifts, kind words, special treatment, or anything that you intentionally do to show appreciation.

If you had not done anything yet, kindly consider doing so. This message applies to both men and women.

Yes, women can also celebrate other women. The challenge, in many cases, is that some women tend to crush other women. If all women can put efforts to stop this woman-crush-woman pandemic, we will all have a better experience of life.

Appreciate them

Some of the things that women do without receiving appreciation include cooking, cleaning homes, school runs, conceiving and bearing children.

They also look after the whole clan when married, nurse the sick, support working husbands, leave their homes to go and look after husband’s parents, multi-tasking, give husbands special treats despite being tired and keep the family together in so many different ways.

Sadly, some great women, who have changed lives for the better, have died before receiving any appreciation.

Some even died without realising the impact and the transformation they brought to the world.

For instance, some of us might be doing very well in life simply because our mothers or sisters gave a lot for our lives.

For some, their mothers had to work super hard, selling all manner of things in order to raise money for food, shelter and school fees.

Sadly, when it comes to Women’s Day, they are forgotten.

Others will zero in their appreciation to those women they met years later probably in the business world.

What about the struggling woman who contributed significantly to your upbringing?

Come on somebody, break the bias!

You passed through many hands in order for you to be where you are today; look back and appreciate all your heroes.

My story!

I grew up in the jungles of Dande with my mum and other siblings.

Dad was working in town and for that, we appreciate him but, he could not have achieved his goals without a supporting wife.

Years later when dad stopped working, he joined mum and enjoyed the comfort of a beautiful home that mum had looked after and taken good care of.

Mum was living in the middle of a jungle where we were surrounded by different kinds of wild animals.

I remember receiving tips constantly on how to co-habit with these animals so that we would not fall prey to them.

Life was hard, but mum sailed through with all her children.

Without a doubt, this is the first great woman that I can think of.

I partly wrote about this village life in my book “Born to Fight”.

Mum taught me to fight for what I believe in at a tender age and the greater deal of what I am today is because of her.

This scenario applies to many of us.

Today, I urge you to go back to basics and to appreciate all those women who surely deserve credit.

I also remember growing up with my elder sister. She would make sure that I was well-fed and satisfied before she would eat herself. She also made sure that I was well dressed and looked good all the time.

I believe that as some of you are reading this now, you are also being reminded of the great women in your lives.

Break the bias, please and show those women some appreciation.

Allow me to talk about another group of women who are also known as housewives.

These are a bit different from my mum in that they stay together with their husbands in the same house and their focus is household chores and taking care of everyone in the house.

The husbands look good every day when going to work in clean suits and on full stomachs.

Sadly, when some of them become successful they start seeing their wives as being good for nothing.

They go on to enjoy their wealth with other women.

A good number of men have done unspeakable things to women around them without realising the stereotyping, discrimination and bias they were sowing. The good thing is that it is never too late to make it right.

In most cases, bias only comes up when talking about empowerment issues.

In as much as women should be given opportunities in places that have been dominated by men for a long time, they also ought to be respected for what they do.

It is not hard to understand a person; it is only hard to listen without bias.

Thema Davis once said, “Some people don’t like you just because your strengths remind them of their weaknesses. Do not allow them to slow you down.”

Be challenged to break bias in everything you do. Be encouraged to live a life with a difference.

Break the Bias.

Wishing all women, a happy Women’s Month once again.

Rutendo Gwatidzo is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, HR consultant and team builder. Contacts: +263 714 575 805/ [email protected] / Rutendo Gwatidzo Official on Facebook.