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Ruth Butaumocho
As the world is slowly warming up to gendered-leadership where women are being actively involved in national affairs, Zimbabwean women have not been left out in this new matrix.
Regardless of their educational status, women are proving to be indomitable game changers and ceiling crashers, all but claiming their space in economic, social and political spheres.
Councillor Sheila Mugabe is one such woman determined to change the face of leadership in Zimbabwe by empowering women to claim their space in various spheres of influence.
She successfully contested and won to represent people in Ward 1, a farming community in Hwedza, Mashonaland East Province. She is currently serving as the chairperson of the Hwedza Rural District Council, a position which affords her an opportunity to interact with women from various backgrounds since she oversees 15 wards.
“My decision to venture into politics was to inspire other women and remove the ‘inferiority complex’ tag that has often been associated with women,” revealed Cllr Mugabe in an interview recently.
A dairy farmer, Cllr Mugabe, who considers herself a community developer rather than a politician, said her inclination in becoming a politician was birthed after growing up in a community where most girls drop out of school as early as in primary education.
This, she says, challenged her to venture into the political arena, with the sole aim of positioning herself strategically so that she can assist others and ultimately change the narrative.
Women were also in the same predicament, living from hand to mouth as they did not have any income-generating projects that could sustain their families.
It dawned on Cllr Mugabe that she needed to be a torch bearer and be the leader women and the girl child so desperately need.
With no education, nor any form of livelihood to sustain themselves, the female generation within her community was certainly doomed.
Armed with just meagre resources and a fierce passion to see women and the girl child excelling, Cllr Mugabe contested in the 2018 harmonised elections under the ruling Zanu PF party ticket. She romped to victory, beating her rival contestants from other political parties.
The victory marked the beginning of a developmental journey that has seen life-transforming projects being undertaken.
Using her influence as a board member of the Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers, the farmers within her ward managed to get a grant from the European Union through an agent We Effect- for the purchase of a tractor, disk harrow and milking equipment among other things to assist small scale farmers in getting their produce to the market.
Soon after securing the grant, there was an outpouring of donations from the local business fraternity and farmers, who were all keen to see this community progressing. Consequently, a local farmer drilled a borehole for the community to ease the perennial water shortages.
Imbued with such enthusiasm and support from the community, Cllr Mugabe decided to stand for the second time, the rest is history.
“I am happy with the positive trajectory the community is taking. There is a decline in school drop outs by the girl child.
“We now have groups of women who are now into goat rearing, though at a small scale,” Cllr Mugabe enthused.
The community under her jurisdiction is currently moulding bricks for the construction of a library at Guruuswa Secondary School. Once complete, the library will also host a computer section, to encourage and promote information communication technology for locals.
A holder of a Bachelor of Sciences in Horticulture from the Women University in Africa, Cllr Mugabe believes the future is surely bright.
“We are hoping to twin with other wards locally, regionally and internationally so that our people can get exposure.”
Online Reporter