By Sukuoluhle Ndlovu
Zaka – Heal Zimbabwe Trust yesterday together with women in Zaka celebrated the International Day of Rural Women in Ward 19.
This year’s celebrations were held under the theme, “Rural women and girls building resilience” with the vital role that rural women can play in climatic action.
Annually, Heal Zimbabwe Trust celebrates the day with the various rural women led groups from all over the country in Mazowe, Buhera, Tsholotsho and many other areas.
Heal Zim Trust helps rural women celebrate this day because rural women play a key role in building peace in local communities and ensure that communities have food security. They are unsung heroes who besides facing many challenges defy patriarchal norms and practices and champion development, peace and social cohesion.
Heal Zimbabwe Trust called in the local leaders in Zaka and created a platform where women interacted sharing out their success stories while also airing out the grievances they are facing as rural women. Ward 19 Councilor, Peter Imbayarwo was present.
The cluster facilitator for Heal Zimbabwe, Rosemary Mubariri appreciated the work done by Heal Zimbabwe Trust to help the women in the rural areas celebrate this day.
“It is an honor to know that us rural women we are appreciated through the celebration of this day as it is a day that empowers us and gives us a voice, and through such platforms we get the chance to have opportunities and motivate each other. We celebrate our successes and air out our grievances for them to be well catered for.
Rural women are no longer afraid as they are now taking up trainings and acquiring positions and also implementing different projects which have led to resilience and more guaranteed food security through pfumvudza; poverty rate is now low. Cases of Gender Based Violence have also reduced as it was known that Zaka had the highest rate of GBV cases, it proves that trainings we are also getting from Heal Zimbabwe Trust are yielding results. So it is an honor to have this day celebrated together with us,” said Mubariri.
Resident of ward 19, Mercy Muziri said this day shows that they are appreciated worldwide.
“It is important for the world out there to know that us rural women we are making a great change and uplifting the community even if we are in the rural areas. This day empowers us and makes us be able to stand our ground. This day gives us hope and makes us realise there are people who remember us even if we are not with them,” said Muziri.
The women also aired out the challenges they are facing as not all men appreciate what is going on in the society and others do not want to see them in leadership roles. We are facing challenges with other women who do not want to participate and want to operate in a private space. So it is important for all women to participate and make a change.
There is a call for action to support rural women and girls and grow their capacities through agricultural production, food security and natural resources management, United Nations Women stated.
