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Women received raw deal at MDC congress
Grace Kwinjeh
March 22, 2006

http://www.zimonline.co.za/headdetail.asp?ID=11837

The Movement for Democratic Change's male leadership emerged even much more stronger and powerful after the just ended congress, held over the weekend in Harare.

Patriarchy has once again firmly entrenched itself in the top party leadership.

In 2000, only two women dared to stand for office at the congress, Sekai Holland and Trudy Stevenson, who ran for the posts of national chairperson and treasurer respectively. This was a non-event as six men grabbed all the contested seats.

Last weekend, five women stood for election with only one winning. Again another non-event.

For some of us, the result of the just ended congress is not surprising, given the fact that the past five years of our participation in the party has seen no credible attempts or efforts at investing in an empowered women's leadership, especially one that is able to meaningfully demand its stake in positions of power without being belittled at election time.

The Women's Assembly has remained just that - an assembly of women whose most important role is the traditional one of mobilising other women when called upon to do so.

The Assembly, under the leadership of Lucia Matibenga was a main pillar in keeping the party together after the desertion by four male members of the 'top six'.

The collapse of the 'top six' saw the Assembly take the traditional role of being custodian of the party principles and values, playing an important and commendable role in the anti Senate campaign and keeping the party together.

The 'powerful' Women's Assembly which rose to prominence during the anti-Senate campaign was sadly hindered from using its strong base of women to influence the leadership line up during last weekend's congress.

Confronted by the sad reality of a congress that was set to reproduce the same old male structure we have been up in arms against over the past five years, we met before the congress, as the Women's Assembly caucus to strategise on how to make the best of the situation at hand.

At that time only three of our comrades had put their names forward to be nominated to stand for different seats at the congress. Member of Parliament Thokozani Khupe and Gertrude Mtombeni put their names forward for the post of vice-president, while MP Pauline Gwanyanya put herself forward for the post of deputy secretary general.

None of the women had challenged the principal posts to be contested meaning that these would automatically go to men.

The Assembly came out with a declaration demanding at least 50 percent of the seats available as required by various international protocols to which Zimbabwe is signatory.

At SADC level for instance, the leadership has since moved from a quota of one third to 50 percent. Africa is at the moment celebrating the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as the first woman to be elected Head of State on the continent.

Tanzania's last general election has seen new President Jakaya Kikwete appoint women to almost 50 percent of his cabinet posts with women being given key principal portfolios such as Finance and Foreign Affairs.

Africa and the world are moving on and as MDC women, we yearned to move on with the rest. And so we took the decision to stand for these posts because we are qualified women with a credible track record of leadership and activism in the party and in |Zimbabwe.

This is where I come in.

Having arrived in Zimbabwe there was an interesting debate on whether to amend the constitution to make the post of secretary for information and publicity, an elected one at congress or to continue with the current constitutional set up which requires it to be appointed by the party leadership.

What irked me first was the attitude of the men towards this particular amendment, as it seemed a foregone conclusion that the incumbent secretary for information, Nelson Chamisa, would automatically take over under the new arrangement, though no consultations had taken place.

What was even more baffling was the response I received from Harare provincial structures that this post was one of the unopposed ones, including the presidency, treasurer and chairpersonship.

During the meeting to nominate various candidates I attended to stand for nomination too. To my surprise, all the other candidates were introduced to the more than 400 members from the party structures, then when it came to the post of information and publicity the chairman, Morgan Femayi announced that Chamisa was duly nominated.

I pulled his sleeve as I was standing behind him and said can you not see me? He gave Chamisa a chance to speak, and the young man announced to the rowdy crowd that when you are a bridesmaid at a wedding, do not expect to get a gift as these are reserved for the bride and groom. 'Kana uchiperekedza muchato hapana chipo chaunowana'.

That is when I got up and told the gathering that first, I did not think I was taking part in a wedding, secondly they had to come to terms with the fact that I was challenging Chamisa, whether I won or not it was my right. I am qualified and that the party had to do away with the Political God Father Syndrome.

That is when I took a plunge into the deepest waters, by taking on the insurmountable task of standing for the post of secretary for information and publicity. I knew there was no way I would win given all the odds against me which included my being away for more than five years.

Chamisa the acting office bearer was doubling up as the secretary for information as well as being the youth chairman, giving him an added advantage.

A point had to be made. We had to prove as women our willingness to stand for higher office but at the same time expose the inhibiting environment under which we operate.

It was tough.

Patriarchy is so deeply entrenched in the system as I found myself now and again almost apologising to some for taking this decision to stand, a tough one as the campaign required one to be well resourced financially.

Having been unemployed for as long as I can remember, there was no way I could fund my own campaign, as fellow male comrades were able to do. The campaign even got abusive at times as I was called all things from 'opportunist' to 'whore'.

The past years have seen me go through a process of spiritual growth. A phase that has seen me develop the ability to make a distinction between the different life battles I have to fight or endure mostly because of who I am, learning to make the best of any situation as I continue my search for further spiritual fulfillment and growth.

I have a new personal vision of who I am what I want or need, be it in a sexual relationship, in politics or even in family life. I no longer seek authenticity from any process or situation, person or organisation as I know I am a complete human being. I am no longer game to the patriarchal agenda which ever form it presents itself in my life.

Thus each night during each session of meditation I was able to get the negative energy out of my system, developing fresh energy that saw me wake up each morning ready to take on the challenges ahead and fight.

Each morning with a bright face I went about my business of campaigning, talking to as many people as I could, mobilising those who would listen and so on.

I had my affirming moments though. Those people who remembered me from the past, or those who had kept in touch and others who just reached out to me, with assurances that they were with me. They knew and understood what I and other female comrades were up against.

There were exciting moments of reconnecting with party structures, a different dynamic from the above altogether. The men and women at grass-roots level had their own understanding of our campaign.

Many urged me and fellow comrades on. 'We want gender' they would say meaning more women.

The mood and attitude towards our campaign was completely different. What was missing was a concerted effort at top party leadership to translate this willingness and understanding on the need to elect more women into those positions of power.

Most uplifting was my linking up with the younger generation of female activists who joined the party after I left. One of them Glady's Hlatywayo a recent University of Zimbabwe graduate was also contesting for the post of Youth Secretary General in the youth structure.

Gladys and I connected instantly as we had many notes to share. The young woman often cut a lonely figure in the male dominated youth structure. I admired her strength and resilience as she had the big challenge of standing against male hooliganism in its raw form in our youth structures.

And so I was able to take my campaign forward. A lot of positives came out of our decision to stand.

First, the patriarchal media covered us in its diversity. Even if it failed to go deeper into the gender dynamics at play by interrogating the inequalities that existed between us and the men we were standing against.

The world knows five MDC women, all party founder members, stood for office and only one of them won.

We might have failed to get a constitutional amendment guaranteeing at least 50 percent of all elected seats to be reserved for women. We might have failed to even achieve the one third stipulated in the current constitution; and we might have ended up with one lonely vice-president in the midst of men. Our point has been made.

For me, my moment came after the announcement of candidates as I stood there on the podium. It was my spiritual moment as I relaxed in the comfort of knowing I had made my point. I then withdrew from the race.

We are now prepared as the women's leadership to start preparing for the next congress in earnest. Our work will include building a strong Women's Assembly that will by the next congress be able to push a more realistic women's agenda which will see us in the years to come progressively integrate ourselves into the main party structure.

This is where the challenge is if we are to demolish the patriarchal nature of our party. Aluta- Continua.

* Grace Kwinje is a journalist and a former representative of the MDC at the European Union

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