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International Rural Women's Day - Message from the Chairperson of the Women's Coalition
Womens Coalition
October 17, 2005

Last week I was contacted by a certain journalist who asked why out of nowhere Zimbabwe had started commemorating International Rural Women’s Day and if there is anything to celebrate given the rising poverty, HIV and AIDS and its impact on women and other political, social and economic challenges Zimbabwe is currently facing. Question after question pointed out to the hopelessness of the Zimbabwean rural women .I responded in the following way:

• Too much comfort is bad. Every Zimbabwean has a rural home and this is a birth place (rukuvhute) and one definitely will be buried there in the rural areas mostly by rural women and girls . It is not as comfortable as it is supposed to be because it is neglected economically by all of us.
• The rural home is where everyone goes to campaign during elections but never goes back to develop. This is the support base for all politicians whether they lose or win. So it is not true that the home is forgotten completely, it is simply neglected.
• The rural home is where 80% of our women live. They sweat on the lands they do not own. They do not have any property rights. Patriachy is in charge and in control of all of them. Their voice is subdued and no one speaks on their behalf. But the women are there and have developed some survival skills and have some coping mechanisms in place
• The women and girls are a source of cheap labour for the "urbanites" who take a lot for domestic labour.

The rural women and girls are only remembered when it comes to:

• Cheap labour
• Sex exploitation
• Source of income as they provide inexpensive crops, cattle, hand made crafts
• Cheap provision of raw materials
• Voting for politicians to parliament
• NGOs designing development projects on their behalf
• Mobilising them to support projects that do not add value to their well being
• They are a pathetic lot of victims who get very little from the elite’s sympathy.

The list goes on:

The women and girls have remained steadfast. October 15 is a day that compels heads of states and government to proclaim the Rural Women’s Day. This day was conceptualised by a number of international organisations in Beijing during the 4^th United Nations World Conference on women in 1994. It has now become a global campaign in raising awareness on the important role of ensuring food security and developing rural areas.

• It would appear as Zimbabwean women have forgotten to commemorate International Women’s Day yet 60% women are heads of households, 90% of rural women on farms and rural areas form the backbone of the agricultural labour force. The girl child in the one who does the hard manual labour

• True survivors of any harsh cultural, religious economic and political practice. Their tears are known to fall from the eyes to the ground, a symbol of brevity.

The list also goes on :

I personally feel that given the above, Zimbabwe should join the rest of the world in celebrating International Rural Women’s Day. The rural women and girls are the power base of every family, politician, economist, government ,NGO etc .

It is evident that on the question as to whether there is anything to celebrate I am on optimist and I say yes confidently. The rural women and girls

• Are resilient and can withstand any abuse and yet they come out even stronger
• Have managed to send their children to school who have graduated and become professionals. Thousands of stories of mothers and sisters who toiled day and night to send especially their boy children to school give a sense of hope
• There is no conflict they have not gone through. Rural women are survivors of some of the worst conflicts and harmful cultural practices as well as wars
• Are adaptable to harsh living conditions and their face for hope is never lost
• Walk the longest distances to school, hospital, market place ,borehole, funeral and the rough feet in the sand give more inspiration to most of us who have not struggled this much

The girl child has been awakened to gender equality and equity. She is now part of the Girls movement through the Girl Child Network and her mother is also part of the same movement for she missed it all as a girl –deprivation!!!!!

Just to wrap my deep admiration for the rural girl child I wrote a special poem entitled :

A special dedication to the rural girl child

I see your path through the hard footprints on the rough sand.
Each time I watch you walk to school hundreds of miles I count each step forward.
Each step forward is each woman in future reaching potential.
They sang amazing grace, I sing amazing rural girl child.
I see your strength in the rough feet, yet fit and so strong.
Fly fly for the sky is the limit.

Rural girl child, woman of tomorrow tell me of your strength
In the face of rape, beatings, child labor and all evils you remain vigilant.

Even the deadliest grief of losing parents never engulfs you.
Tender love you give to those sick, weary and orphaned.
Boldly you follow the strong footsteps of your strong mother.
Like mother, like daughter the struggle continues, Aluta Continua.

Every 15 October know we celebrate you the rural girl child.
The future woman walking in the fullness of your potential.
A new breed of women singing protest songs against rape perpetrators.
"Enough is enough, kwatabvira kure muchingotibata bata hatichadi"
"Marapists, tinobata misoro tichitsikatsika tichikanda uko."
Yes use your rough feet, lift that strong hand and claim freedom.
There is light at the end of the tunnel rural girl child, fight on.

Mobilize and stabilize, a girls’ movement is born in Zimbabwe.
Fill all villages with them- girls` clubs for they are a pillar.
This poem know that is dedicated to you the rural girl child.
Make music out of it, tell them the once poor rural, abused Betty Makoni is big success.
You too rural girl child is bigger success.
This is the only gift I leave you, a poem wholly dedicated to you.
You learn from it, pass it on and go tell it on the mountains.
That the rural girl child is an empowered future woman.

(This poem is dedicated to the rural girl child. It was written by Hazviperi Betty Makoni, founder and Director of Girl Child Network in celebration of the prize for women rural creativity she received from Women’s World Summit Foundation based in Switzerland , Geneva. International Rural Woman’s Day is celebrated on 15 October every year internationally. This poem will be presented on the 15^th of October in Switzerland, Geneva by Betty Makoni, one of the five prize winners to present her work in Switzerland Geneva on 15 October 2003.Go go warrior…. And congratulations the girls of Zimbabwe as you are the future women of Zimbabwe)

Happy International Rural Women's Day. Visit www.woman.ch for more on the International Rural Women's Day

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