The Draft constitution a betrayal to our mothers and sisters

 

By David Chidende

“Women are their worst enemies; they don’t support each other,” said Grace Mtandwa during the launch of her book, The Power and the Glory.

These words reverberated in my mind as I perused the Copac Draft constitution which a microscopic group of women organisations in the civil society have endorsed and are already campaigning for a ‘YES VOTE’  ahead of the constitutional referendum slated for March 16.

The impulsive endorsement and ‘YES VOTE’ campaign is oblivious of the fact that most people in the country are yet to (that is if they are ever going to be accorded such right) familiarise themselves with the Copac draft. It is however not surprising to note that these women organisations endorsed this document in the early drafting stage, exuding their gullibility and barricading my grandmother in Chendambuya, my aunt in Dotito, nephew in Chikwalakwala and hundreds of thousands of people in the rural areas outside the information box.

Such behaviour is expected, especially when those claiming to represent women read and interpret the Draft constitution from a political party perspective, and in a situation like this those without political power and influence suffer much from misinformation. Political rhetoric and sophism are very much at disposal to hoodwink and smoke screen the people so that they vote YES for a document they have never input for its output, let alone read.  

In as much as I acknowledge the much paraded so called ‘incremental gains’ this draft constitution has, I do not subscribe to the school of thought that it gives women more rights, and women should not ululate because there is nothing to ululate for. To me the impetuous endorsement of the constitution by this group (women) means that ordinary women will never ever have their voices heard anywhere because such organisations will always try to speak on their behalf.

Someone must be fooling someone here, and any sensible and right minded woman should see that. What’s so special in this draft constitution today that has led these ‘staunch’ advocates of 50-50 representation with men in parliament warp the protracted struggle for women emancipation? Is it because of the 60 additional uncontested seats for women, or they have achieved their goal?

Well, such is politics, and I am not even surprised to note that those women organisation are not even aware that the draft constitution does not talk of 50-50% quotas in jobs or all public offices, economic empowerment, social grants and social security rights, funded maternity/payback benefits for all women and the right to abortion, yet they continue ululating.

 Ululating for what? So does it mean that for all these years these women organisations have been fighting to go to parliament, to do what? And from my understanding those additional 60 seats are drawn from political parties meaning  to say only for a minute group, possibly those who are championing the YES campaign will benefit, and those in Chendambuya, Dotito and Chikwalakwala will continue to languish in poverty. This draft constitution is cosmetic and it fails to address the real challenges the ordinary women in Zimbabwe are facing. It marginalises and sidelines young women and further drives them into the political wilderness.

This show the extent to which the people of Zimbabwe have always been taken for granted by those who wields power and those who aspire to assume leadership. But one thing I like about women, they are and will always remain faithful to their children, grandchildren and the generations to come so much come referendum they will vehemently reject the Copac Draft Constitution by voting NO.

David Chidende is a writer from Nhema, Shurugwi and can be contacted at chidende20110@gmail.com.