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When Evernice Munando founded the Female Students Network Trust (FSNT) in 2005, it was almost unheard of for young women to be elected to Zimbabwe’s influential Student Unions, considered to be the training ground for the country’s future political leaders.

Evernice explains that sexual harassment and discrimination are the greatest challenges facing young women at universities in Zimbabwe.

Traditional gender norms and gender-based discrimination are still pervasive, especially in rural areas according to recent research carried out by FSNT and the Zimbabwe National Commission to UNESCO.

Progressively though, there are signs that patriarchal attitudes and stereotypes keeping girls and women behind are beginning to shift in urban centers.

In 2019 FSNT, laureate of the UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education, celebrated the election of three women as Student Union Presidents, and the election of many more to various leadership positions in student-led organizations.

Meet Abiona, a young leader

Abiona Mataranyika, a 22-year-old student, made history when she was elected as the first woman President of the Student Representative Council at the University of Zimbabwe, the country’s oldest and most prestigious institution.

“I was the happiest person on the planet because I proved society wrong. It felt like a door of possibility was opening and I was the first to walk through it.”  

Abiona, recalling the day she won the election

Like other female student leaders, Abiona was subjected to a multitude of personal attacks, threats, rumors and cyber bullying as well as violence on voting day, which saw eight people arrested for rioting outside the Student Union building.

Abiona explains: “While we have many organizations advocating for women’s empowerment in Zimbabwe, we still experience a lot of resistance from men. Despite women having the same qualifications and achievements, we are perceived to be less capable than our male counterparts. This is what motivated me to stand for President. I wanted to bust this myth that women cannot hold these positions.”

Shift in attitudes

For Evernice, the increasing number of young women being elected to leadership positions in universities is a sign that the hard work of FSNT and other organizations is paying off.

“We are seeing, for example, a much better understanding by young men of what sexual harassment is,” says Evernice. This is leading to a more supportive environment for young women in universities.

Abiona’s candidacy was endorsed and supported by one of the biggest student political movements in the country, with many male members actively campaigning for her election. “We cannot deny there has been a paradigm shift in the attitudes of men towards female leadership”, she says.

Today, Abiona is determined to use her unique position as the first female President of the Student Representative Council at her university to represent the views of all students. She is eager to find innovative solutions to change governing policies and improve life on campus for women, who make up 60% of the student body.

As part of this work, Abiona is planning to hold seminars on women’s empowerment in partnership with FSNT for all interested students once the university reopens following the COVID-19 pandemic related closure.

Abiona’s leadership is encouraging other young women to follow in her footsteps. This shows the importance of role models and the progressive shift in attitudes taking place on university campuses around the country.

“Until girls and women are able to fully participate in leadership, the transformational changes that are desperately needed in Zimbabwe and elsewhere will remain elusive.”

Abiona

More information:

• Nominations for the 2020 UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education close on May 26, 2020. Check eligibility criteria and learn more here.
• In 2016, FSNT was awarded the Prize for its work on empowering tertiary education female students through leadership development and mentorship programs in Zimbabwe. Created in 2015 with funding from the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the Prize honors outstanding and innovative contributions that advance girls’ and women’s education.
• Read more on UNESCO’s response to COVID-19 education disruptions.

This article was first published on the Education for All blog.

URL:

https://en.unesco.org/news/how-young-women-are-leading-change-attitudes-zimbabwes-universities