By Ashley Njazi and Takunda Mandura
Gender equality and parity is a struggle which is still being fought for by women and men not only in Zimbabwe but by the world as a whole. Addressing youths gathered at a workshop under the theme Pledge for Parity organized by Organizing 4 Zimbabwe held at the American Embassy on the 31st of March 2016, Sally Dura urged women not to take culture as an excuse for women oppression.
“When culture is thrown at us (women) it is a defense of some sort. Society should not to take culture as an excuse,” she said.
She said that being materially resourced does not mean that a woman is empowered as some women in the rural areas do not know about equality and parity but can stand for their rights.
She went on to urge the youths to use their age and resources to fight for parity and equality.
Source International Zimbabwe Campaign Strategist Nyasha Sengayi also bemoaned cases of sexual harassment at corporate sectors and she urged male colleagues to be taught on how to coexist with female colleagues.
“We have to teach our male children so that they can be better work colleagues,” she said.
She added that the society has to be taught to value women so as to stop cases of sexual harassment at the work place. The issue of harassment is not only linked to women only but some women harass male counterparts and even women
“Equality and parity is not about women, it begins with the commitment of leaders to bring in policies which can be supportive to the struggle .The capacities of women, go unnoticed because they undermine the person in the informal sector, sometimes we do not count them in their contribution to the economy” she added.
