CommuTalk Reporter
MASVINGO: Through continuous processes to achieve ‘free and fair elections in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) recently held a summit where they discussed fulfillment of inclusivity and democratic agenda.
Addressing fellow young women during the union’s Annual Female Students’ Summit where the grouping also launched the #StudentsDecide2021Campaign, ZINASU Gender Secretary Nancy Njenge emphasized the need for women to take lead in voter mobilization which she said translates to women participation in elections.
“We have convened as young student leaders to discuss how women’s participation may be improved ahead of the 2023 polls. Women are often scared of political spaces or elbowed out through non-empowering policies.
Through the launch of the #StudentsDecide2021Campaign, young women in leadership will go to their respective homes where they will be involved in mobilization programs that seek to encourage women to take up leadership roles,” Njenge said.
“If we take the lead as young women, our plights to inclusion and fulfillment of the democratic agenda will also be heard. Some biases we wish to fight through the program include the women quota system which has created nonempowered leaders than an empowered female leader who should have access to not only a constituency but developmental grants as the community development fund,” she added.
ZINASU through the gender portfolio has been actively involved in mobilizing female students to take leadership positions in the SRCs of colleges and also groom them to take up national politics, leadership, and decision-making processes once they leave college.
Sustainable Development Goal 16 provides for the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies and according to ZINASU, a key component of an inclusive society is active participation by women and youth in political processes.
