Women’s Arts Festival on Sunday

By Melody Gwenyambira

Young Voices Network through its Sistaz in Solidarity project, this Saturday host the first ever Women’s Arts Festival in Zimbabwe as a prelude to the 16 days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence.

The inaugural festival will run under the theme “Challenging the visible, discovering the invisible” and will be held at the Alliance Française.

“The festival seeks to reveal challenges that are faced by women that can be overcome if communities act against these atrocities. Female artists from all genres will converge on Saturday engage in creative lobbying and creative dialogue on violence against women in 10 different acts all interwoven to drive home the 16 steps policy agenda advanced by the UN Women.” said the Festival Coordinator Lyneth Mtemeri.

The initiative is based on a belief in cultural and creative expression as a means to affect deep and lasting social change.  Through art, the Festival is seeking to challenge many of society's deepest assumptions, built upon the power of artistic creation and expression to spark new ideas, catalyze critical thinking, elicit new actions, inspire individuals and create visions.

 “Highlights at the festival will include acts by renowned artists Selmour Mtukudzi, Edith WeUtonga, Cindy and Pauline, Diana Samkange and many more. Umoja will perform the main act that looks at the different faces of violence against women.”

“The festival signifies a continuation of efforts towards enhancing and empowering women and am proud to be part of the first edition” said Edith Weutonga

For an hour, the festival will be moved to Coppa Cabana Terminus for the unveiling of a mural painted on the public Toilet encouraging an end to harassment of women in public spaces, in the home and in workplaces. WAFEST decided on Coppa Cabana due to the high instances of sexual harassment of women that go on there on a daily basis.

“The initiative is inspired by the belief that violence against women is a coward hiding its face in the makeup of silence and only when we begin to challenge these visible structures of violence do we truly discover the true and female parliamentarians are expected to attend. In highlighting the plight of women through the arts, the festival aims to make the campaign against gender based violence a 365 days a year campaign. YVN hopes to make this festival an annual event,” Lyneth added.

Zimbabwean women empowered

                     

                        By Melody Gwenyambira

Five Zimbabwean women recently participated in the State Department’s TechWomen initiative.

The programme empowers, connects, and supports the next generation of women leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from Africa and the Middle East by providing them the access and opportunity needed to advance their careers, pursue their dreams, and inspire women and girls in their communities in launch careers in STEM fields.

“During the five week program in Silicon Valley, the entrepreneurial capital of the United States, these five Zimbabwean TechWomen strengthened their professional capacities through mentorships at innovative firms such as Adobe (the digital media giant), and showcased their own initiative by organizing a panel on entrepreneurship in emerging markets at Stanford University,” US Ambassador o Zimbabwe Bruce Wharton said.

 Between 1996 and 2004, averages of 550,000 small businesses were created every month in the United States.  These small businesses create between 60 and 80 percent of new jobs in the United States each year. 

“It’s encouraging to see so many young people creating a positive future in Zimbabwe through. Entrepreneurship fuels innovation, makes industries more competitive, and creates meaningful jobs.  While many of you have heard of the largest and most successful American companies like Google, Coca-Cola, or Microsoft, it is small businesses that drive the U.S. economy today.  Entrepreneurs are critical to this job growth in my country, and can be equally important in Zimbabwe,” Ambassador Wharton added.

The word “entrepreneur” comes from a 13^th century French verb meaning “to do something.” 

“One reason that entrepreneurs are so important for an economy is that they innovate.  Today, an entrepreneur is an agent of change.  Entrepreneurial men and women not only “do something,” but they do new things or old things in new ways.  Successful entrepreneurs expand not just the size of their own businesses or pocket books, but they expand the size of the economic pie for everyone.” 

Form three wife

By Melody Gwenyambira

A Harare has asked the court to order her husband to give her more money for their daughter’s upkeep because she (the wife) in form 3.

 Tendai Miti had revealed this to Magistrate Rebecca Kavhiya.

Clifford Mweda the ex husband flatly refused to pay the US$235 Tendai was claiming.

“She got me suspended from work because of her behavior and I am now at home. This happened two weeks ago. I can only give her US$50 . I earn US$300 a month,” Clifford said.

Magistrate Kavhiya asked Tendai what she was doing for a living and she revealed that she in form three.

“He earns US$900 a month. I know it all because that is the money he used to show me. I want US$235 for the minor. The money he is offering is too little,” Tendai said.

Since Tendai was not in agreement of his monthly earning Magistrate Kavhiya asked her if she wanted to get a pay slip from Clifford’s workplace and she agreed.

Increase of GBV cases alarming

By Melody Gwenyambira

The Women Coalition of Zimbabwe has noted with alarm the increase in cases of Gender Based Violence around the country.

This comes at a time when the country is commemorating 16 Days of Activism against gender based Violence from November 25 to December 10.

“The Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development and Gender Links, GBV indicators study reveals that 68percent of women in Zimbabwe have experienced some form of GBV in their lifetime. In the same study 46percent of men admitted that they had perpetrated some violence in their lifetime,’ WCoZ said in a statement.

The study also reveals that violence is high among intimate partners and this makes the home an unsafe place for women and children. Women and girls are subjected to various forms of violence such as physical violence, economic violence, rape, sexual harassment, harmful cultural and religious practices.

“WCoZ encourages the men and women of Zimbabwe to use the 16 Days of Activism to denounce all forms of violence in their community. GBV will only end when we all adopt the zero tolerance approach to violence in the community and the home.”

This year’s global theme is From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let’s challenge militarism and end violence against women.

This theme recognizes the linkage between the military and violence against women. Militaries are the epitome of the culture of violence and wherever there is conflict, the military from every side of the conflict are notorious for harassing women.

Manyame collaborates with Zet

By Melody Gwenyambira

United States Based gospel artiste Comfort Manyame has collaborated with Zet Mundhluri a Zimbabwean based in South Africa.

Comfort

The duo has released a single titled Zimbabwe.

“Zimbabwe is a beautiful country and God is doing amazing work with us. We are so happy and excited on what God is doing in the lives of the people,” Zet told H-Metro.

The track’s vocal arrangements were doing perfectly and they compliment the instrumentals.

“God gave us the best gift that is Zimbabwe. We should continue praying for our country and our leaders,” Zet added.

Zet’s powerful voice suits well with Comfort’s booming voice.

The song gives praise for the people of Zimbabwe and lives a lot of people appreciating what the country has.

Zet

Meanwhile Zet has just released an album titled Ishe Areva.

The eight track album is inspired by Zet’s personal life experiences and encounters.

He exudes confides in his video Ndine Zvandakaona which is being played on national television.