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Anesu Chakabva Correspondent
Women empowerment has received much support locally, regionally and internationally, with the Zimbabwean Government incorporating women in developmental programmes as a means of ensuring their total emancipation.

Programme initiatives exclusively for the sole benefit of women through the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development have been successfully implemented. However, an empty bag will not stand upright.

These efforts will not bear much fruit if women do not play their role in securing their relevance in society.

They say charity begins at home and the argument is that, before we focus on what is being done by Government at national level, let us look at what women do for each other at a more personal level.

Are all women doing something positive for their colleagues?

Successful women should be able to open up to their colleagues in positions below to help them go up the ladder. Or there is fear of being overtaken and having the spotlight taken away from them?

The emancipation of women begins with the women themselves.

The common myth that women cannot help each other, let alone stand for each other, has to be done away with completely. It has to be dismissed and proven to be nothing but a fallacy. Women suffer from the pull her down syndrome, which impedes progress. It hinders the success of many women who fall victim to it.

This is not applicable to Zimbabwe only, but the world over.

Today, unlike long ago, we have many successful women who run vibrant business empires while others hold influential positions in the corporate world.

Question is, are they doing enough to emancipate those that are in need of support? A recent research found that the Zimbabwe women’s soccer team, the Mighty Warriors have not received much financial support from fellow women.

It may not necessarily mean that one will have to fork funds out of their own pocket but to simply make use of the influence they wield to assist their fellow women to source funds.

Support may not necessarily be in cash, but in some instances, mentorship and motivation are all that is needed.

Kind words are worth much and cost little. A few words of inspiration may actually go a long way and they can change someone’s life altogether.

The words we exchange should be those that build the inner being and not the other way round. There are words that crush the spirit, self-confidence and self-esteem of an individual. There is no venom like that of the tongue.

We have so many people in society who are full of potential but lack the motivation and mentorship needed to tap the potential they possess.

Thus, we see all of it going to waste.

There is a saying that the difference between a successful woman and one who has not made it yet is opportunity.

Women should be able to give each other a chance and stand up for each other, especially those who have the capacity.

Women are emotional beings compared to their male counterparts and therefore tend to attach emotions and feelings to almost anything.

It is common for women to become instant ‘enemies’ at first sight for the flimsiest reasons (most people can relate).

This ‘hatred’ can be a result of one or both parties realising or assuming that the other is more beautiful, more attractive or sounds more intelligent than them.

Some actually go to the lengths of judging someone negatively by merely looking at someone from such a perspective.

This is a habit that many women have and like they say, habit is second nature.

If it is not tamed, it becomes part of an individual and this vice is not good for progress. Women usually feel threatened by each other and resultantly cannot be there for each other.

A female artiste from Botswana, Magdeline Lesolebe, well known as Charma Girl, is reportedly working with superstars Oliver Mtukudzi and Jah Prayzah after being shunned by local female artistes here in Zimbabwe with whom she initially wanted to do collaborations.

The responses she got from the artistes in question made her turn to male artistes as she wanted to do collaborations with Zimbabwean artistes.

However, her dream had been to collaborate with fellow women from the industry. Much to her disappointment, her proposal found no takers.

If we all rise up and assist each other from whichever level we are, we can all look back and celebrate our achievements together.

We will not have to personalise success or confine it to a handful of individuals.

Not only a few individuals would be celebrated but the whole woman species.

But firstly, the issue of the pull her down syndrome has to be addressed and it takes effort from all women at all levels to tackle this vice.

He that will eat the kernel must crack the nut.

To enjoy a better life, women ought to work for it and it is a good thing we do not need to put in anything material. Instead, it is only a change in attitude towards each other as women that will enable the bag to stand upright.

Women are very powerful and if we unite and rise united, we can transform this world. They say a woman turns a house into a home.

The positive influence we have in our homes can be spread throughout the whole world and future generations will have something to emulate, something worth admiring.

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