Zimbabwe’s women battle gender discrimination

From driving trucks and fixing cars, women in Zimbabwe refuse to be defined by their gender

Harare: There are very few female truck drivers in Zimbabwe, but Molly Manatse doesn’t like to be singled out for her gender. “It has always been known as a male job, but don’t say I am a female driver. We are just drivers, we do the same job,” insists 31-year old Manatse, a Zimbabwean truck driver whose income helps take care of relatives who have lost jobs due to Covid-19.

From driving trucks and fixing cars to encouraging girls living with disabilities to find their places in society, women in Zimbabwe are refusing to be defined by their gender or circumstance, even as the pandemic hits them hardest and imposes extra burdens.

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Celebrating womanhood, Zimbabwe’s women give a thought to the progress they have made in tackling discrimination in the workplace and acknowledge more effort is necessary. In many instances, Zimbabwean women have become leaders to help this troubled southern African country grapple with the double trauma of Covid-19 and ongoing economic deterioration.

However, many women say it is not easy to achieve equality or professional recognition and they are often reminded of women’s traditionally subservient role in Zimbabwe. “Once you get home they expect you to cook, they expect you to wash clothes … all the household work, you have to do it. That is a challenge,” Manatse shares as she prepares for a 1,700 kilometer (1,056 mile) trip to neighbouring South Africa’s port city of Durban. She is the only female driver at a trucking company that employs 80 drivers, she said.

After a devastating resurgence that saw an increase in numbers of COVID-19 infections and deaths in December and January, Zimbabwe’s government is beginning to relax restrictions and businesses are trying to recover. However, it may be a longer road to recovery for businesses owned by women, especially in male-dominated sectors due to inherent prejudice, said Memory Mukabeta, 37, who runs a car repair shop.