Sinazongwe district women have expressed happiness that civic education have removed them from ‘slavery’ that they encountered at the hands of men for they were using them as labourers and denied them the chance to belong to any association.
Sinazongwe district Women for Change Association Chairperson Jeresi Siamakoli said at the training for trainers in human rights and democracy in Malima that men in the district have started involving them in budgeting and planning.
She said the gender lesson have educated men to start treating them as equal partners in development.
Ms Siamakoli said the woman have started accessing land a thing that was a taboo among the valley tonga men.
She said men have also stopped the habit of using women as labourers and only resurface when it was time for selling the harvest.
“The men used to make women work the whole day at the end of the harvest they pocket all the money realized from the sale of the harvest and we were not allowed to complain because it was a taboo,” Ms Siamakoli said.
Sinazongwe District Women for Change Association former Chairperson Rebecca Siamapibi said the endangered girls have now been saved from the early marriages that they were being subjected to go through.
[pullquote]“The men used to make women work the whole day at the end of the harvest they pocket all the money realized from the sale of the harvest and we were not allowed to complain because it was a taboo,” Ms Siamakoli said. [/pullquote]
Ms Siamapibi noted that girls that were being treated as the source of wealth to be given out into marriage were now being encouraged to go back to School.
She noted that once a girl gets pregnant they were sent directly given out into marriage instead of taking them back to School.
Ms Siampibi also noted that villagers would no longer be cheated in electing their leaders because they have been enlightened on the basic need of democracy and elections.
Women for Change Trainer Patricia Chambisha said she was overwhelmed that people were appreciating the information that they were being taught.
Ms Chambisha disclosed that woman for change that has a centre in Malima area have been conducting lesson on gender, democracy and civic education.
She said it was encouraging to note that most women and men have accepted that they were supposed to live as partners in addressing their developmental activities unlike the situation where men were in control of all things.
good to hear that civic education has reached the most vulnerable, but don`t be cheated that you will be equal to your husbands, just give them the respect they deserve, and you will live in harmony as before.
good luck women! but as #1 has said respect your hubs.
Respect cuts both ways. Why should someone be treated as an inferior for the simple biological fact that they were born female? If anything it is women who are the superior sex given that we all need their wombs to enter this world.
The story gives me the impression that all women are simple house-wives in sinazongwe. I urge the NGO to concentrate in educating and empowering the GIRL CHILD. The story seems to be too real to be true. I cant buy it.