the vote that changed my world:constitution in zimbabwe

my heart was beating quickly that saturday morning . the day had finally arrived. though with its imperfections and disagreements, the new constitution of zimbabwe presented a ray of light for many poor, illiterate but hardworking zimbabwean women who have suffered the brunt of glaring inequalities. for the first time in my life i went to vote. this was a day i realised that the statement that your vote counts is true. indeed in those figures being read out i know my feelings are expressed. mediocrity has become the order of the day but wait until you loose anything by one vote that is when you will realsie the importance of one single vote. now in the face of HIV and AIDS, the statement," it begins with you" is now making a lot of sense. taking charge is important. change may not come today but the wheels are now turning. gone are the days when you could not get a birth certificate for a child because the father is not there, indeed resolving women's issues has a trickle down effect as our children are registered without any problems and they can go to school on time instead of facing delays whilst we look for a father who has never seen the child or even cares for the child to determine the child's future.

women need to be educated to take charge and improve their lives and that of their children by voting. 60 permanent seats for women is not enough but its a step. sisters mothers aunts lets stand together to put more women in decision making bodies so that issues that affect us are not left out in reform processes and lets not leave our fate in the hands of men. with our numbers lets stand up and unite for empowerment and recognition.

hooray for making my mark. i stand tall, a very proud woman today. i voted and that counts. i have taken action to change my world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I DEMAND THAT MY VOICE BE HEARD I AM A PROUD AND STRONG WOMAN AND I SPEAK FOR MYSELF!