Introducing myself and my journal: Cleo speaks

About Me:
My name is Cleopatra Ndlovu. I am thirty three.

I am a feminist and i live in Zimbabwe. I joined the women's rights movement in Zimbabwe in 2003 when i was employed by an organisation called Women's Action Group, a non governmental organisation in my country which seeks to promote women's sexual and reproductive health rights. In July 2008 i joined Women in Politics Support Unit as a Director.Women in Politics Support Unit is a feminist non partisan organisation which seeks to promote women's representation and participation in politics with an aim to influence policy and decision making.

Together with a group of friends i have co-founded an organisation called The Girls Legacy, an organisation which seeks to build the capacity of young women and girls through leadership development and mentoring so that they can live empowered lives and become models and change agents in their communities.

I identify myself as a young leader and i believe i need to stand up and contribute to bringing about change in the lives of women and girls and also the general Zimbabwean populace, I am tired of living in a country where thirty two years after independence and just a few years before the Millenium Development Goals target of 2015, we still live in a country where women constitute way less than thirty percent (target set for 2005) of the people in decision making, where political parties are busy fighting to stay in power when women are reeling in poverty, dying from gender based violence and HIV and AIDS with acess to treatment still being a dream.Our only hope of bringing about change through the ballot, has beome synonymous with women being killed, maimed, raped and infected with HIV and giving birth to children whose fathers some women will never know. This inspires me to stand up and speak, not just for myself but for many other women who go through and experience what i experience as a woman living in this country.

As a feminist i find myself among a few other women who regardless of being chastised, despised still publicly identify themselves as feminists and will not retreat no matter how much backlash this alone brings about.

Proudly a feminist!

My Passions:
Women and girls are my passion. I love to work with and for women and girls!

My Vision for the Future:
My vision is to live in world that respects women enough to let them be.

My Areas of Expertise:
HIV and AIDS, Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, Gender,Women and Leadership