Women’s rights activist Margaret Mutsamvi says she would love to get into politics if the opportunity arises because it gives power and influence.
In Zimbabwe, women are said to be marginalized and prevented from occupying decision-making posts by various issues.
Some women organisations are already calling for 50-50 representation in Parliament as a way of empowering women.
The government in its efforts to give women capacity also increased the term of Proportional Representation in the National Assembly.
According to Mutsamvi who founded Economic Justice for Women, women lack power and influence hence they are always crying.
She said power and influence to cause the changes that women need only come through political influence.
In an interview on Women Create Wednesdays, Margaret Mutsamvi said she would take the opportunity to be in politics.
‘’I would love to get into politics because politics is power, and power is influence and influence is change. And so, this is what we lack as women, particularly young women. This is why we are always complaining that the things we wish for as young women are not represented at a high level.
‘’So, an opportunity to get into politics is an opportunity to have that power bestowed upon you and then to use it to influence policy and laws and reforms that can then begin to speak to issues that we worry about day and night.
‘’And once we have influence then we begin to see the change this is seeing the young women empowered. The young women active in economic governance, safe spaces that we are always crying out for to raise basic issues like sanitary issues.
‘’We can begin to have conversations to contribute to the mainstream conversation on the provision of things that are important to us as women, particularly as young women,’’ she said.
