Zimbabwe, Lesotho to Honour Unsung Heroines
Nomsa Sibanda and Nts’epeng Ts’ita Tikiso urged women to do away with the “pull-her-down syndrome” where women are seen as being jealous of each other.
WASHINGTON DC — The Africa Union has marked August as the African Woman’s month to celebrate successes of women and amplify their potential. The work of outstanding women across the world has not gone unnoticed. Two women from Lesotho and Zimbabwe will honor outstanding women of these countries in separate award ceremonies to be held in Lesotho on August 29 and in Birmingham, UK, for Zimbabwe on October 3. Marketing Manager Nomsa Sibanda of the Zimbabwe International Awards (ZIWA) said the aim of the ceremony was to celebrate and recognize the unsung heroines of Zimbabwe. “The objective is to celebrate and recognize women who have made a contribution to our community from entrepreneurship, business, education, social, charity, humanitarian work, entertainment and arts,” Sibanda said. Nts’epeng Ts’ita Tikiso, chief executive of BAM group of companies and co-founder of Finite Woman Appreciation Awards Lesotho (FWAA), said her initiative was solely focused on recognizing and commending women who have pushed the limit of the unknown or the not-yet-done in the business, social and institutional fields. Both Sibanda and Tikiso urged women to do away with the “pull-her-down syndrome” in which women are seen as being jealous of each other. “The world is focused on women rights now, this is the right time to take advantage of the moment and utilize it to the best of our abilities by taking leadership roles and being supportive of other women, instead of dwelling on negativity and trying to put each other down,” Tikiso said. She echoed Sibanda’s sentiments that women were ready for leadership positions. “The issue of gender roles still affects the effectiveness of women’s contribution in the general community as the traditional woman is still trying to find balance between being a home-keeper and taking the front seat in the work place,” Sibanda observed. According to UN Women, globally, there are 38 states in which women account for less than 10 percent of parliamentarians in single or lower houses, as of January 2015. As of January 2015, 10 women served as head of state and 14 as head of government.