ZIMBABWE recently joined the world in celebrating Inter   anational Women’s Day on March 8.

The day was celebrated under the theme:‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’.

With women in mind, we at The Patriot would like to say: Happy International Women’s Day!

However, as we have highlighted in previous editions, in Zimbabwe we say women are priceless.

Yes, the month of March sees women being celebrated worldwide but as we have emphasised before, while we join the rest of the world in celebrating women in March, as Africans, and Zimbabweans in particular, we celebrate our women every single day.

Contrary to Western beliefs that Africans oppress their women, women feature prominently in our lives, playing and assuming significant and important roles in our day-to-day activities.

Here in Zimbabwe, we dislodged colonialism with the help of our women.

They were not passive in the fight to drive out the white menace and our spiritual icon, Mbuya Nehanda, whom we continue to honour to date,

directed the First Chimurenga and continues to inspire the nation. 

Women also actively participated in the Second Chimurenga and they were clear about what they sought to achieve; relentless in the pursuit of freedom. It is known that achievers always set clear objectives and our women have made sacrifices in order for Zimbabwe to be what it is today.

In driving our nation forward, our women do not go into it half-heartedly as an afterthought, but with mind and spirit together. They are daring leaders who boldly leap across the divide.

In Zimbabwe and abroad, Zimbabwean women have become vital cogs. Their skills have become invaluable and, daily, they are impacting lives.

Indeed, we celebrate women every single day. It has always been our tradition and culture to do so and by extolling dreams, desires and wishes of our women, we perpetuate and promote sustainable development.

 It is commendable that, as a nation, we have not left our women behind in our development agenda as we ideologically and intellectually engage the enemy we beat on the battlefield.

In publishing houses, research institutes and at cultural centres, our women are contributing in the fight to defend what is ours.

Our women have contributed, and continue to contribute their share of sweat in determining the history, future and identity of our nation.

No other nations can dictate this to us because that is the bedrock of our nationhood.Our women are not inferior.

Back in time, Rhodesians punished the population which supported the liberation struggle and women bore the brunt of their brutality.

Our Second Chimurenga was unstoppable because we all played a part — men and women — to dislodge colonialism.

Therefore, let us continue valuing and respecting our women, while supporting them in their endevours that ultimately benefit society. Yes, since time immemorial, we have agreed that empowering a woman is empowering the nation.

We must write books about them, their exploits,their successful business ventures as well as their success in sport.

Let us compose songs and poems about them because everyday we celebrate our women for they are priceless.

Let us support President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa who have been leading from the front in terms of promoting gender equality in the country.

The time for women to rise is now!