South Korea Advancing Women Empowerment in Zimbabwe

BY NATHAN GUMA

A DRIVE from Harare’s central business district down Liberation Legacy Road – commonly known as Borrowdale Road – into Arlington Lane leads to Ridgeway North in the plush suburb of Borrowdale.

Turning left onto Steppes Road takes you to the residence of the Ambassador of the Republic of South Korea, where several people, mainly students from Women’s University in Africa (WUA), have gathered for a crucial lecture on women’s empowerment.

Several speakers are present, ready to share their experiences, including UN Women country representative Fatou Aminata Lo.

Zimbabwean songstress Hope Masike serenades the guests with melodious tunes as guests, among them high profile persons, mix and mingle.

Aminata Lo is one of those. She spoke at the famous 1985 Beijing Conference, where discussions centred on promoting equality for women in all aspects of life.

This gathering, however, has been convened to empower young women while drawing parallels between the progress made in Zimbabwe and South Korea, through partnerships with international organisations such as UN Women.

“We are the country known for cars, household appliances, Samsung phones and other things. We are also known for other things such as K-Pop drama and others. But, today is not about that. It’s about women,” says Park Jaekyung, South Korean ambassador to Zimbabwe.

“We feel that it is important to talk about women’s issues and that we share the concerns and the interests. We have prepared the lecture series, and of course, this also means this is not a one-time event. We are organising more of these.”

Although the Zimbabwean constitution promotes women’s empowerment, they still lag behind, particularly in politics, land ownership and access to resources.

For instance, women have less access to agricultural land and are underrepresented in government, with only 34% in parliament and 14% in local governance, according to a recent World Bank study.

Overcoming hurdles

Despite this, progress is being made, with more women breaking the glass ceiling to assume leadership roles—however, at a slow pace.

South Korea has been assisting Zimbabwe in empowering girls and women in rural communities, with programmes in areas such as Bindura, Shurugwi and other parts of Midlands Province.

“We have enjoyed a good collaboration with the Embassy of South Korea in issues around community development. In several communities, we find that there are many girls than boys. The work they are doing empowers women and girls,” said Lilian Takaindisa, chief director in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Medium Enterprises Development.

“It is important for young girls to know the constitution so that you can demand their rights. I would like to believe that all the developments we are talking about hinge upon personal development. So, it is crucial for women to have confidence and believe in yourselves.”

At home, South Korea has been successfully fighting gender disparity, amid ingrained patriarchal values within its society, which have been slowing down the promotion of women’s rights.

“Korea still has a long way to go. We still have deeply rooted patriarchal values in our society. So, it looks like it will take a lot of time to change those cultural norms.”

Despite that, the country has been making strides to promote gender equality, with more women now involved in political and social issues affecting them.

“Korea is experiencing some dynamic political changes and many citizens have taken to the streets voicing their political opinions. And young women in their teens and 30s are now politically active. They are voicing their political opinions,” she says.

“The recent movement shows that Korean women are now becoming more involved in politics and social movements. Agencies such as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family have been promoting women education, economic participation and legal protection.”

She said the government has been supporting women whose careers would have been interrupted by marriage or childbirth through re-employment programs, which have given more women hope.

“Also, in the civil service sector, we have a policy called the gender equality system. This ensures that at least 30% of those hired in the exams belong to one gender. This was originally designed to promote women employment,” she says.

“Female candidates have been excelling in the exams. This has been mainly benefitting male candidates. From a legal perspective, Korea has established laws such as the equal employment act. This promotes equal pay for equal work while prohibiting discrimination.”

UN Women has also been using technology to empower Zimbabwean women participation in the digital economy.

“As UN Women, we are proud to collaborate with critical partners in the private and public sectors to bridge the gender gaps in several areas in Zimbabwe through interventions like the African Girls Can Code Initiative which has benefited over 400 young women just last year,” says Aminata Lo, during the lecture.

She said that this has been ensuring that women are not left behind in the digital economy.

“We also support young women through programmes like African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), building young women’s voice and agency,” she says.

“The Intergenerational mentorship programme, ensuring that through networking and cross-sharing of wisdom and experiences we build a better generation of women in leadership. Today and every day, we reaffirm our commitment to mentorship, collaboration, and action.

“Together, we can accelerate the participation and success of women and girls in all spheres of life and drive sustainable development. Wishing you a good beginning to a great journey ahead, a journey of countless possibilities, together.”