Bulawayo Women Leaders Sounding Board Convenes to Address Community Issues
Princess Tshuma
The Women Leaders Sounding Board (WLSB) brought together 35 women from Bulawayo for a critical discussion on clean water access, reproductive health, and women’s empowerment. This one-day meeting aimed to create a platform for experience sharing, raising awareness, and fostering collaboration on solutions impacting the community.
Speaking at the meeting, Ntandoyenkosi Dube shed light on Bulawayo’s water woes. Classified as a “Region 4,” the city experiences low rainfall, leading to uneven water distribution. This disproportionately affects vulnerable groups like women with disabilities, mothers, and the elderly, and menstruating individuals.
Prudence Mloyi highlighted the burden of inaccessible boreholes, forcing residents to purchase water at exorbitant prices (30-40 USD per 1,000 liters). The WLSB pointed out the erratic water supply schedule and the need for improved communication from the Bulawayo City Council. They proposed designated contact persons in key areas for timely updates on water supply changes, allowing for better water storage.
The discussion further addressed issues like inconsistent water pressure, water quality concerns, and extended outages. Solutions included deploying water trucks to elevated areas and offering compensation on water bills during prolonged shortages. The WLSB also urged the council to monitor for bursting pipes to prevent contamination and address conflicts arising from water scarcity, emphasizing collaboration over blame games.
As a long-term solution, the WLSB called for the council to lobby the government for projects like the Gwayi-Shangani initiative to bolster the city’s water resources.
The workshop segment on women’s empowerment, led by Langelihle Gwebu, revealed challenges women face in accessing loans from women’s banks. Fear, lack of understanding, and societal barriers rooted in patriarchy were cited as key obstacles. To address these issues, the panel recommended providing financial literacy training, the need for women to set clear visions, and ensuring access to resources and support to empower women for success.
Angela Sibanda led a discussion on the challenges within Zimbabwe’s healthcare system, particularly regarding women’s reproductive health. Issues like caregivers’ attitudes impacting the quality of hospital care were highlighted, leading some women to riskier home births.
The WLSB proposed solutions like free hormonal blood tests, improved clinic facilities for testing, sensitivity training for nurses, and reinstating experienced nurses to mentor newcomers. Sukoluhle Mhlanga emphasized the need for disability-friendly maternity clinics, as current setups create difficulties for disabled individuals. Additionally, the discussion addressed the issue of burst sewage pipes and urged the City Council to prioritize repairs to prevent diseases like cholera.
The WLSB meeting served as a catalyst for addressing Bulawayo’s challenges. The shared experiences and proposed solutions emphasize the importance of collaboration between residents, local authorities, and government.
Moving forward, stakeholders must work together on long-term solutions. This includes improving water infrastructure, enhancing healthcare services, and providing comprehensive support for women’s empowerment initiatives. By implementing these solutions, Bulawayo can strive towards a more equitable, healthy, and empowered future for all.