Zimbabwe: When women rise, the whole community rises with them

Thandiwe Moyo is a 61-year-old local government councillor for Ward 7 in Makokoba, Bulawayo. When she was elected into office in 2023, she stepped into a community where women were present in every facet of daily life but absent from the spaces where decisions were made. Confidence gaps, lack of resources, and male-dominated platforms meant women’s voices rarely influenced policies or development programs that affected them. She recalls, that real development is impossible when half the population has no voice.” 

Motivated by this reality, she began engaging women’s groups, youth organizations, and residents to raise awareness on gender equality and open doors for women’s leadership. She championed the inclusion of women in ward committees, community projects, and all decision-making platforms. Her leadership approach ensured that gender equality was not treated as a separate activity but woven into everyday governance from, budgeting and service delivery to public consultations. She often told women during meetings that, “We are not just beneficiaries of development, we are creators of it.” 

Through capacity-building workshops on leadership, entrepreneurship, and advocacy, she helped women gain the confidence and knowledge they needed to participate meaningfully in local governance. In 2025, she facilitated mentorship sessions attended by 30 youths and empowerment workshops for 77 women which opened doors not only for learning but for self-belief. The impact soon became visible when women who once sat quietly in the back of meetings began to stand, speak, and lead. More women joined ward committees and community structures. Women led initiatives sprang up across Makokoba, including clean-up campaigns, savings clubs such as the Golden Girls, Winners, and Victory Savings Club, and awareness programs on gender-based violence. Young women took up leadership positions in community projects, inspired by the growing belief that their voices mattered. 

Jenifa Nyakaoma, had this to say “Councillor Thandiwe Moyo is a hardworking mother of our ward.” The chairperson of the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association pointed out that, “The councillor holds monthly meetings and brings all departments together at Stanley Square for improved coordination”.  

The change did not happen overnight. It came through deliberate community consultations, intentional leadership, and creating safe spaces where women and girls felt heard. Before these efforts, many women were silent observers in local governance. Today they are active contributors and decision-makers, influencing ward development priorities and driving initiatives that uplift families. Even men have embraced this shift, with many now recognizing the value of shared leadership and actively encouraging women’s participation. 

To sustain and scale the change, Thandiwe has ensured gender equality is integrated into all ward plans and budgets so that inclusivity remains a guiding principle even beyond her term. Women’s groups formed through her initiatives have become self-sustaining networks, organizing their own training and community programs. She is also working with councillors from other wards, the Silwane Youth Centre, Proportional Representtive councillors, and the City of Bulawayo to share best practices and encourage a citywide adoption of gender-responsive governance. Mentorship programs are being developed to support young women in pursuing political and leadership pathways. 

For the residents of Makokoba evidence of change is abundantly clear even around nearby suburbs.  The councillor made sure that all meetings and events attended registers are kept which shows that women’s participation in ward meetings and committees has more than doubled. Women led savings and lending schemes are operational, youth mentorship programs are ongoing, and community initiatives are thriving. The developments had been captured by various media platforms such as Facebook, Daily News, B-Metro, Skyz Metro, and Cite ZW. The councillors has also been captured on photographs show showing her facilitating meetings, leading health and hygiene promotions, conducting training sessions, and engaging in community consultations. She is has embraced the use of digital technology by capturing videos when advocating for service delivery improvements and health measures and in Full Council meetings. 

Resultantly, women in ward 7 has moved from a space where they used to watch and see decisions being made to a community where they actively participated to make them. Through compassion, persistence, and inclusive leadership, Thandiwe Moyo has turned gender equality from an aspiration into a lived reality in Makokoba. Her journey continues to inspire those within her community and beyond proving that empowered women build empowered communities. 

By: Thandiwe Moyo