FEMALE parliamentarians have been called names for expressing their political views, with the word “prostitute” common in the insults hurled at them.
The latest to the list of female MPs labelled as prostitutes is the MDC chairperson Thabitha Khumalo who was called a “prostitute” by Joseph Chinotimba, the Buhera South MP.
Though the two have made up, Khumalo feels it was time MPs stop calling each other names and concentrate on real issues.
She told the Business Times: “I was insulted by Chinotimba, he called me a prostitute. It is so sad that we still have that patriarchal behaviour. You are too smart for them and they victimise us,” she said.
Khumalo said gender issues were not specific to women, adding that men should attend gender workshops to understand the subject.
“Chinotimba apologised eventually,” Khumalo said, “but on that day he accused me of insulting him, but I didn’t. Every time a woman from our party stands up, they say we are prostitutes and we slept our way to the top,” she said.
“MDC Alliance MP Lynnette Karenyi Kore has been accused of sleeping her way to the top and I have also been a victim. They say I can’t be a leader of the party in the House and party national chairperson without sleeping with anyone.”
Kore has since threatened to approach the courts to report sexual harassment against some lawmakers. The speaker of the House of Assembly, Jacob Mudenda, has instituted an investigation into the issues raised by the female legislators.
“We are targeted because we are pushing agendas that affect women,” Khumalo said. “That doesn’t kill our confidence. I am confident than ever. That Chinotimba apologised is a plus for us.”
Khumalo said “the word gender was corrupted by Beijing [the UN World Conference on Women held in the Chinese capital in 1995] and we need to change it to something else so that we can engage men for better dialogue. Even if you sleep with me, when it comes to office work it is work and not sex,” she said.
Joana Mamombe, the Harare West MP, has not been spared either. She was also labelled a prostitute after she wrestled the Harare West seat from Jessie Majome in the MDC Alliance internal dynamics.
MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe has also come under such attacks and labelled a prostitute by MDC Alliance supporters.
Khupe was also a victim of political violence after MDC Alliance youths threatened to burn down a hut she had sought refuge in at the funeral of Morgan Tsvangirai in Buhera earlier this year.
— Business Times