By Own Correspondent- Chairperson of the women’s wing in the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Lynette Karenyi has said the women in opposition and nationally are pinning their hope of improved and better livelihoods on party leader Nelson Chamisa.

Speaking at the International Women’s Day commemorations held at Makoni in Chitungwiza under the theme “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change”, the Assembly of Women said because women bore the brunt of poverty, it was high time that the country was led by a caring leader who prioritised the betterment of women’s lives.

Karenyi lamented that commemorations for the International Women’s Day comes on the backdrop of increased poverty and gender imbalances.

She said:

“This year’s theme entails pressing for progress… challenging the stereotypes. Zanu Pf has dismally failed…. Our wish is to see our president at the helm of leadership changing our circumstances as women.

Women are the caregivers , but they have nothing. Mr President, when someone gets sick, it is not the men who are burdened with the responsibility of caring for the sick, it is the women. We know very well that they (social care workers and other health practitioners) are given pathetic renumeration. We pray that when you are leading the country, you will change their circumstances and give them befitting renumeration.

Mr President, we are saying our children at tertiary institutions, because of the economic hardships, we are seeing young girls being taken advantage of by older men. They are being abused by adults, the sugar daddies….. They cannot afford meals and because of poverty, they end up engaging in prostitution. Our hope is that when you become the country’s leader, all these things will come to pass.”

She said the women’s wing was behind Chamisa as they hoped that he had the keys to unlock the country’s developmental trajectory for the betterment of women and the nation.