Grace Kwinjeh | This year’s International Women’s Day theme is ‘be bold for change’.

What an appropriate theme at a time that the failures of male leadership in our country Zimbabwe painfully glare at us, with the little hope left diminishing each day. An even more appropriate theme as more sisters this time round are boldly stepping forward,  to challenge the bastion of patriarchal power in Zimbabwe at political level.

As the women step forward to challenge the failure of male leadership, a conversation takes place in our community: are women better leaders than men?  – At a glance a question that might seem to be naive and one that seeks a response which fits the usual stereotype that; women are mothers, more caring, more loving and will do things better.

But alas No!

There are examples in Africa of deadly female leadership in its most brutal form. Take former Rwanda’s first lady, now exiled Agathe Habyarimana who is accused of masterminding a Genocide against the Tutsi.

Another recent example is of Ivory Coast’s Simone Gbagbo, also known as the “Iron Lady”, who is accused of crimes against humanity, for her alleged role in that country’s 2010 post-election violence that killed more than 3,000 people.

As Zimbabwean women step forward positioning themselves for the highest office on the land, light illuminates over their history and the role they have played in society: where have they been placed and what politics have they advanced?

Indeed also in this assessment men do get away ‘with murder’ in the literal sense – no pun intended. We are more likely to vote for a man who sleeps with his whole executive, than say if a woman did this – she would be history, examples galore.

The women who have so far taken the bold step forward include, Joice Mujuru, Grace Mugabe  and Barbara Nyagomo – a historic move as this is the first time in an election that women ruffled feathers as they push barriers, in their parties and society at large.

Nyagomo has been progressively building her party both in the Diaspora and in Zimbabwe, coming from the Diaspora, giving her that unique niche and voice as the only woman the vast community has produced so far.

The first time that women from within the ruling party, Grace Mugabe and Mujuru seem to be shaking off antiquated male politics that have held them down for decades represented by a man President Mugabe, who has ironically mentored them both at one time and another.

Speaking during his birthday celebrations Mugabe castigated those who charge that Grace must stay in the home and leave politics to others, reminding them of the late Sally Mugabe’s spirit at the dawn of independence as she influenced policy standing out in her own right as a politician who could move and shake things.

Grace Mugabe’s battle to win power within Zanu PF becomes an interesting one as she is placed at the epicenter of the revolution to dismantle the exhausted patriarchal system of governance that has sustained her husband’s rule over the years – A model whose main characteristics are sexism, dictatorship and cronyism adopted by most liberation movements who have ruled over starving masses with brute force.

The women coming forward also challenge conscious and unconscious biases in our society – Women who daily stand up against the backlash from a society that believes women should be seen and not heard. That backlash has come in the form of direct and indirect attacks, and we in the media have not been kind either. The sexualisation of their politics, being an issue, we are more concerned about who they have slept with or about to sleep with and not their ability to put in place sound policies.

Consequently, these are bold women who have taken a step forward, knowing fully that the Zimbabwean community is sick and tired of brutal male politics, as they aim for the highest office and will also be brought to account on all matters in equal measure to their male counterparts.

Being female is no excuse to loot, kill or repeat the very mistakes our male leaders are guilty of, sadly because as women they represent an alternative, the expectation bar is also raised.