22 March 2012,
Unwomen.org
“I used to sell fish under the trees, and carry fish on my
head. I would wake up at 4am to walk a long distance to buy fish from the
fishermen. Now I sleep and wake up normal hours, and have my tea before the
Captain comes. I never thought I would have time to sleep, eat, work and rest
like this!”
So reveals Kuli Mungombe, one of ten women who are making
history in Zimbabwe by owning and operating a fishing rig in the country. The
women, from the Tonga ethnic group, formally entered the male-dominated industry
last year after being provided with the rig, equipment and skills training.
They have since been working to scale up the venture in Binga, one of the
country’s least developed districts, so that it can sustain them and their
families, as well as create opportunities for other women in the area.
This is the first time since the 1950s that women from their
ethnic group have been able to fish at all.
Although it was traditionally the Tonga women who fished, using
traditional Zubo baskets, aspects of their matrilineal culture changed when the
group were displaced by the construction of the Kariba Dam during the colonial
era. Their access to resources reduced, and their participation in community
fishing ended.
The Zubo Basilizwi Trust, a women-focused development
organisation, secured the fishing rig for the women traders in Siachilaba,
supported by UN Women. Designed with
women in mind, it has toilets and showering facilities, includes special
technology such as a fish locator, and is slightly larger than those on most
other rigs to provide more stability on the river.The ten women were selected
from a group of 80 fish traders from Siachilaba village after they acquired a
fishing licence and passed the required fitness and medical exam. They were
initially joined by four male rig operators, who helped train them to handle
the operation themselves. The women have built temporary homes nearby on the
riverbank, and are devoting themselves full-time, and successfully, to their
new jobs: their sales average has doubled from the days prior to the rig, at
about US $2,500 per month.
With UN Women, the Zubo Basilizwi Trust is now helping the
women to organize into collectives, improve their market stands and conditions
in Siachilaba, and also market their fish to Zimbabwe’s larger towns and
cities. A revolving fund has been set up by the programme to provide them with
small loans.
“I grew up knowing that any meaningful business was a
preserve for men, not for us women,” says rig operator, Sarudzai Mumpande,
describing the difficulties the women have traditionally faced. “We have since
overcome those challenges because we have organized ourselves into a serious
business entity.”
The businesswomen have also worked out a scheme for sharing
their income so that it benefits other women. From their earnings, 50 per cent
will go to the female rig operators; 30 per cent into a basket-weaving fund for
women in the area; and 20 per cent will be given to the Zubo Basilizwi Trust to
expand the revolving fund for women in other areas. And while many challenges
still remain, the women are starting to believe and accept that they are
champions of their own destinies.
“Although I grew up here I had never been to the harbour. I
had no idea what it felt like to sail on the river,” says rig operator, Violet
Mwinde. “I sold fish for years but could not afford to eat the fish I sold.
Now, our children come to visit during the holidays and have fish. My life has changed significantly. I am
healthy, physically and in spirit.”
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