Selina Maridza

“Gender Links has invested a lot of confidence in me it has given me another life.  I am now courageous when talking about Gender related issues through Gender Links empowerment.Thought I knew it all until I met Gender Links. I am an urban Councillor at City of Masvingo and I am the only female councilor. I do work hard for my community applying levels of  professionalism which i was taught by Gender Links, ways of working in an organized manner. I will forever be grateful.”

Apart from being an Urban councillor in City of Masvingo, the beneficiary is a woman who breaks stereotypes, as she is the only woman in her region who is a fisher. She is also the only woman in Masvingo who was the female Deputy Mayor. As a community leader, she is constantly working with the needy and vulnerable women and children.

Gender Links has brought about an empowerment change in Selina Maridza’s life. She was working hard, but was not appreciating herself. She took things for granted. She did not comprehend how she was changing the lives of people in her community.

  “I have access, being an Urban councillor and a community leader. I know I am a different person, who is an independent fighter . I help people a lot and guide them on doing small jobs so that they can become economically empowered. I am indeed changing the lives of people in my community but was taking myself for granted as if this was the normal course of life. I must thank Gender Links who made me realize the positive impact i was instilling in people’s lives.”

 As a the only female councillor ,Selina Maridza is busy mentoring Junior Council female councilors equipping them with skills she learnt  through her trainings with Gender Links. She is the Chairperson of both Human Resource and Gender Committee. Hence there is an issue to consider Gender always to allow more female councillors through her participation as a strongest motive .Juniour councillors are being motivated . To ensure sustainability,Maridza took part in mobilizing female entrepreneurs to get temporary licenses and operate at their full capacity as away of empowering women.

”  As a Female Councillor leader,I represent issues of my community at Council.  I saw it as of great importance to invest in females with knowledge and skills obtained from Gender links workshops.I had advocated for development of Mucheke Hostels  near Farai bar for safety of girl child and females.Through Gender Links’s efforts,I am now fully empowered and will continue participating in gender issues, mobilize more women to join and actively participate in leadership positions.”