The Role of Activism in Shaping Public Policy: The Case of Women in Politics Support Unit

Civil society has been in continuous struggle against the privileges
that certain classes and groups in society enjoy because of the
control of resources and power. In Zimbabwe, the quest for equality
has seen the mushrooming of women activist groups that have
tasked themselves to fight for equality between men and women
in all positions of power and decision-making. Their only channel
of lobbying has been through the media. Media theorists posit
that media should be an agency of representation by enabling
various social groups to express alternative viewpoints (Curran
1991; Litchenberg 1990). Dahlgren (1991) states that individuals
and civic groups must have adequate and equal opportunities for
placing their questions on the agenda, and the media has a role
in representing these diverse viewpoints. With the current state
of the media in Zimbabwe, which is highly polarised on political
grounds, it remains to be seen how the media has responded to
calls for diversity of views and inclusion of women in all aspects.
This paper seeks to analyse the role of women’s activism in
Zimbabwe, with special focus on Women in Politics Support Unit
(WIPSU), in advocating for social change and whether the media
has been a willing partner in this cause.

Publisher: Gender Links
Edition: 4th Edition
Year of Publication: 2008