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President Mugabe’s remarks coincided with the annual International Women’s Day commemorations that were marked yesterday.
“The whole world recognises the International Day of Women. Today is a special day for women that is emphasised by the presence of the chiefs’ wives here.
“It is your day and this is the moment for the chiefs to listen to their wives. Women are very special and we all know that for nine months we were in our mothers’ wombs,” said President Mugabe.

“How we were fed we don’t know but women know. This is what God made us to be. It is a demonstration of a natural way of life that we have inherited from the past. Who is there and what man is there to change nature, to make a man into a woman and a woman into a man.
“I want to know a man ongenza ukuthi lina lonke amadoda libepregnant for nine months. Can the devil do it with his devilish tricks?” he asked.

President Mugabe castigated European countries for embracing homosexuality.
He said the people who practise homosexual should learn from the pigs which know the natural order of things.
“Let us never, never, ever be made to accept homosexuality,” said President Mugabe.

Meanwhile, a parliamentarian said sanitary ware should be readily available at all clinics, schools, workplaces and public toilets for free just like condoms as a way of empowering women.
The Bulawayo Central Member of Parliament, Ms Dorcas Sibanda, said this yesterday during the International Women’s Day commemorations at Amphitheatre under the theme “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures.”

She said it was disappointing to see many girls engaging in prostitution or sexual relationships just for money to buy sanitary ware and other women’s  basic necessities.
“I have been working with young girls, our future leaders and I discovered that they have many hindrances especially those in rural areas. One of the major reasons why they end up engaging in prostitution and sexual relationships is because they cannot afford sanitary ware. This is painful because our country is one of the leading cotton growers in the region.

“I am aware that our Government had done a good job in supplying citizens with free condoms to reduce contracting HIV and Aids. If so much money can be allocated for sexual            pleasures, then something can be done to supply our young women with free pads because theirs is a serious issue,” said Ms Sibanda.
She said that many girls  risked their health by resorting to using cow dung and maize cobs during their menstrual             cycles, a development she said affected their

academic performance.

“As we focus on young women this year, we have to address the shortage of sanitary wear experienced by many of them. Girls in rural areas are losing out on many lessons during their menstruation because they do not have sanitary wear or they are using uncomfortable substitutes like dry cow dung and maize cobs,” said Ms Sibanda. 
Speakers from different non-governmental organisations emphasised that institutions like hospitals, Zesa, Bulawayo City Council, Registry offices, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) had failed women and were perpetrators of women abuse and discrimination in many ways.

Ms Lindile Ndebele, Musasa Project regional manager said women in the city had signed           petitions that would be presented to service providers.
“A total of 1 629 women from four suburbs signed petitions which we will later present to a number of parastatals. Most women are bitter about the service delivery and out of the 1 629 signatures, 458 were for hospitals, 338 for the registry offices, 278 for ZRP, 224 for Zimpapers, 205 for Zesa and 124 for the education sector,” said Ms Ndebele.

She said women were suffering because some of the service providers were not sensitive to the plight and the needs of women.
Miss Sithandazile Dube, a local poet and Mrs Simangaliso Nyoni a guitarist provided entertainment.

However, soon after covering this event, this reporter was picked up by baton wielding riot police officers together with 14 women from Musasa Project outside Chronicle offices at the corner of 9th Avenue and George Silundika Street.

She was detained for about two hours at the Bulawayo Central Police Station bar with the rest of the women who were also coming from the commemorations.
Police officers claimed that her detention was part of a “profiling” exercise before she was released.

Annually around the world, International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March and a number of events are lined up not just on this day but throughout the month to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.