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Andile Tshuma
WHEN talking about the heroic acts of female freedom fighters in Zimbabwe, it is easy to celebrate their feminine roles in the war such as how they cooked for the comrades and ensured they were taken care of, mended torn combat, ensured the supply of water and other essentials.

The narrative of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle often focuses on the heroism and exploits of men, largely ignoring the experiences of many young women in liberation camps, their triumphs, and also the gendered discrimination and abuse they suffered at the hands of their male counterparts.

The story of a liberation struggle cannot be complete without an analysis of the role women played in guerrilla warfare revolutions.

During the war women were more than just chimbwidos.

While many of the African male freedom fighters are well-known, their female counterparts have been largely forgotten. These women, usually left to the margins of the society, were quite instrumental in the fight for the liberation of African countries including Zimbabwe.

To name a few and leave many would be injustice to the contributions of the sisters of the struggle, who sacrificed all for the emancipation of women, men and children from the claws of the oppressors.

As we are just from the Heroes and Defence Forces holidays, it is important to ensure that we do not distort history by only highlighting the soft roles of women in the war.

Women, both fallen and living played a pivotal role in the struggle for Zimbabwe.

Some tough sisters held the guns, shot and killed those from the enemy’s camp.

They braved the cold, the scorching heat, the rough nights when they got soaked in the rain, and went through the tough military training. There is nothing wrong about pointing out their dual role of also taking care of their fellow comrades, the male counterparts, but that was the side act. They were in the war to fight, and win, to deliver victory to Zimbabweans, and not to be just domestic servants to guerillas in the bush.

They were guerillas themselves.

Some scholars and even fiction writers have downplayed the role that women played during the war.

Despite their increased vulnerability, women left their comfort zones and joined the struggle.

Imagine what life was like for female struggle icons when they had to manage their menstrual health in the bush. It must have been nightmarish, but even that did not stop them from fighting for the cause, and we are free today because of their struggles.

Unfortunately, many of these women have been betrayed as they were not so much rewarded when Uhuru finally came, they still do not get the recognition they deserve.

They are often times mentioned as a supporting act, and not as equals.

Granted, some women played a supportive role to their husbands, which is a very important role too, but others went a step further by becoming more involved in the war.

The brave women took guns to fight for the liberation of the country and for the independence and freedoms we enjoy today.

In war time situations, there is often no defined frontline and both women and children can come directly under attack meaning that the stereotyped image of men going off to war, and women staying at home away from the conflict, has to be radically revised.

In such revolutionary conflicts, women are not merely victims but also actively work side-by-side with men in support of the war effort. The position of women in liberation struggles shows that wars have to be judged not just from the position of men, but also from the position of women who worked hard to sustain the force of the revolution.

During the armed struggle, the former President, the late Cde Robert Mugabe highlighted the role that women were playing in the struggle, as equals.

He is quoted in 1976, when women were allowed into full combat training saying: “Our women fighters have demonstrated beyond all doubt that they are as capable as men and deserve equal treatment, both in regard to training and appointments. It is because of their proven performance that we have agreed to constitute a Women’s Detachment with its own commander who should become a member of the High Command. It is also necessary that we should promote more women to the High Command,” said Cde Mugabe.

One of the important roles that was played by female combatants, was in the transportation of ammunition between Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Carrying ammunition was dangerous but necessary, and women were often ambushed by Rhodesian soldiers.

It is important to note that even during the war, women did not receive equal treatment from their male counterparts who felt that they were weaker and had to be assigned soft roles.

While women’s resilience in revolutionary wars is beyond doubt, for Zimbabwean women however, the resilience did not translate into gender equality, in the military camps and in post-revolutionary society.

Even 40 years after Zimbabwe gained Independence, there has been no formal acknowledgement and apology for the abuses that women experienced at liberation camps. The narrative of the liberation struggle and nation building is still regarded as a male domain.

Now is the time to stop thinking about Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle as an all-boys’ club, men in military fatigues wielding rifles, evading bombs and dodging bullets from Ian Smith’s army. Women were in it too doing exactly what their male counterparts were doing and that should be recognised. The narrative must change. — @andile_tshuma