FEMALE STUDENTS NETWORK 2013 - OUR JOURNEY TO EMPOWERING FEMALE STUDENTS CONTINUES……

With two years of existence, 2013 promises to be a prolific year for Female Students Network (FSN) as the organisation continues to pursue the same goal of empowering female students with more knowledge, capacity and skills.

The first years could be described as a learning phase but judging by the programmes that are lined up this year, FSN is definitely destined for greater heights in its pursuit to achieve its goals.

 FSN Director Evernice Munando says the first quarter of the year the organisation will thrive to ensure that female students’ challenges are addressed through different programmes.

“An exciting line up of programmes has been set for 2013, including conventions, workshops and peace marches. The workshops will be held at various tertiary institutions around the country where various speakers will be invited to deliberate on selected issues,” she said.

FSN will be working on increasing its membership database.

“Currently the organisation has a membership of over 20 000 students in eight provinces namely Masvingo, Bulawayo, Harare, Matabeleland South, Mashonaland central, Mashonaland West, Midlands and Manicaland. This year we hope more members are going to subscribe to our organisation. We have designed membership forms for proper membership recruitment.” Miss Munando said.

As the year progresses, the first half shall also see FSN conducting various workshops, outreach programmes and also discussions and debates on national affairs.

The FSN blog has also been launched. The blog will offer students a platform to share and debate on issues affecting them from their respective institutions.

This will turn help them to increase their capacity and capability to take up leadership positions in tertiary institutions. Students can interact and share ways in which they can increase participation on campus, community and national level. 

This will turn help them to increase their capacity and capability to take up leadership positions in tertiary institutions. Students can interact and share ways in which they can increase participation on campus, community and national level. 

 

Female students attending a Feminist Leadership workshop in Bulawayo

 

FSN will be producing monthly newsletters as way of disseminating information. The network will be working with advocacy teams from the provinces we are working with to identify themes for the articles.

 The advocacy teams are the ones on the ground providing the network with information regarding real issues that female students are facing.

Through publishing of newsletters the organisation will be fulfilling one of its objectives which are to create networks of female students within institutions for information gathering and dissemination.

The above activities lined up for 2013 by the Female Student Network will definitely go a long way in empowering female students

FEMALE STUDENTS NETWORK CONDEMNS BONDOLFI TEACHERS’ SUSPENSION

FEMALE STUDENTS NETWORK CONDEMNS BONDOLFI TEACHERS’ SUSPENSION

The Female Students Network (FSN) has learnt with shock the recent suspension of 500 students from Bondolfi Teachers’ college over non-payment of a teaching practice fee which almost equals their tuition fees.

As a female student members body, we are concerned that some of our members have been affected by the recent actions by the college authorities.

Education is a basic human right hence the suspension of the students is a direct infringement of this right.

The fact that Bondolfi Teachers’ College is the only college that has been fingered as the only institution that charges fees and attachment fees is tantamount to double dipping and calls for stakeholders’ action to rectify the anomaly.

As FSN, we say other means such as dialogue could have been used to address the issue.

Suspension is not the answer.