Female students on the move

After a series of leadership seminars and workshops, female students are now participating actively at their institutions SRC and even occupying top positions that were usually taken by males.

At Mutare teachers’ College for example, female students managed to assume all top positions, including that of President and Secretary General. At Solusi University, five female students also took part in the recently held SRC elections and four of them succeeded to win.

The workshops have managed to boost female students’ confidence to participate in leadership because students open up to the Network about factors blocking them from getting into leadership. 

 Thembelihle Zulu, a second year Journalism and Media Studies student at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) who is running for the post of president at the institution promises real solutions to the problems that are being faced by her fellow students.

The aspiring NUST president Thembelihle Zulu

 On her manifesto, Thembelihle touches on many issues that affect students in modern day Zimbabwe.

“Many of us struggle to pay our fees. This situation has plagued many but today I bring hope. I am currently in talks with numerous local companies in order to set up the NUST fund. This is going to be a fund that assists in paying fees for students who find themselves in arrears particularly those in the final year so that they may graduate and get their certificates. This fund will be administrated by the S.R.C,” reads part of her manifesto.

The aspiring SRC president further promises that she will make life easier for her fellow colleagues of she is voted for.

“Many students struggle to get attachment places because they might not know here to look. This is usually stressful period for part 3s. In order to ease their burden I have already talked and secured a deal with numerous employment agencies in and around Bulawayo. The agencies will inform the S.R.C of the available positions in different companies and all these shall be posted in the SRC website that I will set up when she gets into office. This is definitely going to go a long way in helping parts 3s get attachment.”

Female students have been shunning leadership positions, citing factors such lack of knowledge and lack of support from other female students, but it seems they are now geared up to assume leadership posts with the knowledge, skills capacity and encouragement they got from Female Students Network.