To every woman who has raised us, taught us, and sacrificed for us, I want to start by wishing you a very happy Mother’s Day.
You are the pillars of our nation. But as we celebrate, we must also talk about a tool every mother needs for her survival and her dignity: financial independence.
In our beautiful Zimbabwe and across Africa, a woman’s ability to stand on her own feet is no longer just a luxury; it is a necessity for her peace of mind.
I recently spent time talking to women in the rural areas who have started chicken projects and piggeries.
Their stories were eye-opening. These women told me that they are sleeping better at night and feeling less stressed.
Why?
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Because they no longer have to ask their husbands for money for every small thing, like soap or salt.
By selling eggs or livestock, they found a sense of pride. They have discovered that when a woman earns her own money, she regains her voice in the home.
This is not just happening in the villages. In our cities, working-class women told me that financial stability changed the way their in-laws treat them.
In many of our cultures, a daughter-in-law is often judged harshly, but these women noticed that when they contribute to family income, they are treated with much more respect. They are seen as “useful” and valuable members of the family.
Money, it seems, commands a level of respect that silence and hard domestic labour cannot always buy.
Of course, being a financially stable woman in Africa comes with its own set of highs and lows.
The advantages are wonderful: you can give your children a better life, handle emergencies without begging and help your community. But the disadvantages are real too.
Sometimes, a woman’s success can cause jealousy or problems in a marriage if the man feels his traditional role is being challenged.
Women often end up working “double shifts, “one at their business and another doing all the housework.
The most painful part of this reality is seeing how many women stay in abusive marriages simply because they are broke.
They endure beatings and emotional pain because they have no way to feed their children if they leave.
Poverty acts like a cage, keeping women trapped in places where they are not loved or safe. No woman should ever have to choose between her safety and her next meal.
My message to you this Mother’s Day is simple: Find your strength and start something. You do not need a university degree or a fancy office to be a businesswoman.
Whether it is selling vegetables, sewing or any legal trade, start small and start now. Do not wait for someone to hand you a future; build it with your own hands. When a woman is financially independent, she is not just helping herself; she has set herself free.
Joyline Chiedza Basira is an entrepreneur and activist using her media lens to write the column she needed to read years ago. She can be contacted at chiebasira@gmail.com