Joy as resistance: The triple revolution of Doek and Slay

What began as a playful social media trend among young Zimbabwean women in early 2023 has since exploded into one of the most powerful grassroots movements in the country’s post-colonial history.

Known as “Doek and Slay,” this phenomenon, a vibrant convergence of culture, identity, and resistance, drew thousands of women to its 2025 finale in Harare, marking its emergence not just as a celebration, but as a revolutionary act of female self-determination.

Initially sparked by Gen Z and millennial women on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, Doek and Slay gained momentum through viral videos of women wearing traditional headscarves known locally as doeks  while dancing, posing confidently, and declaring, “I’m slaying.”

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