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By Linda Muzoremba
The 8th of March 2022 marks yet another day when we take time to reflect on issues pertaining to women in different spheres of life. As Passengers Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ), we say thumbs up to all the bold women passengers who have endured and are still soldiering on as they travel through the bumpy and pot-holed roads to and from the maternity wards.
The lack of an efficient transport system in the nation has exposed female passengers to many dangers of kidnapping, rape, armed robbery, and other forms of abuse and gender-based violence, not only on the long-distance buses but on short local journeys too of late as they are left with no choice but to board private cars, some of which do not have registration numbers on them.
Female school children have not been spared the untold hardships as they go to and from school. Thumbs up for the intervention resulting in public buses strictly for school children.
To a greater extent, it is the female passengers who have experienced a lot of dehumanizing experiences as they compete with their fellow male passengers to board transport such as lorries in motion, tearing their skirts in the process. Women have also endured the degrading sitting positions in those lorries as passengers get packed like sardines.
On long-distance travel, it is the female passengers who carry the most luggage as compared to their male passenger counterparts, be it foodstuffs from the rural areas, goods for trading, etc. Hence female passengers have to fork out more so as to cover luggage costs as such goods are placed into the boot of some buses, ZUPCO included. Female passengers endure long distances carrying children on their laps so as to save money.
Amidst the transport blues, a greater percentage of working women are forced to wake up very early and get out leaving behind sleeping children. At knocking off hours, it is again these same women who suffer more from a desperation to arrive home early enough to find kids not yet asleep… otherwise this dilemma can go on and on up until weekend days.
Innocent church women’s groups have been targeted, especially by touts (mawhindi), confusing them and snatching their luggage.
Some of the rural buses do not reach their destination but rather expose mostly female passengers to dangers during the night as they dump them in the middle of the journey and then engage smaller vehicles to finish off their journies.
Thumbs up to some private car drivers who give nursing-mother passengers a priority to get into their cars first. Thumbs up again to both male and female passengers who pave way for women passengers carrying children. Thumbs up to all those who continue lobbying and advocating for safe and comfortable travels particularly on issue pertaining female passengers.
Hats off to most women passengers who have been quite adaptive in order to suit the challenges faced while traveling – namely carrying a wrapping cloth (zambia), a baby carrier (mbereko). Hats off again to the bold and empowered women passengers who have been able to stand for their rights as well as going further to be a voice of the voiceless along journies, a sister helping another sister.
Female passengers,continue to stand firm amidst all pressures of life. Continue to keep on keeping as you travel for different causes to ensure the family unit is kept intact ,which in turn builds strong communities and then a stronger nation at large.