Women in politics – pawns on a chess board?
I was in form two when I first joined the chess club. I knew nothing really. I remember my coach taking me through the names of each of the pieces on the board and the whole concept of checkmating. Back then, I was merely intrigued, but looking at it now, I realize that beyond the fascinating board game lies a reflective political model that defines Zimbabwe today. Can women be likened to pawns on a chessboard? My childhood view of politics received validation when I learnt that the pivotal objective of the game of chess is solely to protect one’s King and checkmate that of your opponent. It did not matter how many pawns, knights, bishops and even a queen was sacrificed in achieving this primary mandate because they merely served that purpose. A lot of young women in Zimbabwe feel as powerless to act outside the mindset they have been socialized to exist in, as I assume every inferior piece on the chessboard would feel, had it any emotion. I intentionally single out the you