Linda Masarira claims ‘women failing to participate in politics due to watching Indian soapies’

Opposition Labour, Economists and African Democrats (LEAD) party leader Linda Masarira has sensationally claimed that women are failing to participate in corporate governance, politics and entrepreneurship because they spend most of their time watching Indian soapies and being on “social media doing the wrong thing.”

Zimbabwe has always recorded a lower percentage of women participating as candidates in elections since independence in 1980 compared with men. This is despite the fact that women constitute more than half of the electorate and of the total 15 million people in the country.

Stereotyping and violence has also been cited as one of the factors behind this.

Masarira, however, believes that 80% of women in Zimbabwe are unfocused hence they spend most of their time on social media.

Beyond being mere mobilizers, cheerleaders & factional catalysts, women should learn to be proactive in political processes & understand them. There is no democracy without women. If women are not on the dining table, they are definitely the menu. The personal is indeed political pic.twitter.com/Gee6QWT3Sq

— Linda Tsungirirai Masarira (@lilomatic) March 22, 2023

“One of the inhibiting factors that has limited women’s participation in corporate governance, politics and entrepreneurship also goes to women’s hobbies. What is it that they spend most of their time doing?

“My apologies, but I have to say this. Women spend their time watching Indian movies, soapies. They don’t even watch the news. They don’t even understand current affairs. They do not even follow critical things that affect their lives,” Masarira said during an interview on ZTN Prime.

Asked by the host if “this not an overgeneralization, Masarira said the Marriages Bill was passed without input of married women because they were busy watching Indian movies.

“I’m being honest, most women, that is what they do on a daily basis. If we are to put it on a probability of a percentage scale, we will say 80% of women. I will give you an example, when the Marriage Bill was being heard, they did not even know that there was a Marriage Bill and consulting happening.

“They are held responsible because they spend most of their time on social media doing the wrong thing. The Parliament of Zimbabwe has got social media handles they post these things.

“Yes, secondly, the other fault would go to the MPs who are supposed to go back to their constituencies and interact with the people who voted for them that there is this law that is going to pass.

“Unfortunately, I tell you, I went to the consultation here in Harare. There were people who had their agenda to push for small houses. And they won. Where were the married women? Watching Indian soppies. When the law was passed, they started crying foul,” she added.