CHERYL N. KUTENHA
By Cheryl N. Kutenha
We cannot build feminist futures with frameworks that overlook the struggles, resilience and strength of women living with chronic illnesses and mental health challenges. Moreover, we cannot deepen democracy while excluding the very individuals most affected by inequality. It is imperative that we create spaces that acknowledge and amplify the voices of these women, recognizing their experiences and perspectives as crucial to shaping a more just and equitable society.
Across Zimbabwe and the broader Southern African region, civic spaces are increasingly celebrating women’s leadership in policy and public life. However, beneath the surface of these declarations of progress, many women continue to face invisible yet formidable barriers. These include chronic pain conditions being dismissed as mere ‘excuses,’ mental health crises being viewed as personal shortcomings rather than systemic failures and governance systems that operate under the assumption that every leader is able-bodied, neurotypical and perpetually available. This disconnects between the rhetoric of progress and the reality on the ground underscores the need for a more nuanced understanding of the challenges women leaders face and a concerted effort to create more inclusive and supportive environments. This is more than an oversight; it is structural exclusion.
WHEN PARTICIPATION IS NOT ACCESSIBLE, IT IS NOT PARTICIPATION
In most governance spaces, inclusion is still interpreted narrowly. For instance, a young woman attends a workshop and is photographed holding a microphone, giving the appearance of inclusivity. A board recruits a single woman under 35, ticking the diversity box. A health committee discusses maternal care without mentioning mental well-being. Meanwhile, women living with epilepsy, endometriosis, diabetes, bipolar disorder, or PTSD are either excluded or forced to conceal their conditions to be taken seriously. This superficial approach to inclusion not only marginalizes these women but also undermines the very purpose of participation.
This creates a dual burden. Firstly, there’s the burden of surviving illness in systems that weren’t designed for individuals with chronic conditions. Secondly, there’s the burden of proving one’s worth in leadership while navigating these challenges quietly. What does this say about the kind of leadership we value? What kind of democracy requires its women to fragment themselves to be heard?
We need governance systems that don’t just tolerate women’s participation but actively accommodate and support it across all axes of ability, health, and identity. This requires a fundamental shift in how we design and implement governance structures, prioritizing inclusivity, accessibility, and support for diverse needs.
FROM VISIBILITY TO VOICE: A NEW PARTICIPATION AGENDA
Inclusion can no longer mean mere invitation without meaningful transformation. Participation is not simply about having a seat at the table; it is about having the right to sit without masking pain, skipping medication, or collapsing from burnout. For too long, conversations around civic leadership have overlooked the very conditions that make or break a woman’s ability to lead sustainably. It is time to shift the focus from superficial visibility to genuine voice and agency, recognizing that women’s participation in leadership requires more than just presence it demands support, accommodation and understanding.
HERE IS WHAT GENUINE INCLUSION WOULD LOOK LIKE:
– Accessible Policy Platforms: Policy platforms that are physically, mentally, and emotionally accessible.
– Inclusive Consultations: Consultations and summits designed with flexible scheduling, transportation support, and regular rest breaks.
– Adaptive Funding Mechanisms: Funding mechanisms that don’t penalize individuals who need to work from bed or at a different pace due to health reasons.
– Wellness-Integrated Leadership Programs: Political leadership programs that embed wellness frameworks into their core structure—not as an afterthought, but as a fundamental baseline.
– Valuing Lived Experience: Leadership pipelines that recognize and value lived experience as strategic intelligence, rather than treating it as a charitable or tokenistic gesture.
WHAT WE MODEL, WE MULTIPLY
If we want the next generation of young women in Zimbabwe to believe they belong in governance, we must do more than just talk about empowerment. We must redesign our systems to support them when they’re grieving, menstruating, care giving, recovering, or simply not okay, because policy doesn’t wait for you to feel better. Similarly, women should not t have to choose between their health and their participation. By modeling inclusive and supportive systems, we can create a multiplier effect that empowers future generations of women to take their rightful place in governance.
In the wake of pandemic disruptions, climate pressures, and economic dislocations, women are still expected to persevere without respite. However, it’s crucial to recognize that movements built on depletion are inherently unsustainable. We need models of leadership that prioritize rest, mental clarity, interdependence, and accessibility. This requires designing programs where disabled and chronically ill women don’t just participate but actively shape the agenda and drive decision-making processes.
IT STARTS WITH HOW WE SHOW UP
Civil society organizations, women’s rights networks, and regional governance bodies must begin with introspection. Who are we excluding unintentionally? Who is in the room but not part of the conversation? Whose absence is being misinterpreted as disinterest? From ministries to municipalities, the future of women’s participation in governance will not be built solely on speed and output. Instead, it will be shaped by dignity, sustainability and a robust infrastructure of care.
If we want a democracy that truly works for women, it must work for every woman—without exception.”
Not just the able-bodied, but all women, regardless of their abilities.
Not just the well, but all women, regardless of their health status.
Not just the energetic, but all women, regardless of their energy levels or pace
Because equity is not a favor, but a fundamental right.
It is not softness, it is strategy.
REFERENCES
- African Union Commission. (2022). Continental Strategy on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE).
- United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). (2023). Building Forward Better: Women’s Leadership in Post-COVID Governance.
- Human Rights Watch. (2022). Barriers Everywhere: Lack of Accessibility for People with Disabilities in Southern Africa.
- UN Women. (2021). The Impact of COVID-19 on Women’s Leadership and Political Participation in Africa.
- World Health Organization. (2021). Mental health of women: Impact of chronic conditions and caregiving.
- Southern Africa Trust. (2023). Beyond the Numbers: Women’s Voices in Policy Development and Budgeting.