For years, any mention of Zimbabwe in the international media has consisted of the latest catastrophe: new numbers of rampant inflation, a cholera outbreak, the latest incidents of political violence. These reports have become a litany of ills and have made it easy for so many to characterize the nation as a "basket case."
We had the opportunity to meet with Shereen Essof, a Zimbabwean woman organizer, while at the AWID Forum in Cape Town, and she showed us another side of the story. Even as the official talks to create a unity government between the ruling and opposition parties have stalled, women are organizing to address immediate needs and to uphold human rights. They have articulated a clear set of demands, which include making affordable food available, making health services accessible, restoring the education system, and preserving freedom of expression. You can read more in this pamphlet Shereen passed to us, titled "Zimbabwean Women Demand."
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