HUMAN rights activists have called on government to accord Everjoy Win national heroine status in recognition of her dedication to empowering women.
Win, a global champion for gender equality, died on Sunday in Johannesburg, South Africa.
She was 60.
She worked for ActionAid, Oxfam Canada, Women in Law and Development in Africa as well as Women’s Action Group.
She served as the Commonwealth adviser to the Commission on Gender Equality of South Africa.
She was also an active leader in social justice movements as a founder member of the National Constitutional Assembly of Zimbabwe, a spokesperson for the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, board member, Women and Aids Support Network, the Association of Women’s Rights in Development and the Centre for Civil Society at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal.
She was a columnist and contributor to newspapers, magazines and journals. In a statement yesterday, women rights activist Margaret Dongo said activism should be considered for national hero status.
“We need heroines in activism as well. There is no bad apple in the presence of God,” Dongo said.
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“We were all created in the same way. Never mind what other people say. To me, EJ should be given a heroine status.”
She said Win’s death was a huge loss to women activism.
“EJ’s death is a great loss to the feminist movement. She is a heroine who has helped policies on women positively. Her name had become a domestic name in the women’s movement,” Dongo said.
“The role she played was another struggle after hondo yepfuti. She has never abandoned the reason for our fight as liberators. As feminists, we say she has already passed on the baton of activism and we don’t know who is going to get the stick.
“Let’s celebrate the time we had her here on earth. Let’s rejoice as her name tells. Let’s have fun and reminisce. She is now in a different world from us. EJ go in peace. You are a heroine to many who don’t have the power to pronounce you.
“You have influenced good policies through WAG, WILDAF. I remember the first day you invited me to take a trip abroad to talk about the role of women fighters.”
