OUR newspaper is always glad to uplift the names of Zimbabwean women making waves on the world stage.
Chenesai Mukora-Mangoma is one of those Zimbabwean women climbing the ladder of success day by day. She is, however, not new to disturbing the waters a little bit.
Born in Zimbabwe, an attorney by training, Mangoma focused her attention and devoted her career to the empowerment of Zimbabwean women. Unafraid of controversy, straight from law school, she founded her own women’s advocacy group, Chenesai Africa.
It is for her untiring efforts to improve women’s lives that she has been named and placed on the list of finalists in the annual conference in London for Women Changing the World.
Mangoma will share the platform with fellow women activists like Farah Mak, founder of Self-Worth movement in Australia, Rebecca Riofrio, director of Parliament News Magazine, London and our own Zimbabwean activist Sibongile Buhlungu, founder of Empowered Zimbabwe Women.
Being short listed among such powerful women activists and movers and shakers of the world are a great honour, both to Mangoma herself and to Zimbabwe.
Her mission, shared by her sorors, is the empowerment, remembrance of those powerful women who have gone where no man has gone before and challenged and broke glass ceilings in their various endeavors.
Mangoma has worked with women, especially girls in rural Zimbabwe with the aim of empowering them to blast trails for their sisters to follow, try new careers and explore new enterprises, hitherto the enclave of male patriarchy.
Women Changing the World award ceremonies is chaired by Sarah Fergusson, Duchess of York, assisted by two black women pioneers, Ms. Oprah Winfrey, and our own Zimbabwean Dr. Tererayi Trent.
The Duchess of York’s call to action, which she repeats at every celebration of women’s awards is as follows. “Our aim is to give voice to silent whispers. We want to lift up women all over the world so they can tell their stories.”
Dr. Trent adds: “Women hold the ideas and leadership that heal the world. We are strong already, but together we are stronger. These exceptional women are here to awaken hearts, give permission to recapture dreams and inspire women of the world to come together and forge a brighter future for all. The rising of women is the wave that uplifts every boat.”
In her own world, Mangoma, an attorney, with 15 years of experience, has made it her calling to bring women together at the intersectionality of law and community service to open pathways for women in general where custom and tradition had forbidden them to enter.
In her world of intersectionality, the boundaries between work and community service are blurred. She serves as chairperson of the Parent Support Group at Ledy Primary School and public relations officer at Marondera Rotary Club.
Armed with a Master’s Degree in Trade and Investment Law, Mangoma will focus on bringing women into the creative economy through community-based creative industries.
Asked what it was that gave her such drive, Mangoma told said “Once I found my calling, it brought the fire with it, and that fire drives me relentlessly towards the empowerment of girls and women.”
At the time of writing, Mangoma had found her niche with Mufuka and Associates (Attorneys) in Marondera where she intends to build her nest for the next five years.
But her schedule is almost spoken for to the end of the year. After her trip to London, Mangoma has been invited to the mother of all women — the second international conference of Women of Substance, in Masvingo in July.