As we commemorate the 16 days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, 263Chat will profile 16 most influential women in Zimbabwe. The focus will be on their achievements and the contribution they have or are making to uplift society and the country at large.
Sally Dura
Ms Sally Dura is one young Zimbabwean woman who is determined to change the face of leadership in Zimbabwe by empowering women to claim their space in various organisations.
She is the National Co-ordinator for the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe, a forum where women meet to engage in collective activism on issues affecting women and girls in the country.
At 33, she became the youngest National Co-ordinator to steward the umbrella body, which over the years has been led by older women of various dispensations.
Education
Sally holds a Master of Science degree in Development Studies from Women’s University in Africa, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) History and Development Studies degree from Midlands State University, certification from the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University, a diploma in Public Relations from the Zimbabwe Institute of Public Relations, and a diploma in Project Planning and Management from Christian College of Southern Africa.
Besides her academic qualifications, Dura has a few honors and awards to her name, including being a Friedrick Ebert Stiftung Youth Leadership Training Programme certificate holder, receiving a Distinguished Service award from WIPSU in recognition for generous commitment of time, support and inspiration in 2011 and being honoured as one of the Top Global Women by Diplomatic Courier for a special annual edition on international women’s day in 2013.
Background
Regardless of her rural upbringing and background, Dura has risen to the position of National Coordinator of the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe, an organization that champions the rights of women in the country.
As a feminist and human rights activist, Sally has inspired a lot of young women in Zimbabwe as she has nurtured them through “Sally‘s Institute,” a non governmental organization she set up in 2014 to train and empower young women.
She was raised in rural Masvingo and it is because of her background that she felt the need to uplift young women in the country.
Works
By 2005 when she was barely 23, Sally had already started her journey towards championing gender equality while working for WIPSU as a Research Officer. WIPSU provides support to women in politics in Zimbabwe with a view to increase their qualitative and quantitative participation and influence in policy and decision-making processes.
From 2006 to 2009, Ncube worked with Women’s Action Group (WAG), one of the notable civil society organisations that has advocated for women’s rights in Zimbabwe. And it was during this period that WAG’s Executive Director, Edinah Masiyiwa, noticed that Ncube was destined for bigger responsibilities within the movement.
Ncube also served as Zimbabwe National Coordinator for the Assembly of Women within the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, and her work has gone beyond Zimbabwe’s borders, with affiliations with the Women’s Democracy Network, a member-driven network active in 61 countries. She has also been a volunteer trainer in women’s politics and leadership skills training in Kenya, South Sudan and Nigeria.
In September 2012, she was elected the first National Chairperson of Youth Forum Zimbabwe, a network of youths involved in different economic, social and political empowerment activities, a position she held until October 2014.
It was also during this term that Dura founded Sally Women’s Institute, a non-profit organisation that empowers women with leadership skills through research, mobilisation, recruitment, training, coaching, mentorship, lobbying, advocacy and facilitating social, economic and political leadership support systems.
At the Women’s Coalition, Sally has helped assist rural women in rural areas such as Gokwe, Masvingo, and Zvishavane among others. She has set up developmental projects such as poultry and irrigation in such communities thus assisting towards transforming lives for hundreds of such women.
She is a very hardworking woman and continues to be an inspiration to a lot of women.
