By Nokuthaba Dlamini Aspiring Binga politician Tabona Muleya is frustrated by her community’s reluctance to embrace female leaders. Muleya (28) from Sinamagonde has over the years invested financial resources and time to learn the ropes in politics, but feels her efforts are going down the drain. In 2013, the budding politician contested as an independent council candidate for Binga Rural District Council and garnered a mere 13 votes. Muleya believes that if she was a male candidate, she would have easily won the poll given the amount of grassroots support she enjoyed and the highly subscribed campaign meetings. “I was voted for by only 13 people in 2013 and I have lost interest,” she said resignedly. “When you campaign, they will listen to you but the outcome of the polls showed that our people are still reluctant to support female candidates, mainly because of misplaced cultural beliefs that we can’t lead. “The chiefs, village heads and other ordinary villagers associate a man with power and believe that women should play subordinate roles. “Women’s voices are always disrespected even if we do command a lot of support in the communities and we know the issues that affect them.” Muleya says the fact that she was a single mother complicated her political aspirations as unmarried women are looked down upon in her community. “It’s not easy to convince people in a patriarchal society that you will be able to lead them when you are a woman,” she said. “It’s even worse when you are a single mother like me.” Binga only has one female councillor out of 25 and has no female representative in the National Assembly or Senate. Muleya’s story resonated with that of 51-year-old Juliana Muskwe, who has been contesting to be a Member of Parliament since 2013 on a ruling Zanu PF party  ticket. Muskwe from Tinde says her greatest hurdle is winning the confidence of traditional leaders, who are considered to be power brokers in rural constituencies such as Binga. “I started contesting for political office in 2013 on a Zanu PF ticket in Binga South and I lost,” she said. “I tried again in 2018, but I was not successful and I believe one of the reasons I lost is because I am a Tonga woman. “Our culture does not encourage women to become leaders and often our voices don’t matter during political campaigns.” Muskwe said the patriarchal nature of society also made it difficult for women to support fellow female candidates as they were conditioned to believe that only men can lead. “I have been to various countries such as Kenya and Ghana to learn about leadership,” she added. “I would come back emancipated and campaign to a point where l would be confident of winning, but when it comes to elections I will lose. “I have been neglected by fellow women, who are also victims of patriarchy because they are told by men that we can’t lead. “Our culture teaches us that women can’t stand in front of men at whatever platform and our community takes this to heart.” Muskwe has even been encouraged by fellow women to give up on her political ambitions