Human Rights of Women
A passion for members of her sex, innovative ideas and the audacity to step out of her comfort zone are all elements that keep Joice Dube (59) working hard to transform her community.
Having grown up in the communal area of Esigodini, Dube has tried her hand at several trades. But promoting the empowerment of women, fighting against oppression and curbing human rights abuse remain her goal.
A former teacher and qualified Sangoma, but born-again Christian, Dube migrated to South Africa in 1990. In Johannesburg in 1998 she founded Superkids Early Learning Centre. Her passion for seeking justice for her fellow women, many of whom she saw suffering terrible abuse in the neighbouring country, led her to establish the Southern African Women’s Institute for Migration Affairs in 2003, to lobby and advocate for refugee rights.
“The birth of SAWIMA birth was the beginning of many battles for women refugees, especially those driven by violence in Zimbabwe to seek refuge in Johannesburg. After Zimbabwe’s 2002 presidential elections a lot of people, especially women, suffered a great deal at the hands of security state agents. Most refugees from our country had no homes when they arrived here. I fought many battles on behalf of refugees through SAWIMA. Some were being exploited and others denied access to asylum status. We had to intervene to make sure they were given their asylum papers,” said Dube.
“We have also fought with troublesome and corrupt cops who seek bribes from vulnerable refugees. This war is still on-going today. I have intervened in many cases where cops have murdered Zimbabweans and secretly buried them; it’s not easy - as I have become a target for uniformed criminals.”
To promote independence amongst women, in 2010 SAWIMA pioneered a Sewing Project which saw many women empowered by giving them skills to help them become self-reliant.
“We were more concerned with empowerment of women and their professional independence as job opportunities are scarce. There is considerable talent amongst Zimbabweans in SA, but there are no jobs, so we engaged donors who helped us with sewing machines. Many of these women are now using the skills they gained to run their own small businesses. It gives me peace of mind to see women becoming independent. During the same period we also donated more than 50 blankets to refugees residing at Central Methodist church - whom we have always cared for,” she added.
At the height of political violence which hit Zimbabwe after the 2008 harmonised elections, the country plunged into famine and this propelled Dube to establish another organisation to cater for suffering women. She called it Southern African Women’s Institute for Development Affairs. Its sole purpose was to source food for hungry refugees and her community back home.
“When Zimbabwe was engulfed by political violence in 2008 a lot of things went wrong. Food disappeared from shop shelves and there was an increase in hungry refugees at the Methodist Church. Also back home my community underwent difficult times in 2008. Through SAWIDA we try to look after women in the area. We don’t have much to offer, but we always help where we can manage. Poverty is our common enemy. We are trying to empower women through self-sustaining skills projects like Umoja/Sisonke/Mchadira , which is aimed at restoring dignity to women in the country,” said Dube, who now uses her Bible to unify and transform communities through various developmental projects.
Dube has also been involved in community developments initiatives through the region. This has seen her touring countries like Swaziland, Malawi, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia teaching women’s empowerment and encouraging respect for human rights.
Achievements
If there was a Heroine’s Acre for community empowerment, Dube would qualify without hesitation.
Winner of the Peace and Justice Award in Zimbabwe by Christian Alliance (2008).
In 2006 she led a successful peaceful march and prayer to the Department of Safety and Security and petitioned them on police harassment which led to migrants being part of the police forums.
Nominated as an Inspired Individual Tear fund in 2005.
Nominated as one of the 100 women unseen powerful women who can change the world (2005).
Also in 2005 she led a successful peaceful march and a prayer to Lindela detention centre which led to the inquiry of the deaths in Lindela. In 2004 she led a campaign to exhume the body of a Zimbabwean who was killed by a police when he demanded his money after paying a bribe not to be sent to Lindela for deportation. The policeman killed him and he was buried as a pauper within two weeks at Ennerdale cemetery.
