Subtle Injustices in the work place

We live in a world were we hear people cry about racism,sexism,tribalism and so many other injustices that take place in the workplace ,we hear it being spoken loudly in first world countries and one would often think not in my country not in my work space.Take a look most African countries black people are at the helm of leadership  (how they being run is another can of worms that m not ready to open just yet).

I am a Zimbabwean by birth and l am proud and honoured that God chose this to be my home.Sure we have had our own fare share of struggles sometimes worse than what the children of Israel faced but we have our own beauty as well .One of the 7 wonders of the world is found in this country (Zambia please do not start this debate),But in this beautiful country of ours there injustices still plague  the work place fuelled by our own people.

In today s Zimbabwe its becoming increasingly rare to find individuals who identify with a single tribe without any mixed heritage( l said RARE Sophie).An incident occurred years ago with chicken slice in 2014 were the company s billboard advert featured the phrase “Umkhwnyana uqobo uyabuya le chicken slice “it was supposed to read Umkhwenyana oqotho uza le Chicken Slice. The misspelling sparked outrage among Ndebele speakers who felt their language was being deliberately undermined. This incident highlighted the importance of diversity hire and cultural sensitivity in advertising.

I used to think sexual harassment happens largely to women in the work place until l came across a video on Ticktock (Paul River Williams) a male content creator was explaining a situation that used to take place to him and his male colleagues. He basically explained how a certain woman colleagues used to make sexual advances towards most men in the work space. Though they were uncomfortable it never downed on their minds that they were being sexually harassed. Roles reversed a woman would have reported the incident. Woman are fairly more aware of what constitutes sexual harassment as they many workshop and talks about that however more still needs to be done in educating men.

Financial exploitation  in the workplace is another form of harassment .Recently a training was done at work about different forms of abuse and how they were on the rise in different Societies and so we were being taught on what to do and how to report should one face such. As defined by our trainer financial is manipulating, intimidating using financial means. For instance a supervisor might exploit a single mother or a bread winner, using their job security as leverage to manipulate them into doing what the supervisor wants. It is a sick twisted game if you ask me.

Patriarchy is prevalent in our African communities, where men typically lead the household. As a Christian girlie these are also the values that grew up being instilled in me.You can imagine the complexity of trying to set clear boundaries without being disrectful when a male customer is displeased with me they often want to tie it with my personal life something they would never do to a male counter part(l can already see all men say wena uyabe umenzeni).Sexisim is still a problem  that should be a thing of the past ,l believe woman should have equal

opportunities when it comes to getting jobs as long as they are qualified for it.There have been many reforms when it comes to educating the girl child and protecting her rights and l am all for that and actually happy about the strides being made.

So how are women still being undermined in the workplace? You ask. Women continue to face significant challenges in leadership roles and stereotypes can limit their opportunities. However, many women have broken barriers and excelled in top positions. An exceptional example is Colonel Miniyothabo Baloyi Chiwenga who leads with poise and elegance showing remarkable leadership skills as a military officer and entrepreneur.

Creating a fair workspaces requires a collective effort. It’s crucial for organisations to foster a cultural respect, empathy and accountability ensuring that all employees feel valued and protected. By working together we can create safe work spaces where everyone is free to express themselves.