By Zweli Martin Dlamini

On 08 August 2021, some women vendors in Mbabane raised their fists shouting Amandla! in support of the youth members who were marching to the Cabinet offices demanding jobs and scholarships for all.

Women vendors played a huge role in raising children who are contributing to our society today and the scarcity of jobs and or social challenges in this country is touching them directly because their children are struggling with qualifications at home.

When the women vendors raised their hands, shouting Amandla! during the protest march organized by the Swaziland National Union of Students(SNUS), perhaps, in their hearts, they were happy to see their children rising up to fight for their better future.

Now, organizing a national peaceful march to the various markets across the country to buy products and support these women vendors would be a great honour to our mothers whose contribution to any living human being deserves to appreciated.

Women are the most oppressed human beings socially and economically but in the midst of those challenges, some managed to produce graduates through street vending, for them to rally behind the protesting youth was a clear indication how these social ills impact them.

As an editor, I am writing this article in honour of my late grandmother LaMndzebele, she raised me with money sourced from producing grass mats(emacansi) and would wake-up early in the morning to supply same to other women at the Mbabane market.

Growing up seeing how a woman struggle in life not to improve her life but to change the life of another young human being made me to respect women vendors, these are heroes who produced Chief Executive Officers(CEOs), doctors, teachers, and other professionals but unfortunately, we are quick to forget them.

It is for these reasons, I am pleading with women rights organizations through Liphimbo LaboMake to at least organize a peaceful march to the markets where Swazis would buy their products just to appreciate their contributions in our society.

But women Members of Parliament(MPs) who were elected from the four regions should be ashamed of themselves, for they have done nothing to change the lives of women in the country.

It should be noted that when we speak about women empowerment, we are not only encouraging that women should be offered jobs and be elevated to higher positions merely for being women, but their presence within various institutions like Parliament should be felt.