Women struggle to access documentation

By Thandeka Matebesi

Women from Jimila in Ward 6 of Tsholotsho are facing challenges in accessing identity documents as well as their inheritance, a Bulawayo based women’s organization Emthonjeni Women’s Forum (EWF) has established.

Following a Human Rights day commemoration in the ward, EWF Programs Manager Melissa Ndlovu revealed that there is a knowledge gap on how to access identity documents.

“Firstly it is because their own parents do not have birth certificates so they also cannot access documentation. Secondly, they lack knowledge on how to access documentation. Some can’t access their loved ones because of lack of documentation or wrong documentation, for example, a long time ago extended families used to register children through their uncles or some relatives”, said Ndlovu.

She added that schools are far from communities, some walk more than 10km to access the nearest school. Communities are appealing to the Gvt to build more schools,  especially primary schools as young children walk  long distance to schools.

Ndlovu said that the main inheritance challenge facing  women is  that of  mothers-in-law who refuse with their deceased sons’ properties. She said this was compounded by the fact that the formal system of registration is not accessible to most women.

The formal system of registration of estates is not accessible to most women due to current costs which are beyond the reach of many. There is the cost of transport to the courts and if there is an immovable asset (house) the 4% value of the house as the amount to be paid as Master’s fees. For example houses are deemed to range $35000-60000 in the western areas for purposes of calculating the 4%. Few widows can afford the amount.

For most rural women, they would have been in polygamous marriages and the estate must be shared among the wives and disputes necessitate husband’s relatives coming to court and most of these relatives expect the widows to foot all transport and related costs for them to be witnesses”, she said.

She revealed that some women are excluded by cultural norms that deem women unfit to sit and discuss family matters with men.

“At least for those with marriage certificates the door to be declared as surviving spouse is not as problematic as for those in unregistered customary law unions. It does not help that in some communities if the widow is young, a family meeting can literally force these young widows to return to their own families as it is felt that they would disrespect and bring disgrace to the deceased husband’s family by having a boyfriend or remarrying while living in ‘their son’s homestead’ perpetuating the patriarchal set up that believes the homestead belongs to the man when in fact it is the wife who would have built it and stayed there while the man is in South Africa or Bulawayo”, she said.

Ndlovu said her organisation is working on raising awareness on Human rights and  Legal consultation, giving legal aid and if they are deserving cases taking instructions for litigation