Female student scoops three awards

She studied Business Management and Information Technology and was awarded three prizes – a book prize for the student graduating with the highest final year aggregate mark, Rector’s prize for the student graduating with a first class degree and the Chancellor’s prize.

In an interview with The Zimbabwean, Gombedza said women were making great strides in their quest to attain gender equality.

“I feel very honoured to be the best overall student. This is not an individual achievement but it belongs to women around the world. We are occupying our space as women and it’s a wakeup call for men,” said Gombedza. “As a woman you need to take yourself seriously and everyone should respect you in that regard. For me equality is not just about equal opportunities with men, but it has much to do with professionalism.”

In Zimbabwe, like many other African countries, women were regarded as objects of marriage and child-bearing machines. Traditionally, education and jobs have been a preserve for men. But recent trends show that women are fast claiming their space and taking positions in traditionally male-dominated professions.

Gombedza sees education as a stepping-stone towards emancipation and says women should utilise whatever opportunities they get to empower themselves academically. “As young women at times we tend to be reckless and lose focus in college. Many girls are dropping out of school after falling pregnant, which is a cause for concern,” she said.

Zimbabwean tertiary institutions and high schools have seen an increase in the number of female students who drop out after falling pregnant. Economic hardships have also forced many female students into prostitution to raise money for their upkeep and to pay tuition fees.

Gibson Gombedza, Thelma’s father, had this to say, “It is sad that some parents still fail to send the girl child to school. I have five children and made sure that I prioritised their education regardless of gender.

They all have equal opportunities. The girl child is proving to be more responsible than the boys.”

Gombedza’s success story is not an isolated incident. Maud Chifamba made history when she became the youngest student to enrol at the University of Zimbabwe at the age of 14. Chifamba did not go through formal education but attained 12 points at Advanced Level. She is currently in her first year studying for a Bachelor of Accounts degree.