The Role of Women in Second Chimurenga, Zimbabwe

Abstract: The guerrilla conflict that lasted from 1966 to 1979 and resulted in the de facto independence of Zimbabwe and the end of white-minority rule in Rhodesia is referred to as the Second Chimurenga, the Rhodesian Bush War, or the Zimbabwe Liberation War. For the first time in history, women were heavily drafted into the military during the independence movement. From the start of the conflict, the male insurgents organized the greatest percentage of women to carry out military duties and used them in both the civilian and military sectors. Although they were active and shown significant worth to their nations, women guerrillas were demobilized in large numbers after the war. As female veterans, they were mostly compelled to forget their wartime experiences and conform to stereotypically feminine societal norms.