Tinotenda Hove – LEAD Zimbabwe leader Linda Masarira has strongly condemned online misogyny and gender-based violence targeting women in politics, describing it as an attempt to silence women and exclude them from leadership spaces.

In a recent statement, Masarira applauded Hon. Job Sikhala for taking a stand against the trend, saying, “Thank you Hon. Job Sikhala for boldly calling out the misogyny and cowardice behind Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence.”

She stressed that attacks on women in public life are not mere insults but a deliberate form of gendered violence, stating, “Too often, women in politics and public life are attacked with degrading labels meant to silence and humiliate them rather than engage with their ideas. This is not just cyberbullying. It is gendered violence, designed to keep women out of leadership and decision-making spaces.”

Masarira emphasized that women deserve respect and equal participation, declaring, “Women in politics and many other sectors in leadership are not to be reduced to vile insults. They are citizens entitled to their politics, opinions, and full participation in public life.”

She denounced those who use derogatory terms like “hure” or anonymous accounts to attack women, calling such actions cowardly: “Calling women ‘hure’ or using ghost accounts to attack their dignity is cowardice. True men confront arguments with ideas, not insults.”

Masarira concluded by urging collective action to protect women from online abuse, saying, “We commend your stance, Hon. Sikhala, and call on all progressive men and women to reject TFGBV and protect women’s voices in digital and political spaces.”