Wonder why we try to carry such heavy burdens on ourselves? Our bodies weren't built to carry so much stress. Besides, God has already worked it out! So dry your face, throw in the towel, and give God permission to take care of it and His mercy and grace will sustain you. IT'S REALLY THAT SIMPLE! Empty your mind, let go and just live in the present moment. Enjoy now! Love & Blessings.

Celebrating women

It is almost impossible to talk of the devepment of a nation and ignore the role women have played  in shaping society today. The past century has seen women proving that they are not the weaker sex anymore. Women's role in society has grown and changed dramatically over the centuries.

The sacrifices and labour our mothers and grandmothers went through are the reasons why many of us have the rights and priviledges we are enjoying today. Even the women of today sometimes fail to realise the power that is within them. As Real Women , we are excited to celebtate and acknowledge the contributions of women, particularly, the women of Zimbabwe, who, in the face of all the struggles the country has and is going through, can still do remarkable things. From the woman who is juggling between kids, homework and being a wife, to the women who is sitting in the boardroom, we celebrate you and the work you do to improve your yourself, your families and your communities. 

Today, we are asking you to celebrate women in your life. We are sure that you know of a woman out there who has achieved something incredible in their lives, and who inspire you. We should remember and respect these women as well as honouring those who are working diligently today to make significant contributions within their sphere of influence.

Love,

Ms B

Happy Holidays

As we draw closer to the end of the year, i would like to wish all you Real Women , happy holidays!!. It is my hope that with the start of a new year, we will be able to provide a more powerful view of women and their role in life, to motivate women to step out of limiting self-beliefs that keep them stuck in roles of lack of power, submissiveness, victimhood, abuse and lack of self worth.

It is from this place of self-worth and empowerment that we can look at the world as a place where we can freely express who we are and surround ourselves with people who honour love and respect us as we honour, love and respect ourselves.

Quote of the day.....

Happy holidays ladies, spread the love and laughter.


Love


Ms B

Celebrating 16 days of activism

I am pleased to join the world in celebrating the 16 days of activism against gender violence but as women, do we understand what it means and the impact it has in our lives? 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign originating from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute. Participants chose the dates November 25- International Day Against Violence Against Women- and December 10- International Human Rights Day- in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights. This 16-day period also highlights other significant dates including November 29, International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, December 1, World AIDS Day, and December 6, which marks the Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre.

Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread violations of human rights. It can include physical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse, and it cuts across boundaries of age, race, culture, wealth and geography. It takes place in the home, on the streets, in schools, the workplace, in farm fields, refugee camps, during conflicts and crises. It has many manifestations — from the most universally prevalent forms of domestic and sexual violence, to harmful practices, abuse during pregnancy, so-called honour killings and other types of femicide.

Around the world at least one woman in every three has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, and of those ; black women suffer from the highest rates of domestic violence. In fact black females experience domestic violence at a rate 35% higher than that of white females. What is even more saddening is that the same statistics show that domestic violence is most prominent among women aged 16 to 24 years. Women have also been historically at the receiving end of the worst crimes committed during war time. In countries like Congo, sexual violence remains a tool of war with combatants accused of systematic rape and murder of women and children on a daily base.

These statistic indicate that there is a lot that still needs to be done to empower women and to end gender violence. In most african countries, political instability and higher rates of poverty make the problems facing domestic violence survivors more difficult to address. It is very disturbing that even today, some victims of intimate partner violence are turned away by police because they say it is a domestic issue!

So as we celebrate 16 days of activism against gender violence, women across the board should take it upon themselves to educate and support each other and look for ways to reduce exposure of women to these heinous crimes. It is important to have support groups where women encourage other women to come forward and share their stories. Women are an essential force in the fight against global poverty, violence and extremism.

In conclusion i wish to reproduce a qoute from a Senegalese author Mariama Ba in her novel So Long a Letter says:

"Women should no longer be decorative accessories, objects to be moved about, companions to be flattered or calmed with promises. Women are the nation's primary, fundamental root, from which all grows and blossoms. Women must be encouraged to take a keener interest in the destiny of the country"

My love to you ladies and a special thank you to the women who are leading the cause.


Love


Ms B

Whats wrong with these men !?

I don't know about you ladies, but I personally have read a lot of magazines on the differences between males and females and still remain mystified.. Call it curiosity but it strikes me , why the two genders, who were created to compliment and relate to each other naturally, spend more time and reasons not doing so!

But one issue that really gets to me is why men find it so hard to do simple tasks around the house. C'mon ladies, i know I'm not the only one in this. I mean, it baffles me how men can remember the result of a football game played in 1990 but will not remember what you asked him to do yesterday? I know, being African as i am , i will be pushing my luck if i ask my man to cook dinner or clean the house, but it takes a lot to get a guy to clean after themselves after a bath or to even put his own shoes in the closet , whilst on the other hand, a woman can cook, talk on the cell phone, put on makeup and watch the kids, all at the same time. And when it comes to taking care of their babies, women's multitasking abilities are phenomenal.

If this issue hits home , you are not alone.Believe it or not, this is in fact, a scientific issue.! Apparently, according to Dr. Melillo from the Brain Balance Achievement Center in USA, on average, the male brain is 10 percent bigger than females, but a woman’s brain receives 15 percent more blood and contains more nerve cells and cellular connections. The compact structure of the nerve cells may cause them to function more efficiently and effectively. Both male and female brains are divided into two hemispheres that play different roles in perception and behavior. Dr. Melillo explains that when undertaking a task, the male brain utilizes either one hemisphere or the other and relies on specialized brain regions. Women utilize both hemispheres more fluidly regardless of the task, which can explain why women tend to be better at multitasking than men.The brain balance results indicate that women tend to excel in dividing attention and performing fine motor skills, whereas men tend to excel in focusing attention on one subject or task and performing gross motor skills, such as wrestling, playing football, etc.

A motor skill is a learned sequence of movements that combine to produce a smooth, efficient action in order to master a particular task
Gross motor skills include lifting one's head, rolling over, sitting up, balancing, crawling, and walking. Gross motor development usually follows a pattern
Fine motor skills include the ability to manipulate small objects, transfer objects from hand to hand, and various eye–hand coordination task.Some examples of fine motor skills are using the pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger) to pick up small objects, cutting, colouring, writing, or threading beads.

I hope this makes sense , but if it doesn't,just know that truly the relationship between a male and female is all about acceptance, understanding and allowance of natural growth. Accepting each gender for who they are and how they think instead of trying to stifle or change who they are or how they think is how nature meant it to be.Using acceptance, trust and love when we decide to commit to a relationship will guide you in the direction of nature's course.

So lets keep the faith ladies, and please, feel free to comment. I want to hear your thoughts on this issue. 

love 

Ms B.

Teenagers on the loose

hello ladies,

If there is one place i love hanging around in Harare , it's Avondale Shopping centre.I love its location: It is not too far from the CBD and yet no too close to make it a traffic nightmare. I love the fact that it can be, in a lot of ways, a one-stop mall! You can get your hair done in descent salons, do your shopping at probably the largest and trendiest flea market in Zimbabwe for anything you can think of adorning yourself with, buy groceries, after comparing prices from several grocery shops there, go and watch a movie inthe old fashioned way in what I consider to be the the best movie-house around: 7 Arts! Then if there is still time, you can ocuppy one of the nice outlets for a cup of cappuccino and pina colada and engage in ladies' talk!However the time spent there has led to my disillusionment which is the focus of discussion today. Because of its cozy ambience Avondale shoping centre is frequented, just like many trendy shopping malls around Harare, by the 'youth brigade'. There are so many teenagers walking around in skimpy outfits and tight jeans,smoke puffing away from the human chimneys throughout the day till late into the night. Don't get me wrong ladies, i am a huge fan of skinny jeans and gladiator shoes, but we all dont have kim kardashians body....

But seriously, i am disturbed by the sore sight which is the invasion of this place by these young kids engaging in all sorts of behaviour I view as not only immoral but very harmful to the well-being and growth of these youngsters. I am mainly concerned with the girl child due to the harmful things she may be exposed to at these tender ages, though I am not by any means suggesting that male teenagers and young boys have a limitless licence to have fun!! . Sometimes you see them smooching on the bonnet of the automobiles, oblivious of passerbys and old men salivating from the drivers' seats of the latest V8s prowling our roads,with windows down, waiting to pounce!Call me old-fashioned  but i still believe in stricter and more disciplined parental care. Certain things outght to be no-nos for our girl children.. We need to remind ourselves that the girl child is the most vulnerable in our society today. It is vital that we do all we can, and should do to empower the girl child of the peculiar dangers of things they can be exposed to through our gender and development programs and training. We need to make our kids aware of the dangers out there, which they can be exposed to all in the name of fun.  Gone are the days when children were ignorant, now they are exposed to the television technology and the internet .

At the same time adolescent girls are using fashion as a factor in their peer groups acceptance, and parents need to be aware that teenage peer groups are of paramount importance. The values of a teen's friends will be reflected in the teen's behavior, and this appears to include dressing and fashion. and the way these girls are dressing is attracting the wrong men, who by the way are on the prowl, no wonder they dont hasite to park their cars infront of Nandos waiting and this is hapening in broad daylight!!!!

And then there is the issue of tatoos, ladies please! this seems like the next big accessory, and to think that a tatoo is a permanent thing. And has anyone even cared to find out if these Tatooists are proffessional, our children need to be made aware of the dangers of these procedures and the potential harmful exposures.The equipment used to create these tattoos, if contaminated with infected blood, can lead to the contraction of various bloodborne diseases, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, tetanus and HIV — the virus that causes AIDS. All in the name of pursuit 'coolness'.

We need to take it upon our selves to protect the girl child and every schools' guidance and counselling classes should do more to address these issues.

So let me know of your thought on these and other issues. 

Otherwise, my love to all of you ladies!!!!!

Ms B

C'mon ladies

I was talking to a friend of mine recently who is a mother of two very sweet girls. She raised a point on how we women are so quick to judge each other on parenting. Its very unfortunate but as women, we might have different ways of raising our children but at the end of the day, what we want is for the best for our children. Whether other women or mothers are judging , it does not change what kind of mother one is .Often other mothers judge each other because they feel insecure themselves. So we shouldnt worry what others think because we cannot control their thoughts, and they are probably over compensating for their own perceived flaws.

So ladies, instead of judging, lets  encourage each other because at the end of all this, we are trying to raise a future generation that is God fearing and will make this planet a better place. And you never know, that person you are judging, might be raising your future daughter or son in-law!