Tanyaradzwa Guta describes herself as a passionate feminist with an accounting qualification. She is affiliated with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), holds a Diploma in Mental Health, Human Rights & Recovery from the United Nations World Health Organization, and a Certificate in Social Accountability Monitoring for Adolescents and Young People’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights from SAfAIDS.
Additionally, she is the founder and CEO of The Tanyaradzwa Initiative, an organization that focuses on women empowerment through skills trainings and providing access to opportunities for all.
“My mission is to encourage women to rise above competition and to smartly deal with the problems at hand,” Tanyaradzwa told The Weight She Carries. “
Tanyaradzwa wears numerous hats, including:
- Founder and CEO of Yambuka Dream Chasers & Go Getters, an organization aimed at helping young women cross over to the other side of self-discipline, self-confidence, consistency and determination.
- 2021 Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust Sustainable Development Goals Contest Winner.
- A quality rights coach and an author who strives to fight gender disparities through her work.
- She served as the 2022 public relations director at Junior Chamber International (JCI) under the Harare chapter
- A graduate of the 2021-2022 Be Bold Zimbabwe Mentorship Programme
- Honouree of the 2022 Outstanding Global Women Award presented by JCI Canada.
- Executive director for the Simuka Uvheneke magazine, which is a guide to individual, social, educational, economic, psychological, and cultural women empowerment. This magazine is designed for all the young ladies who are ready to grab the world by the lapels; to all goal getters passionate about personal development, zealous about dominating new territories and eager to break the boundaries of limitation, this is definitely their magazine.
“I love action and I am passionate about anything to do with the rights of children and women,” she said.
We wanted to find out more about the woman behind these impressive accomplishments, so we reached out to Tanyaradzwa to shed some light on who she is and what drives her.
What kind of childhood did you have?
My parents divorced when I was in Grade 2, and it was a difficult situation witnessing gender-based violence at such a young age. My worst experience was having to choose between my mom and my dad at Justice for Children Trust and having to spend the school terms at my mom’s and the holidays at my father’s. Because of the divorce, I had to learn at five different primary schools, relocating from one city to the other. It affected me as a person, but instead of whining and playing the victim, I choose to stand and rise above my situation to be the voice of reason.
Tell us more about the Tanyaradzwa Initiative. What is the motive?
The Tanyaradzwa Initiative is a change agent aimed at encouraging women to rise above competition and to smartly deal with the problems at hand through skills trainings and providing access to opportunities for all. Our vision is a world where women’s rights are upheld and respected. We envision a world where women are recognized for their skills, unique talents and capabilities. We want to see a world where women can freely pursue and live in their purpose.
Our mission is to educate, empower and impact the lives of young female adults. We empower women to develop their natural abilities to their fullest potential, equip them to excel as vibrant leaders in their communities and encourage them to be better versions of themselves. Building responsible and powerful women by equipping them with learning tools to help them grow is what we do. To fulfil our mission, we embrace United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” and its end goal “End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.”
We create impact and engage the community through sustainable projects. As such, in 2023 we will be running five projects aimed at educating, and empowering the lives of the young female adults in Zimbabwe. We are currently running five projects, namely:
- The Self-Love Project – An empowered woman is a woman who is self-aware and clear about her identity. Real empowerment starts from forgiving your past, embracing your uniqueness and imperfections, accepting yourself and building self-esteem and confidence. Identity crisis makes a woman vulnerable to abuse in the community, in the corporate world and various spheres of life. As such, this project is all about self-awareness, self-honesty, self-acceptance, self-care, self-compassion, self-forgiveness, self-trust, self-esteem, self-empowerment, self-respect, self-honour, self-expression, and self -development.
- The Reproductive Health Project – Cervical cancer ranks as the most frequent cancer among women in Zimbabwe, with breast cancer as the second. It is disheartening that most lives are being claimed due to late detection and delayed diagnosis. As such, this project is aimed at raising awareness with regards to the female reproductive system such that every women knows how to differentiate the normal from the abnormal at an early stage. This project is all about the female reproductive health system and the various gynecological health conditions the system is exposed to.
- The Climate Justice Project – Climate change isn’t just about the changing weather. The effects range from floods, droughts, and cyclones which in turn might increase the risk of violence against women and girls, increase the risk of child marriages, and cause shortages in food and means of survival. In March 2019, Cyclone Idai hit Zimbabwe, yet the residents of Chimanimani are still suffering the effects of climate change in 2022. The million dollar question is, how can young female adults in Zimbabwe ensure that the effects of climate change are alleviated? This project is aimed at answering that question by bringing feminist solutions to climate change issues.
- Speakers Forum Project – The organization’s mission is to encourage women to rise above competition, and one way of doing so is honing their public speaking skills. A great leader must harness the skill of confidently talking to the public with charisma. As such, this project is aimed at making you an affluent speaker. This project will also ensure that young women are equipped and exposed to relevant grooming and etiquette techniques.
- SHEprenuer Project – It’s important for a woman to be financially independent. This gives her emancipation and reduces her dependency on a spouse. This project is aimed at supporting the small businesses owned by women, encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit and ensuring that financial literacy is spread to all young female adults in Zimbabwe.
What drove you to begin the Tanyaradzwa Initiative?
The Tanyaradzwa Initiative is a passion. It’s a God-given vision that I always had since I was a little child. Since primary school, I have always been part of the girls action clubs, and in high school, I served under the Girl Child Network from Form 1 to Form 6. I was also a part of the Youth Alive Club and Soroptimist.
After high school, my hunt for similar clubs was unsuccessful as I couldn’t find a club that provided the skills and experience I wanted. So I started my own organization to close that void and gap, and it has been the most fulfilling journey of my life.
What were some of your fears and challenges starting out and along the way?
Honestly, before starting I had no fear at all. I was ready to give it my all and passionately pursue my dream. Along the way, l then realized that feminism is a subject most people are not comfortable with, hence the need to be patient in explaining what it means and what we stand for. The other problem was funding because for impact, there is a need for financial resources. We later on started receiving sponsorship from women-led organizations, and we are on a rigorous drive to fundraise for the organisation.
What led to the decision to write a book? What was that process like?
My book was motivated by my workplace experiences and the corporate world. I had to jump from one company to the next as I could not tolerate the sexual harassment, and I realised that no, running wasn’t going to solve this vice. For my sake and for the sake of the other young women in companies facing the same ordeal, I will break the silence through literature. It took me a long time to express everything I felt, but in the end I did, and I am proud
What is the book Rudo about?
Rudo is memoir highlighting the day-to-day struggles of the girl child at home, in high school and in the corporate world. It covers issues to do with wit and power, sexual harassment, corruption, workplace violence, amongst many other themes, and it empowers young women with effective tools to use to survive the workplace.
What is the significance of the title of your book?
I love Shona names. They have such a remarkable force and impact on me. They carry so much meaning, and they thoroughly describe the message I want to convey to the world.
What is the Yambuka Dream Chasers and Go Getters?
Yambuka Dream Chasers is a personal development network of virtuously determined young women ready to vigorously chase after their goals and aspirations. We offer training and networking opportunities to young women, so they find their purpose and pursue it relentlessly and passionately.
What do you think are the major challenges facing young women in today’s world?
Economic injustice in terms of unequal pay, intimate partner violence, gender discrimination, especially to women living with disability, limited co-leadership opportunities and period poverty.
What is your advice to young women who want to make it in the business and professional world?
Fight that hesitation and self-doubt that whispers lack, inadequacy, and flaws to you. It’s too risky not to take chances, given the fact that tomorrow is never guaranteed. Develop yourself. Continuously improve yourself, and grab the world by the lapels – the world is your oyster.
Connect with Tanyaradzwa through:
Facebook: The Tanyaradzwa Initiative
Instagram: @tanyaradzwaguta
Twitter: @tanyaradzwathe
