The blog Women and Beyond the Global–the work of an ever-expanding group of feminist scholars, librarians, and activists at D.C’s George Washington University Women’s Studies Program and the Gelman Library–is a good source for the global politics of gender and democracy. (One of the key personalities behind the site, Dan Moshenberg, is an old friend). Anyway, they’ve just started a new series on the blog: CHII CHIRIKUITA : WHAT’S UP?, by Prespone Matawira, Zimbabwean feminist activist writing in and across Zimbabwe. The first installment, ‘What’s More Free Than a Free For All,’ was posted today. Here’s an excerpt:
‘… In Harare now, some say heaven can be found in the middle class suburbs of Arundel, Borrowdale and the Avenues. This heaven comes in the form of Spar supermarket and the queues of people waiting to get through the metal gates are long. After all, “Spar is good for you”! Once inside you would be forgiven for thinking you are in any South African Supermarket. A walk down the aisle will land you ricotta cheese for $1.10; oven baked chips at $3.90; Flame grilled honey and mustard chicken breasts, $5.60 … anything and everything can be found here. People navigate their way up and down the aisles their shopping carts rolling on the well oiled wheels of “hard currency”…’
