Meet Ntando, a 24-year-old Bachelor of Laws Honours level 3.1 female student from Midlands State University (MSU) in Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe. As a young woman, Ntando was concerned about the exclusion of women in decision-making processes in both national and student leadership as there is currently no female representative in the Presidium and wanted to make a difference starting by changing the narrative of male dominance in students’ politics by becoming the first female Student Representative Council (SRC) since 2015. However, as a young woman, she never thought she would break the patriarchal hurdles and be at the top of the student representative board. Her perception changed when she attended the Female Students Network Trust (FSNT)/CEAA inception program and heard about how they can empower and support female students who want to contest to be in leadership positions

Through the program, Ntando was assisted in spreading her vision to students through social media blitz in which her campaigning materials were amplified and widely spread through the FSNT social media platforms. With the support of her fellow female students at the University, she contested and won the position of the SRC Presidency.

Ntando’s vision was to see the inclusion of women in top leadership positions so that they can influence policy formulation on issues that affect them such as the provision of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) services on campus. Despite facing stiff competition from her male counterparts, Ntando’s passion and determination made her win the election. She became the first female SRC President in 7 years inspiring other fellow female students to also contest for top positions such as that of the presidency, vice president, and secretary general in the next election.