RIP Everjoice Win

We mourn the passing of Everjoice Win (EJ), Zimbabwean feminist and social justice leader, but continue to bask in her legacy. Here are 5 lessons in feminism I learnt from EJ.

#1 Be Yourself

EJ was unapologetically herself. She lived life out loud, with a sense of style, and a penchant for hats that was unrivalled. From her, I learnt that even when I am moving in global spaces, I should never forget who I am and where I come from. She was someone who called truth to power, never breaking anyone down, but always naming that which was there to see, but that no one else wanted to name. From the expectations that we should adapt to these contexts, and assumptions about how we should be in global feminist spaces, EJ modelled for a realness that gave me and many others permission to be the fullness of ourselves.

#2 A flame burns brighter by lighting other flames

I first met EJ at the African Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI). She was one of the founders and faculty of the AWLI and it felt like her wings were big enough to take each of us under it. Even after attending that training, she continued to be a mentor, a thought partner and later someone I collaborated with on many different projects. EJ ensured that all of us knew that she had our backs, that she would say our names when it needed to be said, that she would stand with us, and defend us. In her, I saw a willingness to keep on lighting the flame of other feminists on the continent, never ever forgetting that we become stronger when we are multiplied.

#3 Sisterhood is a collective practice

EJ was as I mentioned someone who was always looking at the world, and making sense of it. She brought this into our many spaces. Spaces with EJ were always filled with laughter, the camaraderie we got from going to markets together, looking at hats, or simply just passing commentary on anything happening in our worlds. At the same time, she was someone that would call you in if needed, and likewise, encouraged us to call her in. She was by no means perfect, but she was someone who really strove to match radical honesty and truthtelling as part of our practice of sisterhood. This is often the hardest part of practice, but I remember many times going to EJ to talk through some challenges and being nudged to confront those as part of my own practice. In all of her writing, the word that pops up a lot is collective and she constantly reminded us to nurture it through our practice.

#4 Clarity, consistency and persistence

As I found my way in my practice, I was always struck by EJ’s clarity. Her politics were clear, and she voiced that out in the different spaces and platforms she moved in. Whether it was related to how it is we are addressing HIV, whether men should be part of our feminist spaces or just how it is we go about challenging or confronting power, EJ was very vocal about her stance on all of it, inviting robust engagement, but always anchored in how it is she viewed the world and how to change it. If you look at the body of work she leaves behind in her writing, reflections and calls out. It illustrates the clarity, consistency and persistence that I have learnt is a critical part of one’s feminist practice.

#5 Working with the unusual suspects

Lastly, when many of us stuck to working in only feminist spaces, EJ advocated for going into multi-lateral and development spaces to elevate conversations and to put women’s rights on the agenda. Her long history with ActionAid is a clear demonstration of this commitment. She was a firm believer that we should not just be talking among ourselves, and that going into these spaces, even though we have to navigate architectures and cultures that have strong remnants of white supremacy culture and architectures, it is the only way that we can push changes even further.

Much has been written in the last month about her legacy, and I believe that her legacy is alive among all of us who had the privilege of knowing her.