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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe presented a startling sight last month as he launched his party's election campaign with a woman's scarf tied around his head.
The campaign for a parliamentary election has seen a flurry of measures aimed at uplifting women in Zimbabwe's fiercely patriarchal society. But with little to show for nearly 25 years in power, Mugabe's critics charged the move was just a ploy to get votes.
"He is a traditionalist with very little time for women," said John Makumbe, a University of Zimbabwe political scientist. "His volte-face now is really a gimmick aimed at capturing women's votes in the face of a persistent opposition challenge that is threatening his government."
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