Maravi

We need more women in political leadership

We need more women in political leadership
By The Post
Tue 08 Mar. 2011, 04:00 CAT

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Equal access to education, training and science and technology: pathway to decent work for women. Given that for us in Zambia this is an election year, we would add to this ‘Pathway to meaningful political participation.’

Our women have a full right to become actively involved in all areas of public life, and this right must be affirmed and guaranteed. Women have the right and duty to take part in the political and administrative work of our country. Women in most societies have been discriminated against in making meaningful contributions to national development through participation in political life.

Many people, including women, still believe that a woman cannot perform competently in the same way as a man in politics. This has led to some people never voting for a woman to be a leader. This deprives society of the talent to really promote integral development.

For us to have good elections, it requires intelligent and responsible participation of all citizens – women and men. Women and men in this country have the same political rights. This being the case, why should women have lesser participation in politics? Political rights consist in the capacity of private citizens, women and men, to participate in government.

They exist for the public good and they are not strictly rights but rather privileges. The most important political right or privilege is the right to vote. And when it comes to voting, as a way of participating in politics, women are encouraged to vote, they are usually not discriminated against as voters. But the discrimination comes in when it is time to decide who should be the candidate and who should be voted for. But we know that if a person has received the necessary talent by the favour of God, that person would fail in one’s duty if the person refuses to take one’s share in public life and affairs. Any person, woman or man, who is qualified to become a ruler or leader, is guilty if she or he refuses the task. This is so because the apathy of potential leaders can bring anarchy to the country, by leaving all the responsibility to inefficient and unworthy people. For this reason, anyone who makes it difficult or impossible for a woman who has received the necessary talent by the favour of God to be a leader is equally guilty. And it is a great mistake for anyone to shun the responsibility of being a leader if they have the necessary talent.

The neglect of the duty of participating in the political leadership of the country at all levels brings catastrophic results to the nation. It is a great mistake to shun this responsibility. For this reason, all those with leadership gifts, women or men, should present themselves and be ready to contest and serve the people in accepting office as a trust and service to the people. Our rights to vote bear positive fruits for the country when the people choose good leaders in elections in which all our people, women and men, are represented and participate.

If all is as it should be, the great majority of our voters should be women. And if the great majority of the voters are women, why shouldn’t we have more women than men contesting elections and winning them? Does this mean our people are not ready to vote for women who have true leadership qualities?

It’s pleasing to note that our women are becoming more conscious of their human dignity and are demanding rights to participate in public life. They have every right to participate meaningfully in the decision making processes of our country, of their country. And the pursuit of the rights of women is built upon the basic quality of women and men. Women and men are essentially equal. The belief in the basic equality of women and men is grounded in the biblical revelation that all persons are created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:27); “There is not male and female; for you are all one in Jesus Christ” (Gal 3:28). Therefore, all practices which deprive women of their rights and the respect due to them should be denounced and abandoned. We say this because practices that deny the basic equality of women and men hinder the full liberation of all people. Every human being should have the chance to participate in the shaping of the destiny of their country. To deny them this chance is to rob them of their humanity.

We urge our politicians, our political parties and indeed our government to take stronger action to promote the meaningful participation of women in this year’s elections by ensuring that as far as possible, they increase the number of women candidates. And we urge our people to as far as possible vote for these women. In this way, we will be creating an equal opportunity for women to be represented at decision-making levels. We urge all our people to take a more corrective view of women and to actively redress the injustices done to women in our politics. We once again remind our people that the nobility of women is no less than that of men. Women, no less than men, are fashioned by the same hand of God. They share with men the same human nature and have been created, like men, to know, love and serve God to the full extent of their capacity in this world. From this, it follows that the essential nobility of a woman is in no way inferior to that of a man.

The enjoyment of the rights of women would certainly require a review of our political practices that tend to marginalise them and reduce their participation. But any political practices which deny women meaningful participation are contrary to the will of God and are a serious hindrance to the progress of our country.

As we commemorate this year’s women’s day, we should not forget the fact that the position of our women in this country still leaves much to be desired. We must take a stand on the side of these women and must find ways and means of liberating them from marginalisation. There is need for a change of mentality in respect of women. We must work very hard to remove the inequalities created by society between women and men. Women should have equal access to political office and decision making; they must be helped to play an active role in the society. Being mothers or wives should not lead them to be deprived of their access to public office. We strongly urge our men in politics to change their attitude towards women. Women, too, have to transform their attitude towards each other and towards men. Furthermore, men have to rid themselves of their traditional superiority complex. We ask that women be given adequate opportunities to participate in the political leadership of our country from which they are being marginalised or excluded without just reasons.
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Labels: INONGE WINA, WOMEN

posted by MrK @ 8:14 AM