Source: The Voice

MALAWI’S FIRST female president Joyce Banda has issued a call to arms for more women to venture into the political arena on the African continent. Read more... 

Speaking at the inaugural New African Women’s Forum organised by the magazine of the same title, the former president delivered a rousing speech to an audience of predominantly women and some select men championing for female heads of state.

“I know that women make good leaders, women can get into any situation and are ready and willing to correct the situation,” insisted Banda.

The leader who became the first female president of Malawi in April 2012 following the death of her predecessor Bingu wa Mutharika, referred to her own tenure as an example of this idea.

She told the audience: “In my particular case, when I got into office, I started to question how things were done and was told ‘no no madam this is how its always been done,’ but it was wrong, and they would tell me ‘yes but leave it as it is.’ That just would not suffice for me and I am just so grateful for those that stood by me when I was head of state.”

The 65-year-old politician was voted Africa’s most powerful woman in 2012 and the 40th most powerful woman in the world in 2014 by Forbes magazine following two tumultuous years in office.

LEADERSHIP

Banda called on all those in attendance at the inspirational forum to be courageous and persistent in the demand to see women included in the political process.

She said: “As far as I am concerned we must say today, here, that enough is enough. We must say, there must be nothing about us without us, meaning when people are discussing issues on women, we must be seated at that table.
“We must reawaken and strengthen the women’s movement and we must participate in leadership whether anybody likes it or not.”

The People’s Party founder and leader was also critical of the rate at which the gender agenda was being addressed since the formation of the Beijing Platform for Action.

The framework for change created at the World Conference on Women laid out comprehensive commitments regarding 12 critical areas of concern.

Banda said: “The women’s movement that took us to Beijing in 1995 has weakened, in most countries we don’t hear about those movements anymore. In twenty years we’ve made ten steps forward and 20 steps backwards.”

She went on to suggest that women in leadership were “under attack” globally citing examples in Australia, Central Africa Republic and the USA.

“Maybe it’s the treatment we are getting; maybe it’s the scandalisation, abuse, and smear campaigns against women that are in leadership that is discouraging women from going into leadership,” Banda said.

AGENDA

However she claimed that the African continent had done “better than most” with it’s three female heads of state adding that the way forward was to bring men on board with the female agenda.

“We must engage men as much as possible. I have found that we’ve been talking to ourselves for too long.

“If we had engaged them in the first place then they would have understood that we aren’t trying to take their jobs, but we want to sit with them and work together.”

The two-day event, which coincided with International Women’s Day, was launched with a lavish award ceremony that highlighted the contributions of African women in various fields such as business, media and civil society.