By PRISCA MBEWE –
OFLATE, some women are breaking the barrier to venture into a rare territory of politics as compared to what was witnessed before.
The zeal to fight and assume decision making positions is increasinglybeing taken up by some women who want to demonstrate that they can also lead.
Recently, Mulungushi International Conference Centre played host to one of the first talks calling for young women to engage and participate in politics.
The conference which was under the theme – “I am a woman and I can lead” was aimed at encouraging the next generation of young women to consolidate their involvement in politics.
The meeting was intended to create a platform that would equip youngwomen as advocates in matters of policy, running for political office,being elected and governing effectively as well as, participating meaningfully in civil and political issues.
It was an action packed meeting that featured influential political leaders from Zambia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Invited to the meeting were leaders from South Africa and Zimbabwe who shared their successful political careers to the young women in Zambia.
Among them was Diana Pule who has served as South African Minister of Communications and deputy minister of the Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation.
Her personal experience certainly demonstrated the role women can play in the political arena.
In her message, she explained the meaning of leadership and how it can
be attained. “I have been grilled in politics. It’s not easy but you have to tell yourself that there is a hero in you. Women are strong because they can multi-task compared to men. A woman can do several house chores and at the same time attend to children,” she said.
She explained that leadership is not about the position but it is about liberating others and not to limit them.
Ms Pule is currently serving as member of a provincial executive council in South Africa.
Among other exceptional political leaders that shared their politicalstories was Zimbabwe’s deputy Minister of Sport, Art and Culture Kanega Pindula Malinga.
Ms Malinga is minister of State in office of Zimbabwe’s Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko.
Her unique story of her political strides of great achievement clearly opened up an avenue to conference attendants to begin to see new opportunities of accelerating the necessary change.
Ms Malinga began her political career at the age of 31 when she was elected as Member of Parliament, making her the youngest politician in her country at the time.
Her inspiring story helped the audience understand that leadership is about making a difference even in their own communities.
She started to exercise her leadership skill while she was still in college as a secretary of the students’ representative council.
The determined Ms Malinga was the first woman to work under the office
of the vice president.
This appointment was exceptional because it opened up doors to other woman in Zimbabwe to get into key leadership positions.
“Young women should be liberators and limit other women,” she said.
Ms Malinga is currently serving in the position of deputy secretary for health and child welfare for the National Executive of the ZANU-PF youth league.
She is also secretary for external relations in the ZANU-PF Women’s League.
In addition, the conference encouraged the young women to be voters, political leaders as well elected officials.
The conference encouraged women to acquire the tools necessary to participate successfully in all aspects of the political process.
What was more interesting for the young women at the meeting was to listen to Energy Minster Dora Siliya who narrated her experiences in political life.
Ms Siliya took time to advise the young women to take politics in order to balance debate in Parliament.
She said women ought to realise that it is important to contribute to national issues and increase the number of representation of the womenfolk in decision making positions to add to the nation’s progress.
“If women participate in politics it is a plus to national development, because they are the majority in the population,” Ms Siliya said.
Ms Pule and Ms Malinga’s stories were not different from Ms Siliya who equally lost her father at the age of 23 but forged ahead.
Ms Siliya realised that it was incumbent upon me to take up the mantle and ensure that she finds her way through to represent the women in Pateuke where she grew up and at the time she had no access to things like heath and water, among others.
She noted that women should not shun away from affairs of the State but compete with men in whatever endeavour, be it politics.
On the other hand, some of the stakeholders present at the conference raised concern that there is so much violence in politics hence the reason why women refrain from participating.
However, Ms Siliya said it is unfortunate that this is the case. She said that is why there is need for more women to engage in politics because women were non- violent.
Ms Siliya expressed sadness that some people still thought that women belonged to the kitchen.
Ms Siliya thanked the two visiting leaders from South Africa and Zimbabwe for sharing their personal experiences in politics.
Currently, Zambia has 23 female members of Parliament out of an established 158 (including the eight nominated).
To a keen observer of gender issues and women liberation – names like Gwendolyn Konie easily pop up.
The late Ms Konie, can be ranked as one of the smartest Zambian women.
But her journey was also part of the beginning of the gender equality struggle in the country.
Indeed, it is this zeal to fight for equality which will lead to 50/50 participation of women in decision making for the growth of the nation.
In Zambia today a number of women have changed the likelihood that women can lead.
Recently the nation has seen exceptional progress of women being appointed to key positions, such as Ms Inonge Wina, the first woman to assume the office of Republican Vice President, Chief Justice Irene Mabilima, former Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani, to mention but a few.
These developments indicate that more women are getting involved in ensuring that men are not the only ones left with a sense of duty for the benefit of the country.