Dr Sithembiso Nyoni, one of the leading names to replace fired Zimbabwe Vice President, Kembo Mohadi, this week spoke on women leadership in Africa.
Please read Dr Sithembiso Nyoni ‘s full speech below :
Allow me from the onset, to congratulate the Republic of Tanzania, and Africa at large for the appointment of the second African female president, Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan.
This is indeed a key milestone in the advancement of gender equality and empowerment of women in Africa.
Madam moderator, women’s full and effective participation in matters that affected them is a key cornerstone of good governance and the management of public affairs.
Women and Girls, are disproportionately affected by humanitarian crisis, either emanating from natural causes, wars, and other means.
Women are often at the receiving end of consequences, emanating from such crisis.
Women are important agents for creating stability in the lives of their families, and to promote reconciliation and peace even in very difficult and traumatizing situations, yet their involvement in decision making in peace and security remain very low.
Madam moderator, real leadership by women in crisis situation is now been written with indelible ink in the global response COVID-19.
In the following countries, Germany, Taiwan, Iceland, New Zealand, Finland, Norway and Denmark.
COVID-19 has threatened to reverse the gender equality gains accrued over the years, increasingly, due to the COVID-19 regulations to contain the pandemic.
More and more women have been forced by the lockdown to the role of caregiving, caregivers, and thereby reinforcing the already existing gender stereotypes.
COVID-19 is demonstrated to be a driver of conflict, to some extend due to regulations implemented to contain the pandemic.
Cases of gender based violence, especially domestic violence have spiked. And even more subtle dimensions of violence, where experienced and whose consequences have been potential to limit women’s full and effective participation in decision making.
We often have this saying that nothing for us, without us, is against us. In light of this, I want to emphasize that there cannot be a lasting peace without the participation of the majority of the affected.
We have not heard that Africa is trying to include women in peace processes, law ratification, and development of action plans on resolution 1325, this shows that we are far off the mark.
We however applaud the organ of politics and defense for taking gender based violence as a security issue.
This is an acknowledgement, that if not adequately addressed, gender based violence threatens peace and security, both at a personal level, and also for the community and nation at large.
I therefore want to make the following recommendations.
Number one,
women’s full and effective participation must be promoted in leadership and decision making for COVID-19 responses and recovery.
Number two
There is need to legislate for gender equality. The gender equality agenda will remain rhetoric, unless it is legislated for.
Number three
There is need to come up with QUOTAS for women in decision making positions of the peace and security architecture.
Number four
The government of Zimbabwe should ensure that issues of gender equal are imbeded into the national constitution.
I recommend these standards to be adopted within as many countries as possible.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the organizers of this panel. And with these few remarks, I would like to wish you all a very good deliberations.
Please watch the video above this post for more details.
