By: Hertha Ekandjo
Deputy speaker of the parliament Loide Kasingo says she fully supports calls that Namibia is ready for a female President.
Her comments come after earlier this year, founding President Sam Nujoma, during his 93rd birthday interview with the New Era newspaper, stated that Namibia was ready for a female head of state.
“The founding President is a person who is foresighted, and for us as women have been fighting for women leadership. We are going to support him and others also within our continent. Yes, he is right!” she exclaimed.
Her words follow the 60th anniversary of the pan African women’s organisations that was celebrated on Sunday in Windhoek.
The deputy speaker urged young African women to follow in the footsteps of elderly women.
Kasingo added that African women should strive to be presidents of countries.
According to Kasingo, women should also be entrusted with leading a country in Africa.
Thus far, about ten women have served as heads of states in Africa, most in an acting or interim capacity. The longest-serving African female head of state is Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who was President from January 2006 to January 2018.
“African women have to fight for their rights as it won’t be given to them on a silver plate,” she said.
Kasingo further stated that African women faced many challenges from way back in history up until today, such as socio, economic challenges and gender-based violence.
“If you consider a mom’s tasks, from the household tasks to bearing a child, carrying a child for nine months until they are grown, and still continue to take care of them even in adulthood. When they have problems, they go to their mothers for help,” explained Kasingo.
“If we have succeeded through that phase that was so complicated, why can’t we be given the opportunity to lead the country?” she questioned.
Former President, Nujoma, in May this year, said that Namibia was ready to be led by a female President, a statement which was viewed to likely bolster the chances of both deputy prime minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila at the Swapo congress.
At that time, he cited examples in other countries where female heads of state had ruled the roost, including India.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, when quizzed earlier this year if she was interested in being President, responded, saying, “I am telling you, I’m always interested and ready to serve the people in this country.”
Human rights activist Linda Baumann said that women have long been fighting for gender equality in Africa, a goal that hasn’t been achieved yet, even after so many years.
“No woman, no girl child should feel undermined or less important, as Pan African women’s forum initially amplifies to be able to dismiss the notion that men are better than us,” she said
Baumann further said that celebrating Pan African women’s day needs more publicity because very few people are aware of this day.
“With the march of eliminating gender-based violence, we know that Namibia is not even in the middle of it. The whole African continent, we have high levels of violence,” she said.
She narrated that African women never give up and work hard to feed their loved ones, and there are still standing strong and powerful as women.
31 July is commemorated annually as Africa’s Women’s Day. It is celebrated as a remembrance of the contributions that African women played in the liberation of Africa from colonialism and apartheid and recognising the critical role women continue to play in the continent’s development. 2022 marks an important milestone as the Pan African Women’s Organisation (PAWO) turns 60.
This year the day is commemorated under the theme ‘Advancing women’s capital through accelerated socio-economic development, addressing the scourge of violence while enhancing food security and good nutrition on the African continent.
