Africa-Press – Angola. Ruling MPLA MP Emília Carlota Dias stated Wednesday, in Luanda, that despite the challenges faced, Angolan women have consolidated their place in strategic positions of power.
Speaking to the press at the end of the roundtable discussion on “Women in Politics in Angola – Lives and Trajectories,” as part of the “Oficina do Conhecimento (knowledge workshop)” project, she highlighted that women’s presence is now reflected in positions such as the Presidency of the National Assembly, the Vice-Presidency of the Republic, key Ministries such as Finance, and important higher courts. “A woman in the Presidency of the Republic is possible.
It’s never too much to dream, as long as you work for it,” she reiterated. Emília Dias, who represented MPLA Vice-President Mara Quiosa at the event, highlighted the transformative role of women in the Angolan political landscape, emphasizing that more than just holding positions, women have been agents of inclusion, inspiration, and humanization of politics. “We speak of women as a factor of inclusion.
With our unifying and humane nature, we have been able to contribute to ensuring that public policies reach more girls and boys,” she stated.
Regarding the 50 years since independence, she noted that Angolan democracy is real and active, highlighting the institutionalization of multiparty politics and the growing involvement of women since the early stages of this transition. “We continue to fully exercise our democracy, speaking of our rights, duties, and equality between men and women,” she remarked.
For the parliamentarian, who previously served as the first Vice-President of the National Assembly, political intolerance has no place in a democratic and inclusive Angola.
For her part, UNITA Member of Parliament and party Vice-President Arleth Chimbinda stressed that there’s urgent need for the country to advance to a new stage of democratic maturity, where the debate of ideas replaces partisan confrontation. “We need to learn to listen to each other more, to hear the opinions of others, to think about the country and not just our partisan ideas,” she argued.
This change in mentality, according to the legislator, must be accompanied by a message of hope for Angolan youth, who face daily unemployment, a lack of opportunities, and the risk of falling into delinquency.
Before the debate, the panelists shared their motivations for politics. Emília Dias was inspired by her membership in Agostinho Neto’s Organization of Pioneers (OPA) in the 1980s, while Arleth Chimbinda and Florbela Malaquias, member of parliament and President of the Humanist Party of Angola (PHA), were inspired by their parents, who were political prisoners. Oficina do Conhecimento is a project created in 2018 by a group of Angolan academics from a wide range of fields.
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