Africa-Press – Namibia. THE NARRATIVE being bandied around sentiments that gender should not be a consideration nor a criterion for presidential qualification reeks of patriarchal hegemony, misogyny and pure bigotry. And the addition of competency as a factor in this mix, leaves a lot to be desired.
Female empowerment is the bedrock from which sustainable development can be achieved. While gender equality lies at the core of human rights, women are still often excluded from the political arena and shut out of decision-making activities that directly affect their lives.
And when they are included, it is sometimes for window dressing, merely to create a favourable impression.
Competent women who would make effective public leaders are excluded from the pool of available candidates because of social barriers, much to the detriment of their communities.
Since when is gender not a criterion or factor for the affirmative advancement of competent women within political and economic echelons of power?
As a country, we went to great lengths to advance and affirm equality, and several legislative and policy frameworks were developed specifically to advance women’s rights.
The new narrative, unfortunately mostly perpetrated by men, is just another strategy to discriminate against women and hinder them from attaining political power.
Dismissing the gender factor is clearly an attempt at excluding the two leading female presidential contenders from the country’s top position and from entering State House.
If we have to be specific to buttress the point, women have the same competencies as men, and with the two leading women candidates, we have enough evidence to prove that point.
Firstly, the two female presidential contenders rose through the political structures of Swapo and attained influential positions within the party and politburo.
They are also gallant freedom fighters who sacrificed their youth and families to fight for the Namibian nation.
Secondly, after independence they were assigned numerous administrative positions within the government and performed exceptionally.
Thirdly, they have gained international and diplomatic exposure and experiences. All these factors combined render the flaunting of competency factors as an exercise in futility, and mere discriminatory tactics rooted in patriarchal hegemony and the perpetual domination of political power by men.
Why deny women their place in the echelons of power, both political and economic?
Over the years, men in power have deployed many tactics and tools to suppress women. Factors like age, educational levels, years of service, and many others have been used to reduce them into insignificance.
The increasing use of the competency narrative is nothing more than a manifestation of men’s distrust in women’s leadership and a failed attempt to negate their role.
It is also retrogressive and takes us back to the dark era when women were invisible and voiceless.
Such sentiments and utterances should be not condoned in the Land of the Brave.
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