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Interview with Marguerite Lusamba, popularly known as “Tacher”, President of the Rally of Conciliatory Democrats

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Mon, 2012-01-16 08:22

Summary: 

I was abducted, tortured. Substances were injected into my body. I was shot: two bullets in the leg and one in the head. I nearly lost my life because of my political commitment. But these experiences did nothing to diminish my determination.

Body: 

 

iKNOW Politics : Good morning, Ms. Lusamba.  You are popularly known as “Tacher”.  How did you come by that nickname? Tell us about your background.

 Marguerite: Thank you so much for this interview.  My engagement as a woman in the political process began the day that Lumumba was killed.  He was our hero and his killing was a great injustice.  He was our Prime Minister, and he was assassinated! I was outraged, and have sought ever since to gain the power necessary to move the country forward.  It was that event that spurred my decision to enter politics.  At university I had already been very active in student associations. 

When a multiparty system was introduced in the Congo, I took the opportunity to create the Rally of Conciliatory Democrats (RADECO). It was the country’s first political party created by a woman.  I did not create it as a springboard to fame, never! I created this party as a tool for leveraging power. I wanted to take on the men and fight to gain a place for women at the decision-making table. My determination began to bear fruit. I was increasingly included in the discussions to restore peace. At the time, the country was ravaged by war. At Sun City we struggled to bring the war to an end. 

In 2006, just prior to the elections, I stood as a candidate for the highest office in the land, still with the same desire to leverage power to bring change and open the way for other women. The required deposit was $50,000 (US), which is enormous. Despite the reticence of my family, I sold my property at an undervalued price to pay that deposit. Having made that sacrifice I was then insulted, called names – whore, loose women, bad mother, bad wife. But there was more. I was abducted, tortured. Substances were injected into my body. I was shot: two bullets in the leg and one in the head. I nearly lost my life because of my political commitment. But these experiences did nothing to diminish my determination. Today I am a candidate for the legislative elections in 2011. I was forced to withdraw from the race for the presidency, because my party, having allied with others in opposition to the government, reached consensus in support of another candidate. But in 2016, I shall run for president again. There is no respect for women in politics. Women in politics are considered loose women, detached from their homes and families. 

iKNOW Politics: Is this perception of women in politics also reflected in the status of women's rights in the DRC? 

Marguerite: Our party organizes seminars every three months to spread awareness among women and encourage them to enter politics.

We receive support from various international partners. We do everything we can to sensitize public opinion to the importance of women's rights.  

iKNOW Politics: Tell us about the challenges women face in the DRC. 

Marguerite: Elections here are dominated by violence. I have already described what I underwent simply for announcing my candidature. This climate of violence in our politics repels women, who are not violent. It is the men who use physical force to intimidate us. 

But look at the number of women here in this room today, to attend the launch of iKNOW Politics. We cannot back down, whatever the men may do against us. We call on women to have the courage needed to achieve our objectives. Many women recoil at the experiences I have suffered, but I tell them "Mrs. Tatcher is not dead. And even if she were, the struggle must continue." What is needed is greater solidarity among women. 

iKNOW Politics: Speaking of solidarity, did women support you in 2006? 

Marguerite: Women can be their own worst enemies. They did not give me much support – only one party helped me. But women increasingly understand that men mistreat and disregard us. Women must support women who defend their interests. 

iKNOW Politics: Tell us what you think about iKNOW Politics and the use of new technologies. 

Marguerite: iKNOW Politics is a good initiative; I have been a member since 2008. In "chatting" on the Internet I was able to exchange views with Madeleine Albright. Women both learn from and understand the experience of other women. Women in the DRC have a thirst for learning, to develop their countries. 

iKNOW Politics: What advice would you share with young women entering politics today? 

Marguerite: The young must not become discouraged: they are the future. I have always taken younger women under my wing, to guide them. They must not become discouraged; they must continue moving forward. Marriage must not be an obstacle to political life. One must manage one's household well – I am a grandmother; I have grandchildren and a husband who encourages me. He even pays for my travel to participate in political events. In order for young women not to become discouraged they must remain firm in their political commitment, while preserving harmony in their households.

 


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Interview with Amssatou Sow Sidibé President, Convergence of Actors in Defence of Republican Values “C.A.R Lenen”. Candidate in Senegal’s 2012 presidential elections

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Tue, 2011-08-16 01:21

Summary: 

Women know that if a woman is elected their concerns will be better taken into account – a woman who assumes power having been a mother, with boys and girls, and who could never discriminate against either gender.

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iKNOW Politics: Thank you for granting us this interview.  Tell us about Amssatou Sow Sidibé, what is your background? How did you enter politics? 

Amssatou Sow Sidibé: Amssatou is a Senegalese woman, an aggregate qualified professor and Chair of the Private Law Department. I am Director of the Institute of Human Rights and Peace at the University of Cheick Anta Diop. I have been engaged in academia for more than 30 years and trained entire generations, with more than 4000 young people graduating each year destined for high-level executive positions in the country. 

Amssatou is a Senegalese woman who has worked extensively in the field, in particular as President of the African Network for the Promotion of African Women Workers (RAFET), which operates in more than 40 localities in Senegal and various other African countries. Amssatou has worked hard for women's rights. I originated the first draft legislation on violence against women, since one of the studies I conducted with women parliamentarians in Senegal was used by the Ministry of Justice as the basis for drafting the law. The idea of a law on parity was born in my office. 

Amssatou is a woman who did much to shape the law on health and reproduction. 

Amssatou is a woman who has advanced many reforms on behalf of women in Senegal. Amssatou has supported children by creating "SOS right to education" and by helping Senegalese students avoid what would otherwise have been a lost academic year. Amssatou initiated the first national conference, bringing together in an amphitheatre the party in power, the opposition and civil society to reflect on the country's political situation. During this conference, Amssatou called on students to return to their classes. 

iKNOW Politics: At what point did you decide to enter politics? What triggered your decision? 

Amssatou Sow Sidibé: The only trigger was the general situation of the country. Senegal is suffering a great sickness. The ship is taking on water on all sides, and men and women alike must use all of their strength to keep it from capsizing.   All Senegalese people, of every political persuasion, suffer when legal instruments are rigged and institutions are undermined. What we have seen in recent decades obliges us to dedicate ourselves to serving the Senegalese people. If we fail to act we become complicit. For all of these reasons we have created a citizens movement, because the people, who have not been respected, should have the last word. This movement has captured the interest of many Senegalese people, who for decades have observed that we are not evolving normally and that our rights have steadily eroded. It is because the Senegalese people aspire to break away from the status quo that we have created the Convergence of Actors in Defence of Republican Values "CAR Lenen". 

The aim is to break out of the chaos and the cronyism, reverse the deterioration of our values, overcome our failure to compete and stop treating our citizens like children. We need a national surge forward, placing people at the centre of our concerns. 

iKNOW Politics: Since your arrival on the political scene, what have been the major challenges you have had to face? 

Amssatou Sow Sidibé: I have found great support in Senegal and among the diaspora. People are saying that with a woman in the race, a mother sensitive to the problems of the Senegalese people, they can finally feel hope. They say here is a woman who has proven her qualifications. I have many male supporters, female supporters and young supporters. The great challenge, and something that has always been an impediment for women in politics, relates to resources. The limited representation of women in decision-making positions is partly attributable to the limited resources available to women politicians. Personally, I was able to overcome a number of other challenges, such as keeping up a household. As a committed woman, I have always been supported by my husband and family – the problem has to do with resources. To improve representation for women, affirmative measures are needed for the financing of women candidates. The change must consist of more than a speech. Concrete measures are needed in support of women.  

iKNOW Politics: you said that the idea of a law on parity was born in your office. One year now after its adoption, what can be said about its application? 

Amssatou Sow Sidibé: Women talk about parity everywhere, even in the bush. They bring parity to the leadership and they demand parity. I think it has already been very successful. Several women have considered my candidacy entirely normal, which would not have been the case in earlier times. They say they have always supported men and now that parity has been adopted they often support women. Women know that if a woman is elected their concerns will be better taken into account – a woman who assumes power having been a mother, with boys and girls, and who could never discriminate against either gender. 

iKNOW Politics: What do you think about an initiative like iKNOW Politics, using new technologies to promote women in politics? 

Amssatou Sow Sidibé: iKNOW Politics is an excellent political instrument for promoting women to leadership positions, as a matter of human rights and development. How can a country be developed if more than half of its population is marginalized? Nor should we ignore women as a human resource, whose value must be maximized. True parity requires frank policies. In Senegal, since independence, we have had three male presidents and the country has not developed. The time has come to try a woman. Women can manage everything and can deal with several things at once. Let's give a chance to qualified women who can bring about the changes so long anticipated. 

iKNOW Politics: What do you call upon women to do? 

Amssatou Sow Sidibé: I ask women to support my candidature. I have proven myself. I have a decade of experience and I invite women to rally around my campaign to bring change at last to Senegal.


Interview with Dewi Coryati, A Member of Parliament in Indonesia

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Tue, 2011-05-24 00:46

Summary: 

"As a woman, you may have to work twice as hard as your male colleagues to be considered equal. But because of that you will then always be motivated to improve yourself, so that you will be better or you are doing your best in completing your responsibility for your constituents."

Body: 

iKNOW Politics:  Aside from serving as a member of parliament from your  party, you also have served as one of the leaders in your party. What challenges have you faced as a woman in these leadership positions? How did your background prepare you to meet these challenges?

Dewi Coryati: One of the qualities needed to be a party leader or to be a leader in any organizations is good leadership skill. But as a female leader, often you are perceived that you need to compete with male leaders with the same level of competencey, education, constituency outreach skill, etc. When the women leaders have better quality, the male leaders will acknowledge or respect those group of women leaders. This is the challenge that the women leaders in the party is faced in Indonesia.

Another specific challenges faced by women leaders are:

a. Stereotyping that women are only good for certain profession or position in the organization or party. As a woman, we need to be able to do what man is able to do. Women are not only suitable for positions related to women's empowerment issue.

b. Stereotyping that women can not work at "long or odd hours". Activities in the party usually need its members or leaders to work long hour or on holiday and sometimes at odd hours. This would mean that women leaders in the party need to be physically strong and healthy. Not to mention, getting the support from the family so that they will allow you to work at "the out of the ordinary" time.

c. A women political figure has to be able to potray herself that family is not obstacle in her political career. She has to be able to manage her family and household well, otherwise it can be a stumbling block for her political career. In Indonesia, sometimes family does not mean only your direct family, but also relatives or their big/extended family.

d. A women political leader should be able to adjust with the other party leaders which most of them are men in their way of socializing or mingle with the rest of the group, etc.

In resolving the above challenges, some of the possible solutions are as follows: participating in trainings held by NGO, civic societies, and political party to strengthen our own capacity, knowledge and skills; get a good formal education; have enough exercise to have a healthy and strong body; strengthening your moral pcinciples and religion by conducting any religious activities regularly; participate actively in political party's activities; conducting party's or organization's activities that can strenghen your position in your constituents; being able to have professional and competent expert staff; and make a synergie among all the activities in the party, organization and family.

I am grateful that I could finish my school with active participation in many organizations, even though I had to move from one ciity to another because of my parent's job. I am grateful also that my family has supported me to take this political career.

iKNOW Politics: You have been active in the party for so many years, what was your motivation in joining the party? Can you tell us how to manage your roles in party, parliament and personal life/family?

Dewi Coryati: By joining the party, I can actively participate in developing my country, Indonesia. Becoming a member of DPR RI/parliament will give me a bigger opportunity to materialize this goal. I can also fight for gender equality and women's rights more effectively in this political institutions. I could manage my roles in parliament, party and family because I have built a strong belief that everything I do is for Allah s.w.t. and for the good of the people in my country. Therefore, I will always be on the right track and have supports from my constituents.

iKNOW Politics: In your opinion, what should women candidates be aware of while running for a public office? What specifically would you recommend to women running with limited resources and in male-dominated societies?

Dewi Coryati: The women candidates need to be aware of that this position as public official would mean that we need to be smart in taking position for the issue that we care about. Because women who become the public officials will get more attention compared to male public officials. Women public officials will set as an example for every women who wants to be in the same position. Therefore, we need to increase our capacity and skills so that we can show them that we deserve that position.

For women running with limited resources and in male-dominated societies, I would recommend to always increase their capacity and skills by participating in formal or informal trainings, conducted by party or other related organizations. They also need to have high self-confidence that they are involved in politics for something important and big for the future of the country.

iKNOW Politics: You have been very active as a trainer in your party. What challenges do you face in getting this position in your party? Are there lessons learned you would like to share with other women leaders?

Dewi Coryati: I can achieve my current position because I have been very active in my party as national instructor or trainer. As an active one, I can prove and show to the party, the level of my capacity and my resources. With my knowledge and skills, I have been contributing to the party by developing our own party member's capacity in politics. When you work for a political party, you do not only have to work hard, but also need to work very smart and sincere. When we work for a party, we do not for our selves, but we work to help the party to grow and develop so that it can work better for the people.

iKNOW Politics: You are also active in KPP-RI, a Women Parliamentary Caucus of Indonesia in which all elected national women MPs from different parties join together working on the women issues in parliament. What would be your advice and suggestions to women in different country on how women from different parties can work together better for women issues?

Dewi Coryati: This organization or KPP-RI serves as a place where elected women member of parliament from different parties will fight for increasing women's participation and representation in politics in Indonesia. When they become the member of this caucus, they have to focus more on women's interest in politics rather than the party's interest. As a member of party, we have opportunity to do lobbying and negotiation with the other party or own party in reaching our goal or cause.

In fighting for women's interest, we should rely more to our selves since we know what is best for us. But we need to fight for it together, to make it more powerful and have more impact. KPP-RI has the objective to increase the gender equality, which is important for women in Indonesia. The party where the member of the caucus belongs to may have different opinion on the issue of gender equality, but those caucus members can fight and negotiate for this issue with their own party leaders on what is best for all women.

iKNOW Politics: Do you think that being a part of a global network, such as iKNOW Politics, can help women at all levels of politics and their supporters to succeed in their careers and to mobilize around issues of common concern?

Dewi Coryati: One of the objectives of the iKNOW Politics is to share experiences from different countries so that the women who learn from it can have new or improved ideas for their implementation in their own country. That new learning will probably be adjusted with the existing culture in their country. Those sharing experiences posted in iKNOW Politics will become a learning material for other women in politics, either to be implemented as it is or with adjustment with the existing culture in their own country.

iKNOW Politics: If you were to make one recommendation, what piece of advice would you share with iKNOW members, particularly women candidates and officials, as they progress in their political careers?

Dewi Coryati: Equitable role and participation of women in politcs are very important for building our democracy Women political activists know or understand best what their own needs and interests. To be able to fight for those needs and interests, to face the challenges and to eliminate all the obstacles, they need to increase their knowledge, skills and capacity, in which one of the way to do it is through learning from iKNOW Politics.


Interview with Honorable Celestine Adjonahoun, Member of Parliament in Benin, President of women Caucus

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Tue, 2011-03-22 22:00

Summary: 

It’s not a world you can enter without being prepared. I’m convinced that being involved in politics implies a certain personal culture. You can’t be the kind of woman who’s at a loss for words, you have to stand up for yourself and learn to take what comes your way.

Body: 

iKNOW Politics: What were the challenges you faced as a woman political leader?

Honourable Celestine: While in office I worked on food self-sufficiency and income-generating activities. I gave women doing agricultural work small loans so they could increase their harvests. I also worked to improve the truly awful working conditions of women nut oil producers. First the women boiled the nuts, then they lowered their bodies into the liquid to knead it. This took every ounce of physical strength they had, which is, after all, limited. Their output was therefore low and they sold what little they produced. Those who bought the oil took advantage of the low prices and resold it for more money on the market. To put an end to this ordeal, I gave the women an oil press, which allowed them to increase their production and their income. The oil press had an immediate impact on productivity, profits rose sharply.

iKNOW Politics: Did you introduce any laws in favour of women during your term in office?

Honourable Celestine: I tabled a bill on violence against women. It wasn’t easy to obtain the signatures of the male colleagues I needed to present the text. They prefer to speak of gender-based violence, because they feel that men are also victims of violence. So we changed the wording to gender-based violence. We have several laws to explain, we’re thinking about the law on the right of women to have control of their own bodies, the law on HIV/AIDS, the law on sexual harassment, among others. Today in Benin, the schools are emptying of their girl pupils, parents are afraid to send their daughters to school because they’re harassed on all sides, by the teachers, the village elders and young boys. 

iKNOW Politics: In your constituency, did support from women play a big role?

Honourable Celestine: I was elected in a commune of five constituencies of 400,000 inhabitants, and thanks to the loans and donations I made I had many women partisans. But at the last minute a man came along and handed out banknotes and managed to win them over. This happened because our women have daily needs to meet, so they are always tempted to accept a banknote to solve their problems rather than to vote for promises that won’t be kept for months or years. They cannot think in the long term, what interests them is today. Moreover, I think that men are very good at pulling the wool over our eyes. Populism is a problem everywhere in Africa, extreme poverty plays in favour of vote-buying, and it’s very hard to fight this. This is why we have to focus on educating young girls, to broaden their minds and allow them to project into the future.

iKNOW Politics: Some women are reluctant to get involved in politics because they think their family life will suffer. What do you think? Why does it seem so hard to reconcile family life and politics?

Honourable Celestine: I think that from the outset there has to be a relationship of trust between husband and wife that makes it easier for the man to give the woman more freedom. Trust within the couple is very important and implies a degree of responsibility on the part of the woman. Her first duty is to make sure her household is run properly. Getting involved in politics is a choice, it’s a decision the woman makes, and she must not allow it to take over to the detriment of her other responsibilities. Women have to be well organized, to manage their time well so that they can be wife, mother and active woman politician all rolled into one. Those who are not prepared for this should not get involved or they should be prepared to break up their homes.

iKNOW Politics: What advice would you give young women who want to get involved in politics? 

Honourable Celestine: I ask them to have the courage to face the world of politics. They have to show a sense of responsibility to be able to perform their duties, and to be able to put up with a lot. That’s what politics is, first and foremost, it’s not a walk in the park. You have to be mentally prepared to face all kinds of difficulties. You’ll be called all kinds of names, accused of all manner of things. It’s not a world you can enter without being prepared. I’m convinced that being involved in politics implies a certain personal culture. You can’t be the kind of woman who’s at a loss for words, you have to stand up for yourself and learn to take what comes your way. Getting involved in politics is not as simple as going to a party or a dinner dance, it’s more complex than that!  


iKNOW Politics Interviews H.E Mariam Marie Gisèle Guigma, Minister for Women’s Promotion, Burkina Faso

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Tue, 2011-02-08 23:00

Summary: 

Political parties have to be more respectful of women. Women are the largest segment of the electorate and they have to head their lists with women candidates. Women’s access to new technologies should not be limited, because it is very important for the continent’s economic development. Women are just as capable as men of using the new technologies.

Body: 

iKNOW Politics: Hello, Honourable Guigma, thank you for granting us this interview. As a woman politician, could you tell our readers what challenges you have faced? 

Honourable Guigma: Thank you for this exchange. Being a woman politician is a mission, a constant struggle. In our societies, women tend to have duties, not rights. We have to fight to earn our rights. When I first ran for election, I had to overcome doubt even within my own party. In Burkina Faso, like everywhere in Africa, women are very dynamic voters but they are less visible as candidates. A woman was first elected in Burkina Faso in 1978. During the 1980s there were four women in Parliament, now 17 of the National Assembly’s 107 members are women. Only two of the government’s ministers are women. As you can see, progress is relatively slow, we have to keep fighting to increase the number of women and above all convince the political parties to put women first on their lists. We can’t give up, there are barely three or four of us heading a list, the others are placed second or listed as substitutes. In the local elections, very few women headed lists. The authorities have taken steps to reverse the trend, and require that every place have equal numbers of men and women. This explains the large number of women in municipal councils.

The other challenges facing women are socio-cultural constraints, problems of education and literacy. The best means of fighting these burdens is to increase women’s economic empowerment. In my panel on women, I made a point of saying that our problem is the application of texts. We have a lot of texts in favour of gender equality and the promotion of women, but unfortunately they are not applied. In parliament, two women insisted that a report be prepared on the condition of women in Burkina Faso. We are very active within the National Assembly, we have a women’s caucus, we’re involved in resolving the problem of fistulas. We plan to introduce laws on domestic violence, violence in the workplace, etc. Penal law protects the rights of women, the question now is whether we need to legislate or to review the Penal Code. 

iKNOW Politics: Do you think that the media project stereotypes of women?

Honourable Guigma: Women’s images are used to promote beauty products. The women of Burkina Faso were appalled at this and asked the President of the Republic to act. They turned to the High Council for Communication, which is headed by a woman who is very protective of the image of women and young girls. The High Council commissioned a series of documentaries to heighten public awareness of the importance of conveying a positive image of women in the media.

iKNOW Politics: How do you encourage young women to get involved in politics?

Honourable Guigma: In 1990, a meeting of heads of State in Moncton agreed to establish national youth parliaments. Burkina Faso has therefore had a National Youth Parliament since 30 July 2009. Its members are 48 girls and 48 boys between the ages of 18 and 23. This is one way of interesting young people in politics. Burkina Faso has also established the Ministry for Youth and Employment.

iKNOW Politics: What role did the support of other women play in your election campaign?

Honourable Guigma: We have a saying that women are only a semi-support, because women are their own worst enemies. Women are “versatile”. When women have to choose between a man and a woman candidate, they usually find it hard to make up their minds. Women intellectuals harbour a kind of egoism. In my constituency, 90 per cent of those who voted for me were women and young people, they have always supported me. I was Minister for the Promotion of Women, I met many women who remember that time. I gave them technological tools and built women’s centres throughout the country.

iKNOW Politics: What message do you have for African women politicians? How are new information and communication technologies used on the continent?

Honourable Guigma: Political parties have to be more respectful of women. Women are the largest segment of the electorate and they have to head their lists with women candidates. Women’s access to new technologies should not be limited, because it is very important for the continent’s economic development. Women are just as capable as men of using the new technologies. I organized a day on “rural women and new technologies”. A woman used the computer with software in Moré, the national language, she read everything, it was astonishing to see how easily she was able to work the computer even though she was illiterate. Women have to be approached taking into account their level of education and have to be provided with appropriate tools, then they’ll outdo themselves. They’ll be able to take greater advantage of the Internet, they’ll do business on the web and earn money. Software has to be developed for the main ethnic groups. Women will work more and more with the Internet and will travel less, because it’s dangerous and costly.

iKNOW Politics: What advice would you give young women who want to engage in politics?

Honourable Guigma: I would tell them to be brave. I’m going to use a metaphor and say it’s like “serving yourself up” for an unknown adventure. You have to be brave, and always ready to deal with the political cards you’re handed.


Interview with Pauline Sukhai, Minister of Amerindian Affairs of the Republic of Guyana

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Tue, 2011-01-25 13:13

Summary: 

“…but with more women being educated, I’m sure that the number of high-caliber and quality women to assume leadership in the near future is not going to be reduced.  I think the quality of women who enter into politics will increase very soon.”

Body: 

iKNOW Politics: Let’s start by talking about your career in politics.  When did it start, what inspired you and what obstacles have you encountered as a woman?

Pauline Sukhai: My political career began when I was 11 years old.  I was inspired by the grave injustice faced at that time in my country by the opposition party, which is the party I belong to. Once while I was traveling, I saw a member of the People’s Progressive Party [PPP] being harassed and brutalized by the State Apparatus – the police – and I vowed to myself at a very early age that I would work to do something to correct that. When I was about twelve years old, I joined the Progressive Youth Organization and later the Women’s Progressive Organization [WPO], which is a widespread women’s organization in my country.  At that point, there was no turning back. Later on, I started participating in the People’s Progressive Party.

Since then, I have held many different positions. Having started out as an ordinary member at the group at community level, I’ve progressed to become a member of the Central Committee.  Today I’m also a member of my party’s Executive Committee. I have held various positions in government – I was Parliamentary Secretary for three years in Indigenous Affairs, I was also Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism and today I am the Minister of Amerindian Affairs [since 2008]. I’ve been a Parliamentarian for 18 years now – December 2010 marks 18 years since I first became a Member of Parliament. So it has been a very interesting and challenging career.  Personally, the difficulties that come with the territory didn’t affect me that much, but I understand the wider implication of women’s involvement in politics since they carry more responsibilities.  I think that women in politics here in Guyana have been able to overcome some of that due to their determination and commitment.

I wouldn’t say I’ve had obstacles.  I think it has been challenging as a woman who comes from a very small village in the rural community and who has no secondary education, much less a university education. I’ve had to work even harder, both in the political and academic realm. I’ve also had to balance that and family.  I married at a very young age – 21 years – and had two children. But at the political level, I didn’t think there were many obstacles in my party since we’ve always pursued a more equitable representation of women in the party’s policies and decision-making – before as the opposition and even now as we are in the driver’s seat.  Our leaders and the rest of us at the top have always pushed to ensure that women were included in the party’s upper echelons and even in the government.  And the results are tangible because we have achieved more than 33 percent women in Parliament. At the cabinet level I think we are at about 34 percent.  Even the party list has to be one-third women, which was the quota that the former president, Dr. Cheddi Jagan [1992-1997] – who passed away – ensured be kept.

iKNOW Politics: You’re a party woman – a woman who has developed a career within the party. How open are the party systems in Guyana for women and women candidates?

Pauline Sukhai: I can speak for the People’s Progressive Party, which has always been open and welcoming to women. In fact, we have one of the largest women’s political organizations in the country, which is allied with my party.  That alone speaks volumes on women’s admission to the party because as long as you are in the women’s organization or the political organization (the WPO), you automatically move straight into the party ranks. And since we hold elections for the positions in the Party Central Committee, the process is followed from the group level. However, cultural sentiment in Guyana still strongly opposes women being engaged at the highest level. Family ties can even impede that, which is rooted in culture and tradition.

iKNOW Politics: What are three goals that you plan to implement in your ministry in order to advance indigenous women’s involvement in politics?  What strategies will you use to achieve these goals?

Pauline Sukhai: At the political level, my role is more related to broad-based development and with development comes politics. But the mechanisms and strategies we use to implement programs in my ministry include women because we are more open.  We cannot drive the political aspect from the ministry – that’s the party’s job. But in the national programs that we carry out, such as the community development plans and the livelihood program, women are encouraged to participate at the village level. This involvement is sowed not so much by our design, but also due to the villages’ economic situation.  Women are sometimes more permanent figures in the villages while their male counterparts go seek employment in other sectors.  In a very rural or remote community, women are sometimes the ones who stay behind. So if you are talking about the livelihood program or community development plans, they’re the main drivers, formulators and designers.

iKNOW Politics: Alliances and networking are very important in politics. iKNOW Politics is also a network of networks. What role has alliances and networks played in your political career?

Pauline Sukhai: They have played a very important role. We have a very unique situation in my party. For example, in 1992 even though we had determined we’d win the majority vote in elections by running alone, we created an alliance with the Civic.  Therefore our party is now the People’s Progressive Party-Civic since we have a civic partnership in our political framework that works along with us, the politicians. And they have competed with us, alongside us, in partnership with us in elections. Next year there will be elections here [August 2011] and the debate on whether to broaden the partnership to include civil society and religious organizations is already an ongoing topic.

iKNOW Politics: What is the role of young women in politics in Guyana? Are there any movements currently under way that call for the renewal of leadership in the country?

Pauline Sukhai: It’s not as desirable.  I have been examining this factor for a while now and I’ve seen that many of the women today who have better opportunities and greater access to secondary and university education are spending much more time in the academic arena. During my generation, women spent a lot of time in the political arena because some of us did not have the opportunity to spend that much time in academics nor could we have afforded to spend it on educating ourselves. So our main activity revolved around politics, even at the ground or the grass roots level working in the communities. So I think it’s taking awhile but with more women being educated, I’m sure that the number of high-caliber and quality women to assume leadership in the near future is not going to be reduced.  I think the quality of women who enter into politics will increase very soon.

iKNOW Politics: What kind of suggestions would you like to give young women in politics or young women who are interested in politics but who believe it is a very hard scenario to be in?

Pauline Sukhai: Well, one of the first things I would say to young women, is that life is short.  Whatever career path you want to pursue will be hard and if it’s politics, it will be a very interesting and challenging field. As a woman, politics only requires you to be determined and for you to want to challenge existing norms and practices for the development of your people. When that seeps into your system, I think it becomes the driving force for any woman who is involved in politics, particularly young people.  They understand that their contribution toward building their country and ensuring democracy for their people requires their input and that it should not be viewed as a profession that is “hard.” Any profession is hard. It is what you make it.


Interview with Marlene Malahoo Forte Senator and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Tue, 2011-01-25 13:06

Summary: 

“My simple approach to anything I do is to do the best I can – to use my office well while I am there and to understand that that office is not a place of personal privilege but a high seat of responsibility.  So every decision I take must be a decision that furthers the good of others.”

Body: 

iKNOW Politics:  I would like to start by asking you about your career in politics. When did it start and what inspired you to get involved? What opportunities and obstacles have you encountered in politics as a woman?

Marlene Malahoo Forte: I am a lawyer by training.  I was on the bench for nine years, and served as a prosecutor for four and a half years. During that time, I began to develop a keen interest in public policy. I also had to interact with the government a lot and the more I did, the more curious I became about what was happening on the inside. So a couple of times I took time off from law to gather my thoughts and see how I could best serve given my keen interest in policy and the machinery of government. While I was on my last sabbatical I received an invitation from the prime minister for a position in the Senate with a state ministerial appointment in foreign affairs and foreign trade. I thought about it long and hard, prayed about it, and then I accepted the invitation and here I am, one year later.

Obstacles? Well, I started off with many.  I didn’t have any background in politics and naturally people who felt they had paid their political dues thought that a vacancy at the head table should go to them. So I was kind of an outsider coming into the political arena and people weren’t sure where my loyalties lay. But my loyalty – first and foremost – is to my country. To use the best of my skills, talent and training to make the machinery of government work better for the people. It’s a hard place for women, it’s a hard place, but we’ve come a long way. As you may know, Jamaica has had a female Prime Minister even though she was not elected at the polls. She succeeded as next in line to lead the party. We now have our first woman Minister of Justice and a woman Chief Justice. So we have made some strides in politics with regards to gender issues. But it’s still a very hard place for women.

iKNOW Politics: Why would you say that this is very hard? Do you have any personal experiences you could share with us?  Also, how did you manage to overcome that barrier?

Marlene Malahoo Forte: Well I think sometimes as a young woman, people don’t take you seriously.  Or perhaps they think that the rough-and-tough of politics is not for you or that you shouldn’t have decision-making power in the party machinery. And I’m told by the women in my party – the Jamaica Labor Party – that women have been given a hard time, even though we have had distinguished women who served at the level of Deputy Leader of the party. In my case, people sometimes look at me and tell me I am not cut out for the rough-and-tough of politics.  They say I need to toughen up in order to deal with the electorate.

I’m an appointed senator, not an elected Member of Parliament, so I have not yet faced political rough-and-tumble. But judging from people’s reactions and the expectations they have of women in government, Parliament seems like a man’s world.

iKNOW Politics:  You are very young and the second woman to hold this office. How did you get appointed?  Is this part of a new government policy?

Marlene Malahoo Forte: I am the Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and yes, I’m the second woman to hold this office. Interestingly, the first woman was a renowned gender activist, so I’m indeed honored to come after her given the work that she has done.  I can only tell you what the prime minister said to me when he extended the invitation. He said, ‘I need help with the work that has been entrusted to me by the people and I’m looking for the best and brightest to help me do this work.’  Based on my skills, perhaps he thought it best to place me here.  I can tell you there’s been a lot of work for one year. I think part of our Prime Minister’s agenda is to get younger generations into politics.  I also believe he’s interested in the legacy he himself will leave behind. So, I’m honored by the confidence he has placed in me and I have been trying my best to do well for my country.

iKNOW Politics: Could you please tell us about three goals that you are implementing or thinking of implementing for the advancement of women, in particular women in politics? Also, what strategies do you plan to follow?

Marlene Malahoo Forte: In the Ministry, one of my most important responsibilities is foreign trade, which includes the negotiation of trade agreements with foreign countries. I oversee free trade agreements and other trade and development agreements, as well as our work with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).   We are also in the process of negotiating an agreement with Canada. I have discovered that empowering women economically is critical to a society’s development.  Every time I sit down to work, that reality is at the front, back, and center of my mind.  What I would like to see are policies and trade that are sensitive to the special role that women play. I would like to capitalize on the benefits we negotiated that women can take advantage of and then create an environment where they can thrive in business – not only in small business but export business, where scale matters. So that is one thing I am looking at – the special place that women have in our trade agreements – and I try to make sure these policies will help them prosper and succeed in business.

I’m also interested in women’s access to capital and I’m watching the policies of financial institutions very closely.  Apart from my job, I also head a women’s group – the Women’s Leadership Initiative, which is an advocacy group for women’s and children’s rights. We have members from important areas of society. The group supports distinguished women at all levels. We have bankers, financiers, and other professionals of all sorts. So I have now begun to look into banks’ policies and how they allow or prevent women from accessing financing, especially women who do not have traditional forms of collateral. I think this needs to change. They need to look at new ways to measure the risk.

In regards to politics, I’m convinced that when women are included in decision-making, better decisions result.  I really would like to see more women becoming active in politics so that they can have decision-making power – women who are sensitive to gender issues, who promote development and who recognize the critical role that women will play in empowering other women.

iKNOW Politics: You have mentioned CARICOM. Since these kinds of agreements are on the rise, could you tell us a little more about it?  In particular, how do you think these agreements can be used to promote gender equity?

Marlene Malahoo Forte: Jamaica is a member of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM. We have 15 member states, including Haiti.  What we are trying to do is to establish common policies across the board for foreign trade.  We are also advancing issues related to gender and women’s rights. This is a very important step for us as, both as the Caribbean region and as part of Latin America.  Countries that are well-advanced in women’s issues can help the ones lagging behind, which ultimately leads to updated laws and policy implementation, where existing laws are enforced and women’s welfare is improved on the whole. So there is a Caribbean single market and we are moving towards a single economy.  We already have a single domestic market, that means countries lagging behind will have to get their policies up to the level of those who are more advanced.  That way nobody in the single market will be at a disadvantage in the labor market or any other critical area.

iKNOW Politics: How do you see women’s involvement in and access to politics in Jamaica? There are no quota laws in Jamaica, the House of Representatives has eight women out of 60 seats, the Senate has five women out of 21 seats. So how would you envision it? What should change?

Marlene Malahoo Forte: Yes, eight out of 60 Members of Parliament in the House of Representatives are women.  The ratio is greater in the Senate where we actually have five out of 21 – four from the government party and one from the opposition. So we have five women in the Upper House – the Senate – and eight in the Lower House.  Again, I commend my Prime Minister for making the bold move of appointing more women senators from the government party, including younger women. It was very commendable. And I can tell you that this contribution is new and different and people have noted it.

I would like to see more women in representational politics in the Lower House. I would definitely like to see that. But I understand right now it is rough because campaigns are expensive and political office is ungrateful and thankless.  Unless there is something deep inside of you that compels you to give back and make the world a better place for your having been here… I’m afraid that due to how the system is designed women will continue to be excluded. Legislative change is very important. I like the idea of quotas, but even more than that, I like to have the best and most qualified people in office. What I don’t want is for women to be discriminated against on the basis of their gender or for any door to be closed to them because they are women. So opportunities must be equal, regardless of your gender. I want to see more women choosing to get more involved in elected office so that they can step up and make the contribution they are capable of making.

iKNOW Politics: Political parties are the  gatekeepers. What is the situation of political parties in Jamaica, especially in relation to promoting women’s access within the party?

Marlene Malahoo Forte: To be honest with you, I’m still in the process of understanding my party. I know that the highest position a woman has held is that of party vice president. None of the current deputy leadership positions are held by women, but that’s going to change soon. And I wouldn’t be surprised if we also have a woman party leader sooner rather than later.

Some of the women in the party are beginning to work.  Only last week I was speaking to one of my fellow women Senators who told me that apart from the women’s political caucus, she’s also going to be training women to be campaign managers and train other women on how to become candidates. And I like that, so when I go back home, I want to  hear more about this work that is going on.  I think the general electorate has come to realize that female leadership is more sensitive. And I wouldn’t be surprised if sooner or later they demand that women be placed at the helm of the political parties.  The opposition – the People’s National Party – is headed by a woman. Our first female Prime Minister was Portia Simpson Mill. So we’re not that far behind in Jamaica. I don’t know as much about the internal workings of the People’s National Party, it is not the party that I am affiliated with. But, we do have a woman heading one of the two major political parties in Jamaica. We have had our first female Prime Minister and I think we’ll have more to come.

iKNOW Politics: Good alliances and networking are very important in politics. iKNOW Politics is both a network and a resource for other networks. What kind of role have alliances and networks played in your career?

Marlene Malahoo Forte: I’ve always been involved in civil society. I’ve always had an evening job in addition to my day job. I told you that I led a group of women, the Women’s Leadership Initiative.  They provide an unbelievable amount of support.   I think I have been blessed in many ways to work with people who understand the value of good work. I will never underestimate the power of networks. Even on a personal level, when you need someone and you know someone who is competent, you’re going to reach out to them first.  Jamaica is a small place and who you network with is critical.   Having said that, I´m also mindful that there are people who are not part of these networks. So even when you become part of a network, you have to be careful not to close yourself off from others that you need to reach out to.  There are powerful players at every level. So for me, at the end of the day, this means recognizing that there is worth everywhere. As long as you want or as long as we share a common interest in moving the country forward, I will partner with everyone, and if you have a different point of view, I will seek to understand it. I’m open to be persuaded. 

iKNOW Politics: How would you like to be remembered? What kind of legacy would you like to leave, especially with regards to the advancement of women and of women in politics?

Marlene Malahoo Forte:  My simple approach to anything I do is to do the best I can – to use my office well while I am there and to understand that that office is not a place of personal privilege but a high seat of responsibility.  So every decision I take must be a decision that furthers the good of others. I’m very passionate about developing countries like Jamaica as an international community. There are peculiarities that I believe are not always understood and appreciated – peculiarities that affect progress for everyone. Right now, Jamaica is regarded as a middle-income country, but we’re greatly indebted. Our debt-to-GDP ratio is greater than 25 percent. This is bad in terms of the capital budget that is available for programs.  At the end of the day, this affects the projects for those most vulnerable in society.

So what do I want in the short term, what legacy would I like to leave in this office.  I want highly indebted middle-income countries to be recognized as a new category. People say these countries are not poor enough to receive special aid because they are middle-income, but because their debt-to-GDP ratios are so high they are worse off than poorer countries.  How does that impact us? That impacts our access to financing and the concession of loans and grants, which in turn impacts the kinds of programs we do. In general, I want to ensure that when decisions are taken by the state, they are taken in the best interest of the people and not just to maintain the popularity of the incumbent party. This is not an easy task, but it’s a process I’m committed to. The machinery of government must work better for the people, it must deliver services to the most vulnerable. Our elected officials and politicians must serve with integrity.  I hope that I´ll be remembered for bringing the best of my talent, my training and my skills to the duties that have been entrusted to me.


Interview with Gloria Young, president of the Panamanian Association of Women Parliamentarians and Former Parliamentarians and Panamanian legislator for two consecutive terms (1994-2004)

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Tue, 2011-01-25 12:53

Summary: 

“There is no better way to add to your political worth than through training and constant capacity-building, especially for women.  Men are more willing to take on political challenges without training.  For women, it’s much more difficult to take this step or to find the courage.  So you have to encourage them.  It’s not enough to say, “be brave, be brave,” you have to explain and provide reasons.”

Body: 

Gloria YoungiKNOW Politics:  How did your career in politics begin, what inspired you to get involved?  Also what obstacles did you encounter as a woman?

 Gloria Young: I first got involved in politics in Mexico while I studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).  In a decade like the 70s, there was no way to avoid it.  And, of course, if you study Political Science and Public Policy, you join forces with the left.  So my first party experience was with the groups linked to the Fourth International in Mexico.  Later, I returned to Panama, where a groundbreaking political movement was under way – very interesting – which was started by a group of people close to Ruben Blades, our salsa singer.  In its name, the group captured the essence of what we wanted to be: Papa Egoro (1991), which in an indigenous language means mother earth.  So we placed ecological concerns at the top of the list.

Within Papa Egoro, we formed a national women’s secretariat that ended up becoming a party within a party.  We were very well organized and had a lot of energy because we had some of the most renowned feminists of the time.  I joined because I didn’t believe in traditional politics.  Ruben Blades told me, “do in the party what you would do at home.”  This stuck with me and I wondered, “what would I do at home?”  To which I answered, “everything necessary to advance the struggle for equality.” So we created the National Women’s Secretariat of Mother Earth.

When national elections approached, the idea of participating as a candidate had never crossed my mind. I wanted to work directly with women at the national level and strengthen the National Women’s Secretariat.  But the rest of the women had reached an agreement, met with me and said, “we want you to be a candidate for Parliament.”  I told them that I didn’t believe in those things – in formal, electoral politics.  They were full of lies.  Also, you needed a lot of money to get elected.  Finally, they convinced me with the argument that someone from the women’s movement had to participate.  We ran and we won in one of the most important electoral districts in the country (1994).

In Panama, there are three ways of getting elected: by majority vote, ratio or “remainder.”  During these elections, 69 legislators were elected, seven winning by ratio.  I entered Parliament with a well defined agenda: a domestic violence law, equal opportunity law, sexual harassment law, a law on the elimination and eradication of sexist language in school books and texts at the national level in addition to the texts of the legislative assembly agendas.

This agenda was considered extremely audacious.  Despite that, we achieved Law No. 4 on Equal Opportunity for Women in 1999.  With this agenda, we managed to join forces with various sectors in the women’s movement.  Contrary to what one would imagine based on other experiences, in Panama the movements were not ahead of Parliament in this agenda.  Rather it was the women Members of Parliament who took initiative, including other women who did not necessarily have a gender perspective.  The men in Parliament also became more sensitive to gender issues, to the point that our sessions started with a special greeting: “good afternoon, women legislators.”  One day we’ll have to write about that experience.  I was re-elected for a second term.  I’ve been in Parliament for a total of ten years [1994-2004].

I remember clearly when the winner of the Rogelio Sinán award – one of our most avant-garde writers – was a woman: Elsie Alvarado de Ricord, a wonderful poet who at the time was president of the Panamanian Language Academy.  Like other prizes related to the arts, this prize was the result of our work in Parliament.  We had created a totally different dynamic in the assembly.  For the first time, the assembly in Panama published a magazine – Ventanas del Parlamento – which had been advocated by the commission on women’s affairs.  The magazine discussed the advances in the women’s movement in the country, various aspects of the academic movement, essays, background articles, etc.

In the commission, we started the custom – which was unfortunately abandoned – of consulting all initiatives with the sectors of organized women in the country.  This sort of dynamic was unprecedented because even though the assembly’s permanent work commissions are obligated to consult bills with the sectors concerned, the majority of discussions were held within closed door.  The commission on women’s affairs set the tone for what needed to be done.  Moreover, we managed for this participation to reach the assembly itself and women’s voices were heard nationally because the sessions were aired on TV and the radio.  The radio especially made an impact.  You’d get into a cab and you’d end up talking to the driver about these women who are talking about such and such because everyone heard us on the radio.  I’d walk down the city streets and they’d stop me to say, “Hey, legislator, I heard they took miss so-and-so [to the assembly] and look what interesting things she had to say!” 

iKNOW Politics:  Could you comment on the obstacles you’ve faced in your political career, in particular with your male colleagues?

Gloria Young:Undoubtedly they were many, beginning with life inside the party.  Being in a party is a constant struggle to make your voice heard in a place dominated by males.  There have been several women party presidents.  The first was Berta Torrijos de Arosemena, honorary president of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), founded by her brother, General Omar Torrijos.  She took it seriously and began to make significant changes in the PRD until they changed her instead.  The second woman president, elected by vote, was Mireya Moscoso of the Arnulfista party, who later got elected as president of the country.  I’ve been president of the Papa Egoro party, chosen internally over Ruben Blades.  As president, I had to muddle through the reconstruction and expansion of the party at the national level against all odds and with no support from the party’s founder.  I became aware of all that went with being the woman president in a party where a patriarchal system reigned, despite the fact that the women’s secretariat was as strong as ever. However, we managed to include an indigenous representative in the directive board in a country that has five indigenous districts with their own lands and government.

In the end, a movement was started by Ruben Blades to kick me out of the party and take my seat.  He didn’t manage to do get my seat, but they did expel me from the party.  And I am proud of it!

iKNOW Politics:  Could you tell us about your experience in training and empowerment processes for women?  What lessons have you learned and what difficulties have you encountered?

Gloria Young:There is no better way to add to your political worth than through training and constant capacity-building, especially for women.  Men are more willing to take on political challenges without training.  For women, it’s much more difficult to take this step or to find the courage.  So you have to encourage them.  It’s not enough to say, “be brave, be brave,” you have to explain and provide reasons.  You have to acquire tools and know how to use them, even if we’re defeated time and again.  In the Papa Egoro secretariat on women’s affairs we had a special unit for training – you can’t imagine all the things we did there.  Later, with Mireya Moscoso’s party – which is older and more traditional – we also garnered support for women’s training and the formation of a national women’s secretariat.

This wasn’t enough, however.  We formed a strategic alliance between women from different political parties, called the Forum of Women in Political Parties.  A certain spirit of unity was created between women politicians, regardless of ideology or party affiliation.  We managed to modify the electoral law so that 10 percent of the 30 percent electoral subsidies received by parties went exclusively to training for women.

iKNOW Politics:  In Panama, you not only have the Forum but also the Panamanian Association of Women Parliamentarians and Former Parliamentarians (APARLEXPA).  You’ve been the executive secretary for both groups at different times.  What do you owe these advances in Panama to?  What could we do to promote similar initiatives in the region?

Gloria Young: Indeed, I’ve been the founder of both groups.  To date, the Forum has been around for 16 years and the Association for six years.  They are spaces where Panamanian women politicians can work together and have served to increase women’s personal self-esteem and political standing in parties.  The Forum has a very strong training component – so strong that it has earned international recognition from organizations that finance extensive training programs for women candidates.  We have taken this experience to other countries in Central America and the Caribbean.  Five of us women from different parties have gone to other countries, which really helped motivate women in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

For its part, the Association is an experience that began in El Salvador under the initiative of a great colleague, who I identify with a lot – Gloria Salguero.  She has been a minister without portfolio in Elías Antonio Saca’s government [2004-2009] and was formerly the first woman president of Congress.  Without a doubt, she’s had a very successful career in Congress.  In contrast to the Forum, the Association is for women who have been elected to the Parliament and are thus good examples of what it means to win elections in each country.  The Association exists to train women who want to participate in elections, whether national or local.  We have been formulating a methodology with a basic academic component as well as a focus on managing basic tools.  We have helped many women to overcome shyness, find resources and have the courage to face men in their parties.  These women have begun to win elections and that’s why support from women who have already gone through elections or held office is so key.  The point is to have them share their experiences with women who are just starting out and help spread accumulated political capital to those who now need it.

iKNOW Politics:  What role have networks played in your political career?  What benefits do they entail?

Gloria Young: I firmly believe in networking.  One of the components of our training sessions is how to dominate information and communication technology (ICT).  Women, including those from the country’s more rural areas, have to learn how to use and manage ICT if they want to communicate their proposals.

iKNOW Politics has been a fundamental tool for the women in APARLEXPA and the Forum, as well as for all women who have dreams and aspire to educate themselves more.  Most of all, the spaces for virtual debate have been very helpful.  I don’t know if you are aware of how much iKNOW Politics helps women politicians.  Networks need to be expanded to reach much more women because the number of women who currently access these is minimal.

iKNOW Politics: What is your future agenda in order to continue the valuable work you’ve done to date?

Gloria Young: I plan on promoting a change in APARLEXPA’s board of directors.  This is very important now, following the elections [2009] where our number of deputies in the national assembly fell.  The idea is for the position of the president of the Association to be held by one of the two women who got reelected this term.  The woman who got the greatest number of votes in the country will be at the helm, supported by very valuable women deputies and former deputies.  I will become an advisor for this directive board.

My main goal at this time is to be the first national director of the National Institute for Women, created by law in December 2008.  This institute’s structure is completely different than other national institutes.  In fact, the executive branch alone doesn’t appoint the director, rather it must choose from a short list resulting from an open, extensive and democratic competition between women who must meet certain qualifications.  These qualifications include experience in women’s development and gender equality and demonstrated professional ability.  If you also have experience  with the social and political movements in the country, even better.  The short list is chosen through a mechanism created in 1994 – the National Women’s Council – which is a neutral space between government and civil society organizations, presided by the country’s minister of social development.  There are seven civil society organizations that are presenting candidates, five of whom have supported me.  I am very proud of that.


Interview with Honourable Ascofaré Ouleymatou Tamboura, member of Parliament for Ténenkou Cercle, President of the Women’s Caucus of the National Assembly of Mali

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Thu, 2010-09-30 22:00

Summary: 

To my sisters and my daughters who want to embark on politics, I have only one piece of advice: you have to believe!

Body: 

iKNOW Politics: To start, can you tell us what challenges you had to overcome as a woman in positions of political leadership? How did your past and your experience help? 

Honourable Ascofaré:Thank you for granting me this interview. I arrived on the political scene in 1997, when the COPP (Convention for Progress and the People) was established. I was the Secretary General from 1997 to 2002, and I’m proud to have managed to establish the party everywhere in Mali. Generally speaking, the women who manage to reach positions of responsibility fall victim to prejudices that oblige them to work twice as hard to prove their technical competence and to assert themselves as “women”. This experience has served me well in everyday life, and in particular in the exercise of my duties as a member of parliament. I will answer your second question with this point. 

iKNOW Politics: Can you tell our readers how you help promote protection for the rights of Ténenkou’s women and in public life? 

Honourable Ascofaré:I was elected in Ténenkou and am currently serving my second term in office, but I am first and foremost a member of parliament for all Malians: “any imperative mandate is null and void”. That being said, the women of Ténenkou, like all women in Mali, are confronted by: the low school enrolment rate, poverty, disease (HIV/AIDS, poorly guaranteed reproductive health), attacks on physical integrity, under-representation in administrative and political decision-making bodies. As a legislator, I can act to remedy those problems by initiating and/or adopting legislative measures in favour of women. In addition, I ensure that existing texts protecting women’s rights are properly enforced through government oversight. Certain coercive measures, such as quotas, can enable women to play a role in public life and foster the genuine change in behaviour needed for our country’s harmonious development. 

iKNOW Politics: On the basis of that experience, what do you think women in high positions in Mali should do to promote women and safeguard their rights?

 Honourable Ascofaré:Such women do not have the right to make mistakes. Each of them must see herself as being on a mission in the cause of women, in other words show that she can do as well if not better than a man. They cannot be spared comparison at this level. They will always serve as models for the ascent of other women.

Honourable Ascofaré: What, in your view, are the main obstacles facing women who enter politics? How did you overcome them? 

Ms. Ascofaré:The main obstacles are socio-cultural in nature. To overcome them, you have to start by daring. Then you have to organize so as to be able to cope with the other internal (family) and external obligations. It’s a huge challenge, and your husband has to be your chief ally!

 iKNOW Politics:What are you specifically doing to help and encourage women and girls to participate in political life?

Honourable Ascofaré:I use tangible examples a lot, mine first of all, which speaks louder than any other. Also through associative life, I try to influence harmful common practices by launching activities to raise awareness and bolster women’s capacities. This is why I created an association that works to raise the number of girls enrolled in school in my constituency and to promote good reproductive health practices.

 iKNOW Politics: How did the support of other women help you in your activities? How can political party women’s groups and women’s committees contribute to making women more effective in politics?

 Honourable Ascofaré:Women are my chief allies in my constituency, I take advantage of the opportunity you give me to pay tribute to them. They are a driving force in political parties. They are very efficient but their abundant supply of energy is not always put to good use.

 iKNOW Politics: How do you think an initiative like iKNOW Politics can be used to encourage women’s progress in politics?

 Honourable Ascofaré: iKNOW Politics is a wonderful initiative, allow me to congratulate its promoters. Women leaders can use it to enhance exchanges, share experiences, start common activities. But this cannot be done without first strengthening women’s capacity to use computer tools. Just as there is a digital gap between North and South, so there is a huge gap between men and women in the use of computer aids, and that gap has to be bridged. iKNOW Politics also has to diversify its working methods. In addition to on-line contacts, your structure must be present in the field and in direct physical contact with women.

 iKNOW Politics: What advice would you give iKNOW Politics members, in particular women and girls who want to become involved in politics?

 Honourable Ascofaré:In Mali, when someone says they want to be involved in politics(politiguimogo in bamanan our local language), there is always a negative connotation. All misguided thinking on this point must first be dispelled. Getting involved in politics simply means helping to solve problems in your village, your town or your country - in that sense everyone is a “politician”. Politics is not the exclusive domain of men. It’s true that the way our society is organized tends somehow to exclude women from politics by relegating them to a back seat. Customs are hard to change but there is hope. As attitudes change, with the various government policies and civil society organizations promoting women, success may be around the corner. The advent of democracy in Mali in March 1991 marked a turning point in women’s awareness of their capacity to organize and have an impact on the course of events. I think that advance is irreversible and permanent. To my sisters and my daughters who want to embark on politics, I have only one piece of advice: you have to believe!


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Interview with Carmen Beramendi National Representative (1990-1995) and Director of the National Women’s Institute, INMUJERES (2005-2010)

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Wed, 2010-08-25 18:36

Summary: 

“The lack of political participation by women marks an important democratic deficit. All structures that make democracy more effective are also structures that can contribute to increasing women’s participation, though this is not automatic. At least this is a lesson from my own personal experience: the more democratic the structure, the more women that are elected."

Body: 

iKNOW Politics: I would like to begin by asking you about your career in politics. When did you start and what motivated you to get involved? What opportunities or obstacles have you encountered as a woman?

Carmen Beramendi:  I became politically active at a very early age when I was still a student. As a result, I was in prison for seven years during the Uruguayan dictatorship. I later participated in the union movement. I was not only the secretary of my union, but also president of the fishing industry workers organisation in Uruguay. I was also a member of a political party, and was elected deputy from 1990-1995 by the Broad Front coalition [Frente Amplio]. There were twenty deputies at that time who were government appointments, but I was the only woman. Thought there were also women in other political parties, there were only six women parliamentarians.

I have encountered obstacles ever since I became a party member. Back then, I didn’t attribute it to gender discrimination because I hadn’t adopted that perspective yet. I remember when I joined a movement of very clandestine political activism, a man said that he couldn’t talk about secret matters in front of women because women couldn’t keep secrets. When they held debates that had to be kept quiet, he refused to let women participate. I had been chosen to form part of that mobilisation committee with many more votes than he had; however, he reserved for himself the right to veto my presence. Being seventeen years old, I was perplexed and didn’t understand at all. That was when I realised how tough it would be participating in politics, even having votes. I emphasise having votes because I think that votes contribute to legitimacy in politics.

In the union, if elections were done individually, the number of votes in my favour would have skyrocketed. But if elections were done based on lists made in a small political circle, I would be relegated to second place. When voting was done name by name, women received many more votes. This is what happened to me in the fishing union: I won by a margin of thousands of votes over the person who came in second place. This is how I became president of the fishing union for many years – I received majority of votes from the workers

With time, I started to understand that men’s way of associating themselves with power structures is different than women’s, and that men’s exercise of power is deemed more legitimised. Much less is placed on the table when it comes time to evaluate a man’s political conduct and much more is considered when it comes time to evaluate a woman’s political conduct.

Over time, men have developed many ways to guarantee their permanence in politics; they know how to establish alliances, while we women have a difficult time establishing alliances between us. Perhaps it is the result of gender influence that leads us to “affectivise” [make personal] our ties, relationships. Men are able to form alliances even though they argue, fight and confront each other. They don’t affectivise their relationships like women do. If we get angry, it is very difficult for us to form an alliance with the people we get angry with. The way men are socially constructed allows them to disassociate their feelings from their decisions and this gives them an advantage in the political sphere, which is very competitive; this is very uncommon among women.

My being elected to Parliament is due to my political activism in university and in the union. The party that I belonged to greatly favoured workers. Being a union leader gave me important credibility that – when added to my university education – gave me comparative advantages to reach decision-making offices. Even my imprisonment turned out to be very valuable for the left-wing here in Uruguay.

Leadership is developed over long periods of time in the lives of all human beings, not just women. I believe that we women have trouble in this aspect; we have a very difficult time developing leadership and helping develop other women’s leadership.

iKNOW Politics: How much has women’s access to the public sphere changed in Uruguay? What has been the role of women and women’s organisations in this process?

Carmen Beramendi: At the beginning of President Tabaré Vásquez’s administration (March 1, 2005 to March 1, 2010), four out of thirteen of his ministers were women. This was unprecedented in the country, more so because he placed women ministers in positions that were usually not given to us, such as the Public Health or Development. He even appointed a woman Defence Minister, and later designated a woman as Home Secretary.

This had a double effect. First, we women had a much greater presence in the public sphere. Second, holding these kinds of offices largely helped prove that women can effectively hold these positions in society. However, this is not reflected in Parliament, where women only occupy just over 10 percent of the seats.

In order to revert this situation, we have promoted the so-called “empowerment triad.” This consists of uniting women in public bodies (in my case, the body that governs gender policies), women in political parties, and women in social movements. This trio – an initiative from civil society – held meetings such as the Uruguayan Women’s Meeting. In addition, the trio held several assemblies where women from different backgrounds met in order to reflect and commit to a common agenda, including the promotion of women’s participation in politics. In efforts to separate this initiative from political party logic, we have formed a network of women politicians in Uruguay and the feminine bicameral caucus with women members from all political parties.

From a democratic perspective, we have a significant deficit due to the scant political representation of women in our country, most of all in the “plain and simple” [puro y duro] level of politics: political parties. What we experienced with the debate on the quota law (2009) testifies to Uruguay’s backwardness in this area. This is contradictory, given that in Uruguay we have double the number of women university graduates in comparison to men, and we were one of the only countries that first had universal suffrage, a divorce law allowing for divorce based on a woman’s initiative, and a series of other issues regarding gender equality. However, we are completely behind in terms of political participation. There is no direct relationship between the advancement in women’s rights and political participation in our country. Today we have public policies that I consider to be quite important regarding gender equality, such as the law on equal opportunity and rights and a plan for equality that is in the making. The plan for equality includes a policy of mainstreaming equality in all government sectors – which is particularly emphasised in five bodies – and policies in public companies and advances in the national budget. However, equality is still very difficult in the political realm; there is no correspondence between the political advancements in equality of opportunity and rights and political representation.

iKNOW Politics: Why such a gap?

Carmen Beramendi: I believe that this is because the core of political parties is still the toughest established power in our country, and this power is profoundly patriarchal. This is demonstrated when electoral lists are made; these lists are created based on patriarchal criteria. Only during the last campaign did the issue of equal participation in lists surface. In the Broad Front’s internal elections, one of the candidates – the one I am with – suggested it. He even announced that, in the event he was elected, he would have an gender equal cabinet. This was the first time for this to occur, which I think is a result of the strong fight that women’s social and political movements have carried out over the years.

One curious thing is the quota law, makes quotas obligatory for internal elections – beginning with the next elections – but not for general elections. The arguments for this have been absurd, in particular the assertion that there are no qualified women, as if men were naturally qualified without having become so through practice. By exercising representation and power, one learns. On the other hand, it is evident that the most capable people are not currently in Parliament; there is a series of circumstances that allows these people to get to this sphere. This is an issue that we must forcefully address.

iKNOW Politics: How do you view the process of developing and creating new leaderships? What is the role of political parties in this process?

Carmen Beramendi: I don’t think there is a process of creating new leaderships, but what we do just barely have is the presence of some innovative candidacies. In Uruguay, we women who have set precedents are over 50 years old – the well-known leaders for the population are adult women. There are very few young women participating in political offices. A lot is said about creating new leadership because it sits well and is politically correct, but when it comes time to look at which candidates could actually be president, the average age is between 60 and 70 years. And I think that parties have even blocked the possibility for new leaderships to appear.

iKNOW Politics: As director of the institute that governs the country’s gender policies, what strategies are being employed in order to promote equal access to political representation for women? What goals do you expect to achieve?

Carmen Beramendi: Our Plan for Equal Opportunities and Rights clearly aims for equality. We have promoted some meetings, areas for reflection and discussion seminars on this topic. Additionally, we have supported initiatives from civil society that have similar aims. When the debate on political parties law took place, we asked parties to give their opinions on this law, but saw little success. The institute is recognised when it comes to policies implemented from the executive branch, but there is little receptiveness when it comes from other government powers. For this reason, in 2008, we advocated regional assemblies of women that ended up drawing over 4,000 women in order for them to adopt the plan. We made the 2009 electoral year an issue in the assemblies, encouraging women to closely follow the process of creating lists and to get involved. We sought to motivate women to not only vote for more women, but to vote for women who are committed to women’s rights.

iKNOW Politics: You have been the Uruguayan representative in the Specialised Meeting on Women (REM). Could you explain to us what REM is and what its impact has been in the region?

Carmen Beramendi: REM is a specialised area for women within the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) whose objective is to influence policy within the institution. For instance, at the time of instating a MERCOSUR parliament, we made a recommendation calling for an equal number of men and women in future parliaments. Additionally, at the presidential summit we presented a resolution from all women ministers in the region, which was then adopted in Chile during President Michelle Bachelet’s administration. Perhaps the most important achievement has been the resolution of the Tenth Conference of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the “Quito Consensus” (2007) which was the first instrument to propose equality of men and women in decision-making areas, the redistribution of assignments within the division of labour, and the recognition of women’s unpaid work. It was a great achievement that linked two agendas: that of unpaid work or the sexual division of domestic work, and that of access to participating in power structures. Both agendas are associated with the distribution of power in the public and private sphere. It was a wise move by ECLAC’s Gender Affairs department to join these two issues. In MERCOSUR, we have worked toward spreading this approach and we now have a regional project for this. We will be able to work more as a region, joining different movements to promote women’s participation in politics.

iKNOW Politics: Certainly the change in regulations is only one part of what is needed to achieve equality. What structural changes would you propose to narrow the gap in inequality?

Carmen Beramendi: I think that Uruguay will have to have a much more intense constitutional debate and carry out an in-depth constitutional reform. This is the only way that women’s political rights will be truly recognised and in force.

The lack of political participation by women marks an important democratic deficit. All structures that make democracy more effective are also structures that can contribute to increasing women’s participation, though this is not automatic. At least this is a lesson from my own personal experience: the more democratic the structure, the more women that are elected. There are people who will tell you that the current system allows for women to be candidates, but this is not true, because candidacies are indubitably “cooked up” among a reduced group of people – mostly men. Adding to this, there are economic requirements key to maintaining a candidacy, and if the resources are controlled by the party’s leaders, these leaders will be the ones to decide who will be candidate. Thus it seems to me that political party reform is important and should include methods to ensure gender parity. The law should require equal participation among men and women.

I believe that we were shy in Uruguay. I am very critical of the quota law, however today I defend it because they want to shelve it, but in reality I think that full equality should be insisted upon.

iKNOW Politics: Referring back to what you mentioned on alliances and networks, what has been their role in your own political career?

Carmen Beramendi: I think they have been key. Men hold the power because they know how to create bridges and alliances despite their many differences. A good part of the things that we’ve been talking about in this interview will depend on whether we create strategies for alliance among women. Marcela Lagarde has greatly developed this through the concept of sorority among women. We have a lot to learn in this area. When a woman’s name surfaces, men as well as women instantly work to belittle that name. However, the names of twenty men surface and you don’t see anyone discredit them so easily. It seems to me that we women have a lot to learn in this respect.

When I was in the union, I started out as the only woman out of twenty leaders. Eight years later, there were ten women and ten men. There was a concrete policy that I promoted. I was the union president and there was a gender commission that I pushed through. However, three of four years after I left, women’s representation went back to being minimal. I ended up directing the National Women’s Institute (INMUJERES) not only due to the president’s decision, but also based on the unanimous opinion of women from all parties in the Broad Front coalition. My administration began with a very important presence and support from women of all Broad Front parties, which provided me with a lot of force to act.

I think that we women have great difficult in clearly stating conflicts. Sometimes I don’t do very well because of this, because I am very head-on when I state differences. In the long run, this creates greater legitimacy and I also feel that it gives me inner peace. I am convinced that there are many women in Uruguay who should be occupying the first places in lists. However, when this issue is proposed, we often fail to establish solidarity, leading many to withdraw. If a man lacks solidarity and seeks to fight for the spot, he doesn’t care if someone else thinks this is wrong. We women have been socially constructed to depend on the opinion they have of us – it is very important to us. And in politics this works against us. I don’t feel this anymore, perhaps since I am more of a veteran. When I was a deputy, I had a child under two years old, and it was a big deal to have been a deputy with a small child. For those of us women who enter politics, the cost is very high. Very few men take on equal roles in daily life and living with women who have high aspirations is difficult for them.

iKNOW Politics: To finish up, what suggestions would you give women, not only in Uruguay but in the entire region, who want to participate in politics but encounter enormous difficult in doing so?

Carmen Beramendi: We have to make a firm decision to strengthen ourselves as a group. I think that it is key for us to have networks if we really want to advance in decision-making areas and to build alliances among us. In this way, when we hear women arguing in public office, we will be able to support and encourage them. It’s about changing the way politics is exercised. I don’t like the idea of getting ourselves into politics only for it to continue to be extremely vertical, authoritarian and patriarchal. The challenge is to transform politics and humanise it more.