Between Man and Women
Equal
opportunity is a stipulation that all people should be treated similarly,
unhampered by artificial barriers or prejudices or preferences, except when
particular “distinctions can be explicitly justified.” The aim according to this often "complex
and contested concept" is that important
jobs should go to those “most qualified” – persons most likely to perform ably
in a given task – and not go to persons for arbitrary or irrelevant reasons,
such as circumstances of birth, upbringing, friendship ties to whoever is in
power, religion, sex, ethnicity, race, caste, or “involuntary personal
attributes” such as disability, age, or sexual orientation. Chances for advancement should be open to
everybody interested such that they have
“an equal chance to compete within the framework of goals and the structure of
rules established.”
In
order to build a great democratic, just, fair and humane society, it is of
utmost importance to arouse the broad masses of our people to join the struggle
that will ensure "equal rights, equal opportunities and progress for
all". Genuine equality between women and men, girls and boys can only be
realised in the process of a just, fair and humane transformation of our
society as a whole. There's need for us to unite and enable women to take their
rightful place in production and political activity to improve their economic
and political status. There is need to educate ourselves and others to take a
more correct view of women and to actively redress the injustices done to women
in all our institutions - the Church, state and family. Women must not be
treated as mere passive participants in national development. But they must
enjoy fundamental rights and freedoms befitting all human beings, both in
domestic and public life. Women need to be treated justly in families, workplaces,
public life and the Church. Women are a backbone of our families and play major
roles in our economy, especially in rural areas. The life and health of women
are of central importance to the future development of our nation. This being
the case, the calls for the true empowering of women to enable them to
participate in decision making in our society need to be heeded. Women bring
special gifts to the progress of our country. If they are not listened to and
are discriminated against, then we simply will not have sustainable and
equitable progress. And men should be more involved in promoting women's
rights. Advancement will not go very far unless women and girls are enabled to
enjoy the same rights and opportunities as men and boys. Women must be
represented at decision-making levels in both economics and politics, to sustainably
achieve development goals. True empowering of women enables them to participate
in decision-making processes in society. One effective strategy towards
empowering women is to promote equal opportunity for women's representation in
decision-making positions. Women also have the right and duty to take part in
the political and administrative work of our nation. Women possess full
equality and dignity and have a significant role to play in the affairs of our
country. This discrimination and marginalisation of women doesn't make sense
even biblically because we are told: "There is not male and female; for
you are all one in Jesus Christ" (Gal 3:28). Politically, women have
contributed a lot in all our struggles. Women have thrown their lot, alongside
men, with our struggle for independence and democracy. And women, alongside
men, have fallen in that struggle. Here is the most profound equality of all:
equality in suffering and in hope. Clearly, woman is the protector of
humankind. But she is the creator of humanity - of humanness and humaneness -
as well, in a specific manner all her own: in the delicacy of her service, her
limitless self-donation, her affective and effective contact with the people,
and that compassion of hers that simply will not rationalise the suffering of
the poor. Woman is the creator of a courage that will never abandon the
suffering. Woman is more defenceless physically. This fact points out the
singular barbarity of their being subjected to domestic violence and to the criminal
activities of rapists. It shows that barbarity for what it is. We come back
again to the theme of this year's International Women's Day - "Equal
Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress For All" - and analyse what's
happening. Not enough work has been done; more work still needs to be done to
ensure equal rights, equal opportunities and progress for all. The question
that arises is why after so many years of struggle, so many years of
commemorations, the women's situation still remains what it is? Some people are
even today asking if women can be equal partners with men in development. A
brilliant response to this question has been given by Macleod Nyirongo, the UN
Resident/Humantarian Coordinator in Zambia, when he says: "This is a
question that is still under debate, not surprisingly, protracted by men! In
answering this question on my part, I am seizing the momentous occasion of the
commemoration of International Women's Day, to discuss gender, an issue much
talked about but less understood, and also deliberately distorted by,
particularly my fellow men! Gender refers to the socially constructed differences
and relations between males and females. These vary widely among societies and
cultures and change over time. Gender characterises the differing roles,
responsibilities, constraints, opportunities and needs of females and males in
all areas and in any given social context. Hence, one can safely say that
gender roles are learned behaviours in a given society, community or other
social groups. These roles condition which activities, tasks and
responsibilities are perceived as appropriate for males and females
respectively. This perception of roles and responsibilities has serious
implications on power relations between females and males of all ages which in
turn determine who has access to and control over tangible and intangible
resources. Arguments of why it is perceived that women cannot have equal
opportunities as men abound. Again these are purported by men and,
unfortunately at times supported by women who are themselves victims of the
"African tradition argument". These include arguments that women are
weaker than men; women are not good decision makers and hence cannot be in
position of high authority and also that the whole discussion of gender
equality is foreign and goes against the African tradition. None of these are
true! These perceptions have also resulted in some men insisting that women
must remain subordinate and have sometimes treated them with ridicule and as
sex objects. I do not think you will be surprised that my response to the
question, "can we be equal partners in development?" is a resounding
yes: women can be equal partners in development. I am supported by this,
firstly by history. In many countries of this sub-region, including Zambia and
my own country Malawi, women have held positions of power and decision making
in the traditional governance structures, some of the very strong chiefdoms in
Zambia today are headed by women. In recent times, there have been a number of
breakthroughs of women holding high offices in government, one example is Mrs
Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, who is the first African female president; she was
elected into office when Liberia was in ruins due to a war for power amongst
men! Today, Liberia is a country on the mend with a government administration
that is mostly led by women. In Zambia, a number of women in decision making,
including some in the private sector, are among the best performers if not the
best. Furthermore, the argument about women being weaker than or not as strong
as men is negated by the numbers of women who fought alongside their fellow men
in the liberation struggles of most African countries. We must therefore move
from the delay and sterile tactics of always questioning the ability of women,
by embracing the realisation that we are equal partners in the development
processes of our nations. Fellow men, I understand that we have held positions
of power for a long time now, and it may be uncomfortable to share this power
with our countrywomen. We must realise that women as citizens have just the
same rights that we do in holding positions of power, participating in their
national development process and most of all, to be treated with dignity and respect
just as we expect to be. My final message to all men and women: the key factor
in social transformation is education. So get all those girls to school. Do not
marry them off early, for this is where they lose out against boys. It is the
RIGHT thing to do!" Today, as yesterday, there is no other formula for
building our country into a prosperous, just, fair and humane nation: we must
emerge from ourselves, we must devote ourselves to the cause of women - to the
discriminated, very marginalised and poorest. And perhaps this is the moment to
take seriously something that theology has been telling us in its too
spiritualistic and too academic way: salvation comes by way of a woman - Mary,
the virgin of the cross and of the Magnificat. Salvation comes to us through
all women who love truth more than lies, who are more eager to give than to
receive, and whose love is that supreme love that gives life rather than
keeping it for oneself. Clearly, there is need for us to broaden our
understanding of women's situation in our socio-economic, political and
religio-cultural realities and articulate faith reflections on women's
realities and struggles. And in this way deepen our commitment and solidarity
work towards full humanity for all. The discrimination and marginalisation of
women is affirmed as a hard and abiding reality of life. Women have an
irreplaceable role in society, yet their contribution is not acknowledged, nor
are they accorded equal rights and opportunities with their male counterparts. This
oppression is felt in all sectors of life: economic, social, political,
cultural, sexual, religious and even within the family itself. Having become
conscious of their human rights and of the injustices perpetrated against them
in all these sectors, there is need to team up with them and help them. We
should be aware that the liberation of women from these injustices is part and
parcel of the liberation of all the poor and oppressed.This realisation demands
a total rupture with the prevailing patriarchal system in order to build an
egalitarian society. The women's struggle is deeply connected with efforts of
all the poor who are struggling for their upliftment in all aspects of life.
Discrimination is over right now and what men can do can be
done by women and what women can do can be done by men. Rich and poor are
treated to be equal and power is not a problem to discriminate. All for one and
one for all. Our world is made up to be united.
