“Until EVERY young girl can see themselves represented in government, the work is not done.” EMILY's List.
By ANN ZULU and BESA MULAYE
In Zambia, like many African countries, it is believed that men are connected with ‘hard’ politics and women with ‘soft’ politics at home. This invariably leaves women out when it comes to making important decisions about how the country should be run, but also at a more personal level on issues that affect women such as reproductive health.
Think about it, do you really want a group of men deciding on your reproductive and sexual health? This toxic mentality that women only have a say at home has led to the continued under-representation of women in decision making positions over the years. Even decisions that directly affect women.
Currently, there are only 28 women out of 165 Members of Parliament (MP) in Zambia, yet women make up 51 percent of the Zambian population. The fact that decisions are made for women and that they are actively or passively left out is unacceptable.
Why is it a radical idea to have all female MPs in the Zambian parliament? It is after all normal to have an all-male parliament. Why is it a radical idea to have 50% female representation in parliament? Are we truly a democracy when, to borrow from author Agnes Ngoma Leslie, ‘public participation in the political and democratic process’ is only reserved for some?
Annette Hamiatu Tembo, is an aspiring Zambian female politician. She has guts and intends to change this political narrative. She is ready to take on her male counterparts come the 2021 General Elections. Inspired by South African anti-apartheid activist and politician Winnie Mandela, Annette began her political career in 2017. She wants to be a Member of Parliament (MP) and will work with people at a grassroots level to improve their lives.
Annette Tembo
“I grew up in the ghetto, Lusaka´s Chibolya Compound, so seeing the high rate of poverty that I was surrounded with, how alcohol and drugs were being abused by women and youth, and also the high levels of Gender Based Violence, has given me a push to want to serve my community,” says Annette. She adds that her Muslim religion has also contributed to her desire to serve people, as she has been serving in the mosque since her childhood.
Asked how her family has taken her political ventures especially considering that her family has observed a traditional interpretation of Islamic law that places serious restrictions on women, Annette said it was a challenge at first because of the hostility that comes with politics. But finally, they accepted it as her passion and started to support her.
“My family understands my desire to bring positive change in people’s lives. Although my mom sometimes gets scared and I understand it is normal. Being Islam as a woman does not stop me from aspiring for political office,” she said.
Annette feels that the challenges that women and girls continue to face, such as the unfair distribution of resources and discriminatory laws among others, can only be addressed if women have equal representation in decision making positions. Annette urges women to stop shunning politics for fear of being harassed, but rather stand up for their rights and demand positive change.
Are we not after all full citizens who should equally be involved in the development of our country?
“Yes, the political situation in Zambia can be violent and there are so many discriminatory remarks against women. We have heard discriminatory remarks against female politicians such as Dorah Siliya, Nkandu Luo, Mumbi Phiri and Edith Nawakwi, but for how long are we going to live in fear? Enough is enough, it is time we stood up and made a change,” implored Annette.
In this writer's opinion: our personal feelings about specific female politicians aside, can we all agree that they do not get criticised as their male counterparts do? Do male politicians typically get critiqued for how they dress? Do sexist judgments such as ‘she should be at home taking care of her family’ ever get thrown at male politicians? What would Zambia look like, if the brave women who venture into politics were engaged and criticised on the substance of their politics, the proposals and the positions they support, rather than what they wear, or the threadbare 'she should be home, taking care of her family'. Male politicians are not criticised in this way! Let us commit to engage our female politicians on matters of substance, as we do for our male politicians. Take a moment and imagine what Zambia would be like if parliament had 165 female MPs.
Leslie’s research asserts that Female MPs face challenges on many levels including financial (fundraising and campaigning), social, and cultural. That means even after they do beat the odds and actually get elected, they still face challenges. Leslie reminds us that Hon. Professor Nkandu Luo was once asked to leave parliament because of the way she was dressed. In fact, Leslie reports, Hon. Professor Nkandu Luo has shared that her high level of education often works against her.
The list of reasons why we should all consider running for public office is probably endless. For example, you probably do not want an all-male panel deciding on issues related to your care if you are ever pregnant. To this end Annette has a challenge for us all:
“I am challenging my fellow young women to start participating in politics, we need to fight for ourselves and for our children. If we don’t, then who will fight for us? For how long have these male counterparts been MPs and has anything changed? Have our rights improved? The answer is no, we need to get up and fight."
Special credit to TZTF
