By Petronella Sibeene
WINDHOEK
Historically, women and power were mutually exclusive terms. Traditionally women only held and experienced power through their men – fathers, husbands or sons.
But with time, this changed to at least consider women in politics and allow them to participate in decision-making on matters of national interest.
While emphasis has been placed on the novelty of having women in power, it emerges that women who want to lead are let down at the ballot box, not by socialists or other political blocs but by one sector of the electorate – fellow women.
Many have wondered what happened to sisterly solidarity and analysts have come up with different explanations as to why women are their own enemies or how catalytic women are towards blocking the equal balancing between them and their male counterparts.
Analyst and researcher, Merab Kiremire, says women’s behaviour towards fellow women can never be an easy issue to understand.
She says the tragedy is there could be something in women’s minds that makes them perceive fellow women as a threat.
“If women could understand their power and means, the world would be different but sadly, we concentrate so much on bringing others
down while the neutral person (man) takes over. If only we could vote for our own kind, we would reach the targeted mark (gender equality in politics),” says Kiremire.
During the fourth congress of the Swapo Party, Founding Father, Dr Sam Nujoma, reiterated his appeal for more women in positions of power, evoking memories of Olympe de Gouges, author of the Declaration of the Rights of Women, who was sent to the guillotine in 1793.
The appeal has been to include women in economic activities as their participation in the socio-economic development of Namibia is important to achieve sustainable development.
Despite the call, it is unfortunate that women are naǟ