Former Minister of Ethics and Integrity Miria Rukoza Koburunga Matembe is extremely disappointed by how women in politics have let Ugandans down.
Speaking during the Interparty Organization For Dialogue (IPOD) Women Leaders Conference on Tuesday in Kampala, the women’s rights activist said many women politicians have accepted to be compromised and are busy dancing to the tunes of their masters who are not providing them with enough political space.
“Many times I keep wondering as to why I should continue to clamour for women participation in politics and governance as a mechanism for bringing influence on the political scene. Some women in politics have let us down,” said Ms Matembe.
“I came here to address you ladies to look at the ways we can use to intensify our struggle to building transformative leaders of integrity in this country.”
Ms Matembe also tipped women on how to be successful leaders.
She said that a leader is expected to serve the people she leads but not boss over them.
“When you’re in a leadership position, you should know that your there for the sake of the people that you lead. A leader is expected to serve the people but not boss over them. In leadership, there should be no ego or self interest,” Ms Matembe noted.
“This business of my country, my gold is nonsense. When I speak like this to Ugandans, I imagine that you get what I’m saying I don’t have to go in details.”
She further said that in Uganda, politicians including women no longer have sense of shame and they always take decisions basing on their personal ambitions rather than public interest.
“In this country whoever does evil is praised as the best yet in leadership we should be able to have a sense of shame to serve the people well.”
The conference that brought together women leaders in all the five political parties under IPOD aimed at enhancing effective participation of Ugandan women in political leadership and decision making.
At the same event, Martha Karua, the former Kenyan Presidential contestant advised women politicians to first unlearn all the societal settings that have always kept then under the shadow of men.
“Most of us were brought to believe that men must be privileged and some women go on to bring up their sons to be self entitle and this brings about lack of confidence among women,” said Ms Karua.
She also pointed out that women should work as a whole to create the political space they deserve since some men may want to confine them to what they want them to be.
“A vocal woman is always described as loud and bad. If advocating for our rights means to be bad, then I want to be terrible.”
Lydia Wanyoto, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Women League chairperson said as the ruling party they are working around the clock to ensure that women are involved in leadership at all levels in the country.
“Some women are not confident to take part in politics because most of them are so humble and peacemakers. What we are trying to preach is that you can be a good leader without first being rowdy,” said Ms Wanyoto.
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