ENCOURAGING WOMEN


H.E. Paul Biya, and the First Lady of Cameroon, Chantal Biya, arriving for the start of the Summit of Heads of State and Government on Maritime Safety and Security in the Gulf of Guinea, that took place in Yaoundé in 2013


we compete against are wealthy. The challenge can however be overcome if you earn the trust of your constituency by simplicity, honesty and respect of the commitments made.


The lessons leant from these


challenges are however many and diverse and I have learnt a few. I have learnt that in life, nothing is


too difficult. What is indeed difficult is starting anything and when it is good, others are inspired by it. For example, the pioneer women MPs of the 1960s and 1970s by their mere presence in Parliament have empowered aspiring women into believing that representative leadership is not a male dominated field.


This partially explains the


increase in the number of female Parliamentarians conveyed in the table.


I have learnt to endure and be


persistent in the face of adversity. It is only by persevering and knowing how to handle obstacles that arise, that you can access and smell the fragrance of the rose (political success). I have come to learn how useful it is to be calm and remain focused in stressful and difficult situations. Indeed these are virtues that weaken your adversaries. Lastly, I have come to understand


that moderates – and not radicals – make good leaders and moderates rule today’s world. This is because moderates


know and appreciate the value of compromise in leadership especially as to quote former US President Bill Clinton, “the world is awash with the skulls of dead people because we are yet to appreciate that value of compromise”. From my case therefore:


• Participating in politics is a good thing for humankind and we are wrong as women to feel inferior when it comes to playing this leader- ship role; • Women need to be more selfless. If women could come together and decide that they should contest elections and be a leader, many more could do the same; • Women should never close a door when we talk through it, irre- spective of how difficult or how long it took for us to open the door. It is only when it is left wide open that we can easily encourage other women to walk through and contribute in development for our good, that of our children and our country. Should we do this, we shall in future not be talking of 30 per cent female representation but 50 per cent or more at decision-making levels in our respective countries.


• We do not need to love or even like each other to work together. The accomplishment of our dreams and the achievement of the goals we set for ourselves require that we put aside our differences, join hands, unite and work together.


I therefore urge women to join


the train of unity and prosperity because time and history have proven that with unity, everything is possible. Let us therefore not relent and


walk behind the men, because they might not lead us to our desired destination; Let us not walk in front of men, because as women, we are meant to play a complimentary role; Let us walk beside our men, because our people will judge us not by what our divide destroys, but by what we create together for our country and for ourselves.


The Parliamentarian | 2014: Issue Three - Cameroon | 7


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