** Visit AAM's new website! http://www.africanassociation.org **

Friends, on the other hand, why not?  Lots of logic
and critical reasoning to make this world a peaceful
and better place to live.  This is how I see it.

Cheers!

Richard
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If women ruled the world

BBC World Service's Africa Live! programme is examining the issue
of women in power on the subcontinent. Here, Nana Oye Lithur of
the International Federation of Women Lawyers in Ghana gives her
view.  Yes, the world would definitely be a better place if women
ruled it.

Nowhere in the world, is women's involvement in the political
process proportionate to the 50% of the population they
approximately represent

Yaa Asantewaa of the Asante Kingdom of Ghana is a classic
historical example of a female leader who reaffirmed loyalty to
the Golden Stool, the symbol of the Asante nationhood.

In the face of despair, when all the male leaders had given up,
she restored hope, and marshalled the Asantes to fight the British
to preserve the Golden Stool, the sovereignty of the Asantes.

Her leadership was critical, she restored and rekindled their
determination to assert and fight for their independence against
all odds. There would be fewer conflicts if women ruled the world.

Political life is organized according to male norms and values
that promote confrontation, competitiveness, and is adversarial.

These masculine norms facilitate conflict.

In their dealings, women adopt mechanisms that facilitate peace;
these are mediation, conciliation, collaboration and consensus
building.

Governance by women according to a feminist model of politics that
applies mediation, conciliation, collaboration and consensus
building mechanisms in governance would foster peace.

Social issues

Women leaders would address the issue of patriarchy, cultural and
traditional values and broaden the scope of politics to include
issues like land ownership, inheritance rights, reproductive
rights, and social services.

Women would ensure that these issues become political issues
instead of social issues. They would ensure equitable
representation.


Most Africans believe that a woman's role on earth is to assist a
man and not to lead

Chris Ajoku, Nigerian in USA

Can women solve Africa's problems?
Particularly in Africa, women leaders would ensure that socio-
economic rights, including the right to health, education, social
security, and a safe environment, are justifiable and guaranteed
in national constitutions - instead of being hidden in the
directive principles of state policy chapter of national
constitutions, a practice that has been adopted by some African
countries.

As directive principles of state policies they act as guides for
states, and are not legally enforceable.

With women leaders, there would be an emergence of what I would
term "humane governance".

Democratic governance with a human face that would address more
positively, critical concerns of the governed:

Provision of social services;
Safe drinking water;
Employment;
Food;
Healthcare;
Childcare
Land
The most critical issue is that women would not be better leaders
if they have to apply the prevailing patriarchal, male political
structures to govern.

The application of these structures in governing has ensured that,
though women have been guaranteed political rights in over 95% of
all countries in the world, nowhere in the world, is women's
involvement in the political process proportionate to the 50% of
the population they approximately represent.

As far as I am concerned, democracy that is gender blind and
lopsided is no democracy.

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