Abel Ndooka
JUNE 29 1980 will forever remain etched in the minds of many gender equality activists and like-minded individuals when Vigdis Finnbogadottir won the Iceland presidency.
She emerged the winner ahead of four candidates, becoming Iceland’s fourth president, and the first woman to be democratically elected as a head of state in any country with a comfortable 33,6 percent of the vote.
Although women had previously headed nations in monarchical leaderships, constitutional successions and taking over following the death of their husbands, in the case of Sri Lanka’s Sirima Bandaranaike- Vigdis’s presidency was celebrated globally.
It was a mark of true democracy and an affirmation of women’s capabilities to lead if given an opportunity.
It therefore came as no surprise when Finnbogadottir remained in office for 16 years, making her the longest-serving non-hereditary female head of state in history.
Outside her capabilities, many felt Finnbogadottir lengthy stay in the office was a signal from the gods that female leadership was heavenly-ordained and could stand the test of time.
What followed after Finnbogadottir’s leadership were other pockets of happiness as more women were democratically elected. Africa also had share of happiness when Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became first elected female president in Africa in 2006.
In 2012, Joyce Banda became Southern Africa’s first and the continent’s second female president following the death of Bingu wa Mutharika on April 5, 2012 in Malawi.
She was later joined by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who was until now Africa’s only female president.
On Wednesday, Netumbo Nandi- Ndaitwah from the governing Swapo joined this exclusive league after she was voted as Namibia’s first female president and the third woman to become a president in the 16 -member SADC bloc.
A party stalwart, the 72 year-old Nandi-Ndaitwah who is currently the vice -president, and a trusted leader, having served in high government office for a quarter of a century romped to victory with a comfortable 57 percent of the votes cast.
Her victory has been met with huge celebrations across the region that had been waiting for such a historic moment.
Nandi-Ndaitwah’s rise to the highest office is expected to contribute to a change in political culture not only in Namibia, but also in the region where men continue to dominate politics.
Namibia’s feat is a progressive one that other political parties in the region can use to gauge how competitive a female president would be and how they will fare against a traditionally male holder of the same office.
Reminiscent of the 2006, when Sirleaf got into power, the election of Nandi-Ndaitwah is being hugely celebrated across, with congratulatory messages coming from all angles.
Apart from individual and regional congratulatory messages, stories of President-elect Nandi-Ndaitwah are also breaking the internet.
“She has bucked the trend” screamed a headline from the New York Times, in one of the stories that narrates how Swapo chose to defy the odds and field a female presidential candidate.
Although SADC has been experiencing increased women’s political representation over time, shifting from a regional average of 18 to 28 percent, there has been a growing concern that the positive shift is only confined to parliamentary and other governance structures, with little or no movement being witnessed in the presidium.
The closest SADC got to top female leadership was when Joyce Hilda Banda became the president of Malawi in 2012. Unfortunately, her attempt to seek-election in 2014 fell flat-footed when she lost the election, with many attributing her defeat to what is known as “social-desirability bias”.
So, the election of Nandi-Ndaitwah is a refreshing development that reinvigorates the gender equality discourse and the role women have in shaping governance issues in the 21st century.
Her election further reinforces the narrative that women are now in much in better spaces than before, where they can push and agitate for more women to be considered for powerful political offices.
Women’s aspirations to political office are now being ably supported by a litany of legislations, a growing movement that supports female political ascendancy, high level of awareness and political will from leadership.
Mentorship by seasoned female politicians eager to pass on the baton stick is slowly becoming a trump card in agitating and pushing for more women in political office.
In some instances, political parties also have a role to play by putting up strong female candidates for elections, and supporting that decision against all odds.
It is against this background that Nandi-Ndaitwah’s election is a unique, yet fragile opportunity which needs to be guarded at all costs to ensure women continue to get more opportunities.
Be it as it may, the success that Namibia has achieved is not on a smooth terrain, but needs to be sustained with the right attitudes, political will and levelling the playground through supporting the choices they made.
Namibia will need to support Nandi-Ndaitwah for her to navigate the leadership terrain.
She is not be a political novice, having joined SWAPO when she was only 14 and rising through the ranks for close to six decades, but the office she has been voted into is not any easy one, more so for a woman.
Having made history as the first female president for Namibia and the region, such a feat should surely be sustained.
This will be possible with adequate resourcing for aspiring candidates and opening up more spaces in political parties for women to thrive, so that Nandi-Ndaitwah’s occupation of the highest office won’t be a one-off occasion.
There is room to replicate the feat in other countries in the region that have shown willingness to give women a chance.
While Namibia celebrates with a sister who has broken the glass ceiling, her journey, perseverance and determination should inspire political parties to do more for the female populace within their structures.
Feedback: chinhemaruva@gmail.com
daniel chigunwe
