I will not cry gender if capable women would fill up all CEO positions in all parastals — Charles Simango

By Duncan Mlanjira

Revered seasoned journalist and social media commentator, Charles Simango, in his views on women rights advocates’ demonstrations against the under-representation of women in boards of directors of parastatals, believes in the representation by the best of the best based on their track record — and not on gender.

“Yes, we can protest and do all we can to bring attention to the under-representation of women or any group of people in Malawi but that would be barking up the wrong tree.

“Instead, we should be protesting and fighting for a system that ensures that Evelyn Mwapasa and the likes of her do not get excluded from critical public appointments befitting their type.

“Specifically, we should be fighting for a system that ensures that she and those like her are up there with the best of the best not because she is a woman but because she is a gem,” Simango said, quoting another seasoned journalist, late Jika Nkolokosa.

He continues to say such individuals — whether male or female — should be of rare character that has been tested and found wanted for the tasks that lie ahead.

“Should there be enough Mwapasas out there to fill all the CEO positions in our parastatals, I will expect nothing but to see those posts filled by her likes — and I will not cry gender.”

Last Friday, Women’s Manifesto Movement — a consortium of gender equality organizations — organised demostrations in major cities accross the country to show their discontent with the recent appointments both in cabinet and government parastatals.

Addressing the media after the demostrations, one of the organizers Maggie Kathewera Banda observed that out of 67 parastatal boards appointments, 80% have less than 40% of women representatives.

She said up to 10 of the boards do not have any female at all and only 7 of the 67 boards have female chairpersons.

Kathewera Banda further called upon the Tonse government to respect the rule of law by ensuring that Gender Equality Act, section 11 in  particular is being implemented and upheld. 

Before the fresh presidential elections in June, Kathewere Banda — who is Executive Director of Women Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC) — had demanded that the next Head of State that would be voted in should implement to the book that there is equal representation of women in the cabinet as well as other national positions of influence.

Kathewera Banda had stressed that this was not a request but a demand as this is contained in the Gender Equality Act.

The Gender Equality Act says that in appointing all positions of influence, there must be not less than 40 percent and not more that 60 percent of either sex.

She had said: “We have very capable women out there who can lead this country better than some of the men that are appointed in the positions of influence.

“We have beautiful laws in Malawi but unfortunately our leaders choose to ignore them and we are demanding that the next president to be elected should make sure that our laws are put into practice without any prejudice.”

Simango said having lived on this world for 52 years, he has interacted with all sorts of Malawians — of Indian origin (calling it “whatever that means”); Chewas and Lomwes and the rest of his tribe; Christians and Moslems — “all measure of classification of people, so to speak”.

He said from the vantage point of being 52, one gets to see that the people who meant anything in their journey, thus far, all did it in spite of their being dissimilar to oneself. 

“The teachers who made a difference in your education, the people who gave you the opportunity to progress in your career, those who sheltered you during those difficult times, the true friends in your life — they were all of different sex, tribes, religion.

“The strand that linked them together was just one — character. That has nothing to do with gender equality.

“If anything, I must emphasise that I am not for equal, or less or more representation of women — I am for representation by the best of the best based on their track record.

“An all-woman Cabinet, Parliament, public board membership will not irk me a single bit as long as they get there because of character and nothing else. What equally pisses me off is when mediocre men get appointed to positions just because they are men — at the expense of clearly CAPABLE people, both men or women.

“So, (and here comes trouble), do we need equal women representation in public positions? Nope. Does the unequal representation on the current boards mean that women are less capable? No, it does not. Just as it is equally untrue that the newly appointed boards consist only of capable people.

“We can assume that some are capable but others are obviously ‘madeya’ — men and women, both. What I do know for a fact, though, is that a lot of capable people did not make it into these boards and that includes lots of women. 

“But stuffing boards with women on the second selection or flooding public CEO positions with women just to balance the numbers is not the solution and is cosmetic, at best.

“If anything, it actually takes away the very thing that we are fighting against, namely, that womanhood is not inability (kukhala mzimayi si chifukwa). All that this will do is institutionalise gender as merit by turning womanhood from a perceived inability to a necessary and even sufficient qualification. 

“From what I know, to be known as the one who got appointed because one is a woman or black is both disempowering and discriminatory in itself.

“Simply put, affirmative action has underlying discriminatory effects on the beneficiaries. (and there is a free thesis title for you pursuing gender studies — ‘The Discriminatory Effects of Affirmative Action in Malawi’.

“If you are not confused by now you must be over 50, calm, collected, full of experience and wisdom in the school of life.

But for the rest of you let me clarify. Like all affirmative drives, there is a time and place for gender equality. There was a time, for instance, when white people in new Malawi were passed over for jobs and promotions that were given to less qualified black Malawians.

“Still happens in South Africa, today. In more recent times, I know of men including one very close friend, who scored highly in their job interviews but were all passed over in favour of a woman who placed 5th or worse. There was a time for that but those days are gone, for Malawi. Today, the first 4 would easily be women. 

“My argument or the thesis of my thesis, (Chikosa, 2019), is that instead of advocating for equal women representation, we should move towards fostering representation by the best of the best by ensuring that no one has an unfair advantage over others.”

He further explained that gender equality assumes that one gender’s access is being impeded by obstacles while the other gender (men, in the case of Malawi) has an advantage that allows it to overcome those obstacles.

“Equity, on the other hand, advocates for leveling of the field by propping up the disadvantaged (women) so they are at the same level with men. Good as that may sound, it does not get rid of the obstacle. But liberation does. 

“Liberation clears the obstacle so everyone can have access on their own terms. Now, if you think this will further skew the landscape against women, then you do not know the women I know — they have brains and character. These are just the ones I know. Kuli mitu ya azimayi kunja kuno, guys.

“The truth is that we now have as many educated and qualified women as men if you consider the small number of public positions we have in our country.  And trust me, these women do not need affirmative prequalification. Just a cleared, leveled, playing field.

“Equal opportunity institutions normally include a special line at the bottom of their job postings saying that ‘women are encouraged to apply’. That term does not mean that they will hire a woman neither does it mean that should they end up hiring one woman it will be on the basis of her gender.

“The statement only serves to assure women that they will not be discriminated against on the basis of their gender. That is where we need to be as a country — removing obstacles so that our sisters, mothers, nieces, and daughters can always feel confident that gender will not be a factor when it comes to accessing opportunities anywhere in Malawi.

“Not that they will, now, be having more chances because they are women. That will be reverse discrimination, pure and simple.

“All because — my friends — character, brains, and godly gifts know no sex, tribe nor yet religion. We need to get to a place where we need to start thinking of women as people, first. Until that day, victory will forever be eluding us.

“Now you can start stoning me ndi mapotowo – or taking screenshots to send wherever you send them, mumvekere, ‘you see, Sir, siwathu’. Which is correct, by the way. I do not know about you, koma ine si wa munthu. If anything, aliyense ndi wa amayi ake (SKC 2018). Just make sure potumizapo you should not crop out this very paragraph,” he went well out.