I sat down in 1989 and I made up my mind at that point that I was going to spend the rest of my life assisting women and youth to gain social and political empowerment through business and education. I convinced myself economic empowerment of women was going to be key, especially in a country like this where most women didn't go to school.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of empowering women and youth through education and economic opportunities.
Joyce Banda's quote highlights her commitment to improving the lives of women and youth in her country by focusing on education and business as means for social and political empowerment. She believes that economic independence is crucial, particularly in regions where women face barriers to education, and she recognizes the transformative power this can have on communities.
In practice
In a speech to students about the importance of education in achieving social change.
When I gave birth to my fourth child, I suffered from post partum hemorrhaging. I almost lost my life. I was lucky to be under the care of trained health care personnel. I started wondering then what was happening to women in rural villages.
You ask how I feel to be the first female president in southern Africa? It's heavy for me. Heavy in the sense that I feel that I'm carrying this heavy load on behalf of all women.
I convinced myself economic empowerment of women was going to be key, especially in a country like this where most women didn't go to school.
My father once told me when I was a young girl that I was destined to do great things. His belief in my abilities and ambition is rooted deeply in the spirit of Malawians; resilient and determined for a better Malawi and a better Africa.
An African woman carries heavy loads anyway. That's how we are trained; we are brought up that nothing is unbearable. I use that now, positively. I use that now to have the thick skin that I have, and not fear, and move forward, and push; and push forward.
It is only when a woman is economically empowered that she can negotiate at household level with her husband about the number of children that body of hers can have.
The 'safe spaces' for minority students on university campuses are actually redemptive spaces for white students and administrators looking for innocence and empowerment.
For me, writing is a concentrated form of thinking.
Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift.
When someone says to me, 'I love your book - I read it in a day,' I want to tell them to go back and read it again.
I wanted to read immediately. The only fear was that of books coming to an end.
They call it coaching but it is teaching. You do not just tell them...you show them the reasons.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.