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
Economic empowerment of women is crucial, particularly in countries with low education levels for women.
In this quote, Joyce Banda emphasizes the vital role of economic empowerment in transforming societies, particularly where women face educational barriers. By recognizing that financial independence and access to opportunities can uplift women and, consequently, their communities, Banda highlights the necessity of addressing gender disparities in education and empowerment.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech at a women's empowerment event.
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 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.
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.
I don't want to sound like an ad, a public service ad on TV, but the fact is if you can read, you can walk into a job later on. If you don't, then you've got, the Army, Iraq, I don't know, something like that. It's, it's not as bright. So, that's my little commercial for that.
If you can help a child, you don't have to spend years repairing an adult.
We need all hands on deck, and that means clearing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
It has been a privilege to pursue knowledge for its own sake and to see how it might help mankind in more practical ways.
The piano is a universal instrument. If you start there, learn your theory and how to read, you can go on to any other instrument.
If women be educated for dependence; that is, to act according to the will of another fallible being, and submit, right or wrong, to power, where are we to stop?
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.