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.
Interpretation
Joyce Banda expresses the weight of responsibility she feels as the first female president for all women in southern Africa.
In this quote, Joyce Banda conveys her deep awareness of the historical significance of her role as the first female president of southern Africa. She recognizes that her position is not just a personal achievement, but a symbolic representation of the struggles and aspirations of women in her region. The 'heavy load' she refers to signifies the collective hopes, challenges, and expectations of women who look to her leadership as a source of inspiration and change.
In practice
This quote can be shared at women's empowerment events to inspire female leaders.
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.
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.
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.
Leadership is not a license to do less. Leadership is a responsibility to do more
If there are only three guys at the top of the organization handling things, it's the definition of a bankrupt company. In creating leaders without titles, we are going to have organizations with people at the helm putting forth their best.
By deciding to live our lives based on solid values and unwavering truth, we can leave a legacy for the young men and boys who want nothing more than to follow in our footsteps.
That is what leadership is all about: staking your ground ahead of where opinion is and convincing people, not simply following the popular opinion of the moment.
Anybody who decides to take me on needs to put on knuckle-dusters. If you think you can hurt me more than I can hurt you, try. There is no way you can govern a Chinese society.
I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day.
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