Sierra Leone: To the Pompous Female Ministers
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Concord Times (Freetown)
OPINION
23 July 2008
Posted to the web 23 July 2008
Rachel Horner
As Sierra Leonean women cry for a 50/50 representation of men and women in the governance of the country, one may wonder why the task still seems tedious for the 52% female population.
Many men in this part of the world believe that women tend to be pompous, snobbish and arrogant when given power.
Though that ideology is applicable to both men and women, it has proven right for our men going by the exhibited attitude of some women in positions of authority.
In the past few years, some female cabinet ministers have showcased a high level of pomposity which is now serving as a deterrent for more women to be elected into offices.
Female ministers like the former minister for social welfare, gender and children's affairs, Shirley Gbujama, and the current foreign affairs minister, Zainab Hawa Bangura are said to be unfriendly and unlike politicians.
However, women such as the former Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Kadie Sesay, Hon. Elizabeth Lavallie and current Minister of Energy and Power, Haja Hafsatu Kabbah, have a very good working relationship with the public. Madam Kabbah is very appealing, polite and will respond whenever she is called upon.
For Bangura, some people say she is arrogant, uncompromising and unwelcoming; others say she is unpredictable and some others still like her for her stands.
She was one of the women I admire in the society. I had read many stories talking about her habit in several newspapers. I've even been opportuned to be in some quarters where people speak badly about her but that did not tempt me to make a wrong conclusion about her.
It is normal for everyone not to like someone but it is not good for most people to speak ill about one's personality.
Her appearance (dress code) in public sends a good message even though her facial expression makes one think twice on how best to approach her.
I was happy when it was announced that Mrs. Bangura has been appointed as foreign affairs minister. With her vast knowledge, having worked for some international organizations, I believed she was going to serve the country well.
Not until after her approval by the Parliament, when Concord Times' GenderWatch decided to be constantly writing about her and other female ministers so that the public will be au fait with their activities.
What puzzled me the most was when she was called on her cell phone to book an appointment for an interview, Madam Bangura asked that we talk to her through her secretary. "You should send the questions to my secretary who will look at them and then send them to me. I will answer the questions and then give it to my secretary. I don't have time for any interview," she said.
"What a shame to us women!" I said to myself. I thought she is a mother, a friend and somebody who was at her seat not only to represent the interest of the government but the people of Sierra Leone particularly the suffering women.
She had no time to say 'thanks for calling' or 'good bye.' She just cut the line abruptly. A woman in power indeed! The men will say.
Madam Bangura may not know that there is what is called questioning of answers of the interviewee in interviews and as such we were not going to yield to her command.
Disappointed as we were, we tried to feature another woman who was very much accommodating; Hon. Mabinty Fornah-the youngest Member of Parliament.
A colleague in one of the independent radio stations expressed how she was embarrassed by Mrs. Bangura earlier this year at the Lungi International Airport. She said the minister even went to the extent of threatening to order her being relieved of her job.
Madam Bangura, you are supposed to be a role model and a mentor for young women but it is unfortunate that your relationship with the public is not appealing.
Suffice to say that Madam Bangura has not been in the good books of many people because of her appalling attitude towards the public especially the media.
An older woman recently related Bangura's attitude to trauma. "For all I know, her (Bangura) present unfriendliness is linked to the shock she encountered when she lost the 2002 elections. She still thinks women did not do enough to make her succeed," she said.
Relevant Links
Meanwhile, I was to cover the presentation of credentials by the new World Health Organization representative to Sierra Leone on Tuesday at Foreign Affairs Ministry.
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Read comments. Write your own.
Fellow, most of these so called journalist are only praise singers. One other thing I realized is that, Africans dont practice party politic, they practice power politice. Whereever power moves, is where they go.People dont just have respect for themselves.These fake reporters always want to write something that would interest the current government.
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The problem Sierra Leone had always had to grabble with is its fourth Estate. The Sierra Leonean media practitioners think the only good article for public consumption is blackmailing Public figures. Look at the bad media coverage that the last government received. The media practitioners made thier readers believed that there was no good work done by that government even though they were au fait with the fact that the government only gained controlled of all its territories in 2002 with 90 percent of the countries infrastructure in ruin, no industry and 80% of its citizen displaced or in refugee… [Read Full Text]