Women are the vanguard of justice and emancipation

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

“I’m not ashamed of anything I have ever done in the name of fairness and justice for my people,” Winnie Madikizela-Mandela once said.

After reading her book, Part of My Soul Went With Him, during Women’s Month and watching the movie Winnie Mandela, in which Jennifer Hudson played Winnie Mandela, I was overwhelmed. 

Nelson Mandela’s first wife reminds me of Harriet Tubman, who was born into slavery but escaped. Over about 10 years she led about 70 fugitive slaves from the US to Canada. After the American Civil War, she took in orphans and older people. Tubman was also involved in other causes such as women’s suffrage — the right to vote. All this she did for a fair, just and inclusive world for all.

During apartheid, other courageous women also worked to liberate South Africa from racial segregation, economic oppression and inequality. They include Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Albertina Sisulu, Sophie de Bruyn and many others.

Women around the world have resisted oppression and fought for women’s rights, equality, freedom, democracy and justice.

In Uganda, these women include Joyce Mpanga, the former MP and minister; Miria Matembe, a lawyer and gender rights activist; Justice Esther Kisakye, a supreme court judge who had to flee the country; and Winnie Byanyima, under-secretary general of the United Nations and human and women’s rights advocate.

Byanyima left her university studies in the United Kingdom to join the liberation of Uganda from the dictatorship of Milton Obote’s regime. Later on, she was part of the assembly that drafted the 1995 Constitution that flagged women’s emancipation in Uganda.

From the generation of Byanyima to the succeeding generation of author, philanthropist and human rights activist Barbie Itungo; lawyer, human rights defender and journalist Agather Atuhaire; Kamapala’s deputy mayor, Doreen Nyanjura; pharmacist Shamim Nambassa; and social justice advocate Janice Nkajja, women are exhibiting courage, determination and resilience in the fight for women’s rights.

Despite their efforts, many women around the world are still facing injustice, misogyny, gender-based violence and healthcare disparities.

In our communities many women and girls are raped defiled, genital mutilation, forced marriages, harassment, land rights, labour and employment inequalities in the 21st century. And female activists and journalists are cyber-stalked and persecuted.

But, as Winnie Mandela said, “If you are to free yourself, you must break the chains of oppression yourself.”

Despite all the injustices, my hope and trust lies in women who confront these impediments to women’s rights.

Robert Kigongo is a sustainable development analyst.