A woman for president.Hundreds of local schoolgirls and women from Mariental and surrounding settlements celebrated in February with song, dance and speeches, officially welcoming the first ever female governor of the Hardap Region Hardap is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia. It is home to the Hardap Dam. Hardap stretches the entire width of Namibia, from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to Namibia's eastern national border. . The public event in Aimablaagte community hall for the governor was well organised by the town's women folk. "The governor's appointment is an indication and evidence of the strength and power of women in the Hardap Region. We have come of age fighting for our rights and have become an indisputable force to be reckoned with on all levels of government. We would like to think of her governorship to be a step in the right direction to fulfill our hopes; dreams and aspiration aspiration /as·pi·ra·tion/ (as?pi-ra´shun) 1. the drawing of a foreign substance, such as the gastric contents, into the respiratory tract during inhalation. 2. to have our first female president in State House come the next general elections," said Evelyn Witbooi on behalf of the women of Gibeon, while congratulating governor Katrina Mutti Hanse hanse n. A medieval merchant guild or trade association. [Middle English, from Old French, from Middle Low German, from Old High German hansa, military troop. . A schoolgirl and several other women, among them local police station commander Emmerentia de Lange, paid tribute and homage homage: see feudalism. on behalf of the town's women to the governor. "Male governors have for two terms controlled the Hardap Region whilst women had to look on. Now it's our turn to achieve greater heights in the form of Katrina Hanse. We as women of this nation can pat ourselves on the back for this important and historic moment because we have shown our worth and to be equal to men under the law and in the eyes of God. It is our wish that our new governor will promote women's rights The effort to secure equal rights for women and to remove gender discrimination from laws, institutions, and behavioral patterns. The women's rights movement began in the nineteenth century with the demand by some women reformers for the right to vote, known as suffrage, and as a priority throughout her six year term in office," said well-known Swapo activist Eva Neels, one of the organisers of the event. "I would like to thank you all, the women of Mariental," governor Hanse responded, "in particular those who have had a hand in my upbringing up·bring·ing n. The rearing and training received during childhood. upbringing Noun the education of a person during his or her formative years Noun 1. and formative formative /for·ma·tive/ (for´mah-tiv) concerned in the origination and development of an organism, part, or tissue. years as a child growing up in this region and for the exceptional role model leadership qualities. All you mothers have added a brick to help form me. Women of the south are generally considered as strong because they have endured many hardships, which only they can manage to overcome. Therefore, I pledge to do everything in my power to promote their causes. Women of the south deserve that," said the new governor. Source: New Era, 7 February 2005 |
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