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Senator Driss Senda, Chairman UPF, Republic of Congo Former Editor-in-Chief of the magazine African Geopolitics (2002-2008), Driss Senda is a doctoral student in organisational leadership at the Impact-Institute of Leadership & International Development (University). A journalist and literary critic, he is an Advisor to the President of the Republic of Congo since 2011 and Founder and Director of Publication of the African Geostrategy magazine from 2019. Edem Kodjo, former Secretary General of the AU and former Prime Minister of Togo, his godfather, has had a very great influence on him and shaped him to the pan-Africanism for which he has become a great Apostle. He believes in Africa, in pan-Africanism and in the Federation of the United States of Africa. Driss Senda is currently the Chairman of the Universal Peace Federation in Congo. He is a Commander in the Congolese Order of Merit. |
The world is experiencing, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, upheavals that have profoundly changed our way of life, but more broadly, the economy on a national and global scale, and of course, entire sections of our rights with the creation of a new state of emergency commonly called a state of health emergency. This new way of life makes restrictions on certain freedoms.
What about the role of women in this reconstituted landscape? Is the crisis leading to a questioning of their way of life? Has it upset the distribution of skills, roles, and relationships between men and women? The restricted format of the analysis submitted for our reflection does not allow an exhaustive answer to all these questions, but will help to put on hold the efforts of women whose leadership calls for a change in practices that have become obsolete in the face of the crises facing our country and humanity.
In terms of the organization of our societies, the health crisis (Covid-19) that we are going through is undoubtedly unique in that, for health reasons, many sectors of activity have been brought under half-mast.
In this regard - and all things considered - the new way of life based on human solidarity becomes instructive, so true is it that nothing will be the same. The world has certainly shifted, not in total horror, but also towards a management system that involves new paradigms.
Undoubtedly, the current context calls for the role of women, the bulwark of our societies, within collective and deliberative bodies whose action is, in essence, part of a long time, but which, however, now faces another reality. Coronavirus involves making decisions quickly to avoid "trivializing" it and experiencing the carnage in the United States of America, with over 143,190 deaths linked to Covid-19.
Victim of sexism and because of the consequences of the coronavirus, the woman should find in these circumstances an opportunity to assert her identity. The exercise of skills (evaluation of public policies) linked to the development of our societies is inexorably affected by the crisis. From now on, women will have to keep a close eye on certain executive bodies, whose prerogatives have been greatly extended to deal with the crisis.
During times of lockdown, many countries faced security, technological and procedural challenges, and were only able to function to a limited extent. The first lessons of recent months call for strengthening the place of women, often marginalized, within institutions to make them stronger and more effective and serve as a counterweight for the good of the people.
It certainly takes time to "create the Woman Leader" and make her action sustainable, but her manifest desire to break taboos and to put in place new rules of form and procedure confirms her participation in the process of decision-making.
In these circumstances, it is to be hoped that, from now on and throughout the duration of the crisis, the executive will bow to the exercise of freeing up spaces, in order to give women the opportunity to stand out in the face of many current challenges. Because neither the gravity of the health crisis, nor the urgency to act, nor the pretext of efficiency can exempt it from this obligation. On the contrary, they must encourage it more.
Faced with the unrealized desire to improve their living conditions, women are often trapped in this type of crisis. Humanity must be involved at the forefront of efforts to build peace in the world. Covid-19 marks a turning point in the history of one of the deadliest and most complicated crises of our time. The world has 15.2 million people who have tested positive, and more than 623,658 have died, including 30,115 deaths in France and 143,190 deaths in the United States.
The participation of women is therefore crucial for building a lasting peace, because no society can progress, whether socially, politically, or economically, if half of its female population is marginalized. Women should no longer be seen only as victims, but as agents of change who organize themselves on the ground for peace.
Governance in this time of global health crisis is critical to expanding opportunities that can help build new paradigms of female leadership. It is now about engaging women in a rigorous academic research project, relevant in practice and based on the facts, in order to impact and influence the process of rebuilding a world where the values of peace are the most important. better shared.
We must ensure that the voices of women most affected by the consequences of Covid-19 are integrated into peacebuilding during peace processes. We must take advantage of the political goodwill arising from governance in several countries of the world and transform it into meaningful action.