By Buba Gagigo in Daejeon, South Korea
The Mayor of Banjul City Council (BCC), Rohey Malick Lowe has said that feminism is not just about women and that feminist politics is not just about women’s empowerment, but shifting power in the globe.
The Mayor made these remarks on Wednesday at the UCLG World Congress in Daejeon in South Korea; while talking on the theme ‘The Pact For The Future For People- Equality and Care‘.
“Feminism is not just about women, and feminist politics is not just about women’s empowerment. Indeed, women are incredibly good at empowering themselves -the fact that so many local African women leaders are here in Daejeon, today, despite very challenging visa processes, is testament to this. Rather, feminist politics is about shifting power, in a world where some people move across borders easily, and others must jump through hoops of fire,” she said.
BCC Mayor explained that a feminist politics means putting the focus on caring for all people, valuing them equally, and caring for them equitably.
“As such, we need to recognise who is currently ‘cared’ for in society, who matters, and who is overlooked. Women and diverse groups, persons with disabilities, children, older persons, and more so people of colour, people from the Global South, remain underrepresented in leadership, locally and globally, and are the target of violence and discrimination,” she concluded.
The Mayor of Banjul, also the President of REFELA Africa (the Network of Local Women Elected in Africa) currently attending the occasion in Daejeon, South Korea delivered her first session address on Tuesday.
The session scheduled to end on 14th October, is being attended by the President of UCLG Africa, Hon. Ms Fatimetou Mint Abdel Malick; Mayor of Miami-Dade, Florida, among others.