Angola: Women in the peace and development process (continued)

Also heartening is the growing female quotient in Angolan politics. There are five female ministers, one who holds the portfolio Minister of Family and the Promotion of Women (Reid 2001). Similarly, 16% of delegates to Angola's first democratically elected parliament in 1992, were women. Although the wider political and economic issues may not have touched the masses of women in Angola, the women who are involved in the process are paving the way for future recruitment and enablement of their gender.

Ruth Neto (1996), secretary general of the organisation of Angolan Women has highlighted the following as main priority areas for women in Angola:

  • Women's participation in the peace process
  • Women's poverty, insufficient food security and lack of economic leverage
  • Unequal access to education and training in science and technology
  • Need of health care improvement
  • Women's role in the cultural life
  • Women's role in the environmental preservation
  • Political liberation of women
  • Legally accepted rights of women
  • Development and utilisation of data broken down by gender
  • Women, communications, media and the arts
  • Young women

Conclusion

As Angola enters a new era with the signing of a treaty that is envisaged as one that will end its civil strife, it is hoped that women will begin to enter the spheres of government and economy taking their places next to the men and fulfilling the ideals of democracy.

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References

NETO, R 1996 "Statement by Ruth Neto Secretary General of the Organisation of Angolan Women" to the Women's Socialist International, New York, September 8.

REID, CD 2001 Africa South of the Sahara 2001 30th edition, Europa Publications.