Comment on “Century of the woman” article

I am very grateful to read Pambazuka’ s articles, which help me in my personal learning process, networking against "separate-and-rule" and doing liberating work for justice "over here" in Germany.

So here is a comment from a white-German-female-feminist-perspective, about the article by Munyonzwe Hamalengwa: Yes, I also do believe in the transforming power of the female universe - but only, if it is feminist.

Our German chancellor Merkel is biologically a woman, but her politics serve the white-male-dominant-system. Under her government the rich got richer (10 billion Euro in private hands; country's public debt: 2 billion Euro) and the poor got poorer and there is no end in sight.

The hypocrisy of German politics, producing weapons and celebrate export-championships and talk about "human rights, shows the separate-and-rule-pattern of European capitalist system. It is internalized in the system, the institutions, in the individuals, in the language.

To cover that truth, our present "minister of defense" is a (mostly smiling!) white woman, a medical doctor and mother of 7 children! And the export-rate of weapons is increasing!

Just since yesterday, Oct. 24, our government broke our constitution again with their asylum-politics; fear and the idea of "lacking" is bigger than confidence and the idea and vision of "there is enough for all of us", that was shown by a large number of Germans acting in solidarity with refugees. Since yesterday they are deporting great numbers of people.... it is a roll-back and it is heartbreaking!

They can make new laws overnight to save banks and to get rid of refugees and asylum seekers.

So, still a long way to go, we are still ruled by fear and greed (which is hidden fear of not getting enough).

As African-American Gloria Joseph wrote in her book "Black feminism: theory and politics of African-American women" that it doesn't need white men to represent their system and to keep them in power.
To be a white woman, or a woman-of-color or Black woman or man-of-color or Black man doesn't mean anything, as long as the knowledge and conscience is that of white-male-dominance and supremacy plus serving their system, hoping to get a "share of the cake" and "don't disappoint Daddy, please him!".

According to official United Nations report about Millennium goals for equal rights, about 52 percent of the world's population are women. Two-thirds of all the illiterate are female; women own 1 percent of worldwide wealth, make 10 percent of the income and do 70 percent of the unpaid works. Only 17 percent of all parliamentarians are women and 14 percent of leaders in administration and economy.

In my country, Germany, women get 25 percent less payment for the exact same job men are doing.

Concerning the former European colony, the US, there might by Hilary Clinton (who is open to feminism) next for presidency; after her Michelle Obama (she will knock us off our feed, I hope! Break down weapon production in the US and more) and hopefully one day: a first-nation-woman as president! I hope we will see all this come true!

For me, true good leadership ends poverty and all the oppression that comes with it -worldwide! See: Basic Income Earth Network BIEN www.basicincome.org

As far as I know, Namibia’s ministry for social affairs is going for that! There is hope!

Over here in Europe, Finland’s and Switzerland's officials started to take action on this basic issue.... we'll see.

The worldwide basic income for each woman, each child and each man is a major step to overcome 500 years colonialism and neo-colonialism and to end the patriarchal capitalist system.

So, like the good writer Munyonzwe Hamalengwa, I also prefer to believe in the 52 percent women and all the men with a growing feminist knowledge and conscience!

In appreciation and global liberating solidarity,
Marita Blessing,
White German female feminist