Vet Before You Vote: Beware of Fiasco “Gender Advocates”

   As Liberia's 2014 mid-term Senatorial Race draws closer, this is what I think we, the women voters, should be mindful of.... 

Liberia has and continues to indulge more than its fair share of fiasco advocates. These are characters in our society who charter huge amounts of airtime and space in the media to spew out the imperfections of our society especially on the most lucrative sub-areas of development, which include youth, corruption, and the most popular of them all these days -- women!

These fiasco characters make enough noise to gather a few listeners as a platform to launch themselves into prominence by way of propaganda and politics.  And guess what?  Once they accomplish their aim, they hardly look back at the people on whose plights these “advocates” were propped to prominence.  So this is a wake-up call to all voters, especially women, who might end up being a mere stepping stone for these hungry, fiasco advocates: vet them before you vote for them.

Advocates are supposed to be impressive forces pushing for institutional reform and be known for defending the rights of the disenfranchised, not to be seen or considered as personal agenda-pushers. They must commit themselves to giving voices to the voiceless masses. But when this goal gets tainted with personal egos, the plight of their followers is often exploited. 

Being so overwhelmed with their own egos, fiasco women rights campaigners have grossly failed to groom their fellow women, especially those with potential.  Show me a woman who mentors another woman and inspires her to be better than the mentor herself; and I'll show you a real activist.  She will remain committed to the struggle far beyond her personal ambitions – by principle – undeterred by bribery or back-biting.

 How will the cause of women be won with these fiasco characters in the forefront?

Few years back, many gender parity campaigners came into the limelight as disguised front-line commanders, fearlessly advocating gender justice at all levels.  It was cute; they had their placards and uniformed lappas, t-shirts and fancy head-ties worn by their battalions who marched the streets chanting all the latest jargons for donors to hear.  And the fact that Liberia elected the first female African president gave more momentum to the movement.  

The solidarity was great for the collective self esteem of women of the new dispensation. They came with the saying that their aim was “to emancipate their peers from the confines of the glass ceiling” - the invisible barrier which prevents women from advancing beyond a certain point in all aspects of life - from exploring their full potentials by which they might measure up with their male counterparts. 

Great!  But now, how many of them are still out there?  In a nutshell, they made all the noise about gender disparity, only to vanish from the scene after nailing their personal goal they were set out for.  Let's not kid ourselves here.  The women's struggle is far from over.  So anyone who dares enter the struggle must commit to be in it for the long run.  There is no fast lane to women's leadership.  Some of our women leaders can't even raise their own children correctly.  If that's the case, can they help you? On this note, giving credit where it is highly due, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is a compelling example of a true veteran when it comes to women's advocacy.  

So my people, beware oh!  Those who you vote into power must be vetted.  They must convince you beyond all reasonable doubt why you should entrust your power to their stewardship. Whether they will make any difference or not is another issue to tackle another time. For now, I'll leave you with the top five questions to ask yourself when choosing your female candidates.  

1. What measurable impact have they made over the past five years?

2. Does their family life reflect their ability to lead? When speaking, do they dwell on personalities or on issues?

3. Have they declared their assets? 

4. Are they still locked up with the ‘crab mentality’ that only they should be on top?  

5. Have they demonstrated the willingness to help others pass the credential threshold?