Lona James Elia
Sudan
I tell people that I am a feminist because I fight the oppressive and exploitative structures that
discriminate against and marginalize women.
I am a Southern Sudan woman, born during the war, grew up in the war and
brought up her children in exile in Kenya. I came to Kenya in 1993, having
studied in Egypt from 1989–1992. Lived in Kenya all these years, came to
Juba the capital City of Southern Sudan after the signing of the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement in 2005. However, having lived in Kenya as a refugee
since 1993, my children are still studying there due to lack of good education
facilities and teachers. In addition the curricular used in Southern Sudan is
very different and most schools function in Arabic. This made me keep two
homes and visit Kenya frequently to see my children. As the Executive Director
for the organization, I receive and transmit VFC’s official communications;
maintain high level contacts with appropriate government officials and ensure
that all the organizational policies and procedures are adhered to and timely
reporting to the Donors; approves budget and staff recruitment, fundraising
and represent VFC at a high levels meetings and other forums.
I call myself a feminist, because I believe in the feminist values of a disciplined
work ethic guided by integrity and accountability at all times, expanding and
strengthening a multi-generational network and pool of feminist leaders across
the continent. I work to ensure that the feminist movement is recognized as
a legitimate constituency for women in leadership positions, building and
expanding our knowledge and information base on an ongoing basis as the
foundation of shaping our analysis and strategies. We need to champion a
culture of learning beginning with our selves within the feminist movement to
mention but a few.
The use of the word feminist is very much contested by both women’s
organizations and individuals. There are many in Southern Sudan who are
committed to the Charter of Feminist Principles and values and would want to
be members but who do not wish to be called feminists due to the connotations
attached to the identity. Secondly, there is a need to find creative strategies
that would engage women at the grassroots to actively participate in feminist
movement activities. To address this we need to continue investing in women’s
leadership development (in particular in Southern Sudan), in increased
networking and collaboration, and widespread education to address the
divides between women.
I tell people that I am a feminist because I fight the oppressive and exploitative
structures that discriminate against and marginalize women. As an institution
we have ensured that we include feminist components in our training.
VPS II
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