Christina Sogavare made the remarks last week during the inauguration of the Young Women in Parliament Group.
“The change must begin in us, complacency must give way to desiring to achieve more in an organised manner, guided of course by a clear vision of where we want to go,” she said.
Ms Sogavare in her speech said the closest we can get to recognise women in leadership are observed in societies transact tribal leadership and land rights under the matrilineal system.
“There is a clear contradictory disparity between the system and how it is practiced.
“The recognition of the maternal line as the lineage through which leadership in land matters is transacted; does not translate to recognising women as leaders.”
She said this is a perfect example as long as this disparity exists, women in these societies will continue to be deprived of their rights to positions of leadership.
Ms Sogavare also said the experiences of women in societies that transact land rights through the paternal line are even worse because men claim customary and traditional rights to suppress women.
She stressed that women have obviously become victims of stereotype in a self created male dominated society where there is very little appreciation of the role of women in politics and leadership in general, complicated by the abuse of custom.
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