The Coolidge Room of Ballou Hall was packed yesterday in order to hear Her Excellency the Former Vice President of Uganda Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe speak in honor of International Women's Day.
"It's important that we pause at least once a year to think about the accomplishments of women, but also of the challenges ahead of them," University President Lawrence Bacow said in his introduction of Kazibwe.
In her lecture, entitled "Women, Health, and Power," Kazibwe addressed the suffering of women, and particularly identified problems in Africa.
"We allow men to believe that they're ordained to do what they do," she said. "The morbidity rate of women is higher [than men]. We live longer with more suffering."
"I've seen women in Asia with thighs smaller than my arm," Kazibwe said. "We have a very long way to go."
Kazibwe concentrated on the solution of finding and promoting commonalities among all women. "Maybe the problem is within ourselves," she said. "What is it that makes us as women together?"
In her lecture, Kazibwe argued that better knowledge of sexuality will have a role in both the empowerment of women and the solution of health issues.
"Let us show that [female] beauty is a strength, not a weakness," Kazibwe said. She referred to American society, where, because of more open views on sexual orientation, some men switch gender to become women. "If you have the opportunity to be a woman, why not flaunt it," she asked the female audience members.
Her main concern dealt with women throughout the world taking submissive roles. "How can we help women get that confidence and have them get out what's wrong?"
Kazibwe also mentioned, however, that Americans fail to engage in discussion of sexual and relationship issues. She asked Bacow to talk about his romantic history.
"That is a privileged answer," he said.
"Talking about these relations is like taboo," Kazibwe said. "But it's what life's all about."
Another taboo topic discussed by Kazibwe was the Ugandan government's relatively successful control of HIV/AIDS. "We had to open up. We talked about intimate things and we found that people would help each other," she said. "We made it into a national program."
"We think the real success is the way we organized as a country," Kazibwe said. "We're discouraging orphanages because HIV/AIDS is everyone's problem."
Along with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Kazibwe aimed the Ugandan HIV/AIDS programs toward the nation's youth. "[They had to know] there is a future for them as Ugandans to be really alive," she said. "We worked on the principle that if you get AIDS, you die. You can't change your ways when you are dead."
Kazibwe further explained her opinion of governmental leaders, arguing that they need to understand every part of their constituent population. "Here it's old men in government," she said. "How do the youth feel that they are represented?"
She pointed to Museveni's leadership as an example of familiarity with those who he leads. "Our president would take time to sit in the villages," she said.
Kazibwe ended her lecture on a positive note. She asked everyone seated to stand, and led the room in singing "We Shall Overcome." She ended the song with an embrace of Bacow.
"Celebrating this day is the least that anyone can do," Kazibwe said. "Thank you for bringing the positive to the forefront."
