Women Politicians In Angola

"We want the citizens of our community, regardless of their origin, to feel welcomed, valued, and involved in the development of the countries where they reside."

"Only with solid institutions and public policies focused on education, equality, and solidarity is it possible to guarantee stability and citizen confidence in the State and in democracy."

"We need parliaments to be true spaces for dialogue, diversity, solutions, and closeness to citizens."

"Peace will only be lasting if it is inclusive, fair, and relies on the active voice of women."

"I would like to reiterate my commitment to keep our girls in school, our women with access to decent work and families free from violence."

"It is a unique opportunity for us to celebrate and recognise the undeniable value of women in the construction of our country."

"Although most of the leaders during the liberation were men, some women reached leading positions within the organisations in which they had duties. They were important in the armed struggle and in the construction of a movement of Angolan female emancipation."

"Today, we see women in leadership positions, such as the Vice-Presidency of the Republic,in the Presidency of the Constitutional Court and in the National Assembly,which demonstrates the progress we have achieved over the years."

"The growth and strengthening of female participation in Angolan society is undeniable."

"Since the beginning of the struggle, women have demonstrated an unparalleled capacity for resistance and courage. They were protagonists in the construction of a free and sovereign country, breaking stereotypes and showing that their participation was essential for Angola's independence."

"The struggle of women continues to this day, for a fair, egalitarian and inclusive society."

"It is great initiative by Merck Foundation to empower girls in education. This is Very critical for our countries to eliminate child marriage. We welcome the initiatives for Merck Foundation to our country."

"Education on gender equality and the fight against violence against children and youth should not just be a slogan, but a fundamental pillar of a future where no girl or boy is forced to endure the pain and scars of violence."

"It is a platform with a symbolic name to demonstrate love for children by providing them with care, access to education, and healthcare for their holistic development during our mandate."

"The priorities will depend a lot on the budget that exists, but in principle a piece of the budget is proposed for each of the cultural themes."

"All areas are important for Culture, but there will be priorities for its promotion and development."

"In the beginning, the hardest things about the expeditions would be superficial things: eating rice and beans twice a day for four months, the relative concept of cleanliness, the lack of affection and communication with the outside world, being the only girl (most times) amongst a bunch of guys."

"As conservationists we see degradation happening every day, so we are always in a hurry – we want things to happen right now."

"The best part of my job is being able to include the environment in topics that most people think are completely unrelated."

"I wouldn’t tell you that X or Y awards were the best parts of my career; it’s actually the work that led me to those awards that are the best."

"One thing that I can say I am actually proud of is overcoming all of the obstacles. So, it’s not the awards, it’s not the positions, it’s none of that, it’s the work that led to those accolades that I think are my biggest accomplishments."

"My first piece of advice is to enhance your skills. By enhancing your skills, even the ones you don’t like, you will understand how to do your job better."

"Sometimes we have to take a step back. That doesn’t mean that you have to stop moving forward, it just means that it might not be at the pace that you want, and that is very normal."

"Motivation helps, but if you are not disciplined, if you are not focused and have no goal, it is very difficult to keep going."

"In the current world we are very focused on having a voice, and having a voice is very important, but hearing the voices of others is even more important."

"There are a lot of people who try to stop you for different reasons – because they don’t believe in you, or because you’re too young to be taken seriously, or because you’re a woman. It has happened to me several times, and I didn’t think it was possible until I entered this world."

"....there is this conception about conservation that you have to focus on one thing and stay with that until you die. I think that is a misconception, especially if you want to push forward change and contribute to the improvement and application of policies, because if you only have field experience then you won’t be able to bring that into influencing policymakers."

"One thing I tell myself is that, if you give up now you are not giving up because of others, you are giving up because of yourself. If you want to stop then that’s your choice, but bear in mind that it is never someone else’s fault, it’s never an obstacle, it’s never a situation, it’s you."

"... Nowadays I have not only learned to overcome these hardships, but to learn from them. Now I understand they stand for the work we’re doing toward a better future, something greater than ourselves."

"The best part is meeting people from all over who, like me, travel all over the world and never really feel like they belong somewhere."

"There’s a lot of literature that suggests the need for protection of that area. It would be in the southernmost tip of the Angolan coast. And it’s an area that borders Libya which has a high migration route, so we think we have a lot of biodiversity near there. It is also thought to be the largest nursery ground for mackerel, which is important for fisheries in Angola and Libya. It’s adjacent to a protected area in Libya and two national parks, so it would create this whole square of conservation of land and ocean that are independent of each other but can still work together in regards to conservation."

"If it’s to that point where you think you want to do it and it feels right but other people are telling you not to, just do it. No matter what obstacle you think might stop you, when you wake up in the morning just say “I’m doing it.”"

"I come from a society where, if you ask a child what they want to be, they will only think of things associated with material goods. Jobs that will get them clothes or houses or cars. Because paths outside of that aren’t encouraged. Following their hearts isn’t encouraged. But when those people realize how much more there is out there to explore, they become the most passionate people about making a change."

"I hear in the U.S. that women don’t have the same opportunities or the same paycheck as men. Where I’m from it’s worse because women have the same opportunities and paycheck, they’re just led to believe that their opportunities are limited. Helping them understand that they can do whatever they want, that there’s nothing wrong if they want to be a housewife. But there’s also nothing wrong if they want to push the boundaries and do something else."

"Drylands are extremely important not just for the survival of biodiversity but also for us, for our culture, for our survival and for the way we interact with nature itself."

"We depend on ecosystems for survival, and more so do poor rural communities."

"We must always be aware that any conservation space is a range of components: it’s not just about biodiversity, it’s not just about the local communities."

"It’s a very grey world where you have to focus on everything that has been accomplished in the field because that’s what brings you hope moving forward."

"What motivates me right now is the local communities that I work with. Looking at the small steps they have taken by themselves without a proper plan motivates me to help them further."

"Biology is not really a known career in Angola. The oil and gas industry accounts for over 90 percent of the country’s economy, so biology, conservation, and other nature-related careers are looked down upon. They see biologist as being like the characters in Zootopia — it’s not a real job. Most people would only consider it if they had no other options."

"It’s very sensitive, but also very rewarding."

"As one grows, obstacles along the career path will shatter the dreams you had, but help you to create a different dream. I call it ‘adult dreaming’."

"I think one of the main reasons that projects usually don’t include communities is that it’s a very long-term approach. First, you have to build trust, then you have to learn to speak their language and dialogue. You have to understand what they think, what they know, how they see the environment, and only then can you start proposing certain concepts that they can apply to their livelihoods. That is something that takes a lot of time, a lot of human effort, and a lot of patience."

"Protected areas in Angola have gone from almost 6% of the national territory to 12%, including national parks and transboundary conservation areas. The parks are authentic laboratories for research on vegetation cover in Angola, in which 27% of the species are endemic, and 37% are medicinal plants"

"The expansion of preschool and primary education networks, along with the goal of making education compulsory up to the 9th grade."

"Education is essential for advancing gender equality and empowering women in Angola."

"the government wants to ensure the food security of the population through more diversified food sources and seeks to map all kinds of natural resources to establish management and exploitation plans that translate into development and well-being"

"the change in society's awareness of the role of women is underway"

"We can all get there together"

"According to estimates from the country's regulatory agency and other stakeholders, women represent only about 14 percent of the workforce in the oil and gas sector, with just 4 percent holding management positions."