Femai: I will not enter heaven leaving a woman behind
MDC-T Senator Morgan Femai has told Parliament that he has more respect for women than men. He said he would even allow them to jump queues when they go to heaven.
Senator Femai made the remarks while contributing to a debate on the Report of the 65th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women on women’s full and effective participation and decision making in public life.
Below is Senator Morgan Femai’s full speech in the Senate
Honourable Senator Morgan Femai: Thank you, Mr President, I forgot to put on my mask as I stood up to debate. First and foremost, I would like to thank the mover of this motion and the seconder. Secondly, I thank you Mr President for affording me this opportunity to add my voice to this important motion.
It is quite a painful motion that involves women. Today, I would want people to know because some people do not know. I would want to make my stance clear as I relate to women. I respect women more than I respect men. Others may be taken back as to why I am making this statement that I respect women more than men.
I will allow women to go ahead of me when we go to heaven
I observed that women are capable of ensuring that a lot of things are solved. If I die today and go to heaven and there is a queue and a woman is behind me, I will allow the woman to enter first, I will not enter heaven and leave a woman behind.
I am from Manicaland, and you Mr President are also from Manicaland. There is a saying that says ‘mhamba inonaka maamai mudhuze’ everyone is aware of this saying. It surprises me that when it gets to work, we do not say the same saying that work is easier when you are with a woman because we are robbing them of top positions.
It is only when it comes to leisure and drinking that we want their presence. If the beer tastes better in the company of a woman, when it comes to work, I must welcome the participation of women too and not say the top positions should be reserved for me and my nephew John only.
Women are well respected. All Hon. Senators in this Senate or all men at home, when our male children get to 30 years without marrying, we start wondering and want to seek spiritual intervention why at thirty they are still single. It is not because they are unemployed, sick, he does not have riches and he has failed in school, but it is because he has failed to marry at an acceptable age.
We do ceremonies to welcome a bride and not a son-in-law
This only shows the importance of having a wife. Once a son gets married, we do a traditional ceremony, people will be happy welcoming the bride into the family. This shows the importance of a woman in a man’s life.
I have not heard the father of a particular daughter throwing parties or doing traditional welcoming ceremonies to welcome a son-in-law but once a son brings a bride home, that is done to show the importance that is attached to a woman.
People should know especially males that women have got a lot of strength and wisdom, many people might not observe this. If a woman was able to change the mind of the first man that is Adam, to an extent that he sinned against God after he had been given specific instructions not to do so, that shows wisdom coupled with power.
When I say they have power, if you go to pay a bride price, you sit outside the home of the would-be bride and when invited in, you go into the home clapping our hands, bowing down your head to show respect.
I wish I had 15 daughters
I am proud to say this and emphasise the importance of women because I have five daughters and a son. They are equally educated, and the son is married with 3 children. All the girl children are married, and they have their own families. For me to have extra pocket money, it comes from my daughter. I even regret why I did not have 15 daughters.
I live with my son, but it is on rare occasions that he cooks a meal. It is the wife who makes sure I am fed, and she also takes the goodies to her parents. The girl child is knowledgeable, and they rarely lose sight of their parents, they remember their roots. She always goes back home. People should respect the girl child.
I cannot conclude without coming up with a resolution or a recommendation to this matter. It is my plea to this august House that when this motion is concluded, it should indicate that as the Upper House we are in agreement that a woman should be given due respect.
A woman should be respected by everyone else as is done by Honourable Senator Femai. I would want the recommendation to be worded accordingly. I thank you.
Femai: I will not enter heaven leaving a woman behind
Femai: I will not enter heaven leaving a woman behind
