In an incisive intervention during the program “Grand Oral” on Rewmi TV on Saturday May 4, 2024, renowned intellectual and activist Penda Mbow launched a vibrant call for change.
With his usual verve, Mbow denounced the sclerosis of the trade union movement, urging a profound renewal of leaders and an overhaul of structures. “We must rebuild this movement,” she insisted, deploring the lack of real alternation at the top for decades. In the same vein, the intellectual called for the rebirth of strong political and intellectual leadership.
Penda Mbow also insisted on the imperative to rethink the role of the State and redistribute overly concentrated powers. According to her, the “heavy concentration in the hands of a single individual” has lasted too long, calling for major institutional reforms. Justice, which she considers “down,” must also be urgently reinvigorated.
A woman of conviction, Mbow reiterated her plea for real female emancipation, denouncing the socio-cultural constraints that keep Senegalese women away from decision-making spheres. “Women are always pushed aside when they have autonomy of thought,” she regretted, urging the new power to place gender equality at the heart of its agenda.
The former minister also did not fail to highlight the gigantic potential of the Senegalese diaspora, neglected for too long according to her. “The time has come for the diaspora to be a force for mobilization, transfer of technology and financial resources,” argued Mbow, citing the inspiring example of India.
Finally, drawing on Senegal’s democratic, intellectual and diplomatic heritage, Penda Mbow urged the country to assume assertive leadership in Africa and on the international scene. “We must make the most of this alternation and take leadership for Africa and the rest of the world,” she said with unshakeable conviction.
