Mongela, Gertrude (1955–)

Early in 2004, the newly inaugurated Pan-African Parliament (PAP) made history when it elected Gertrude Mongela, a reputable woman diplomat and an international African figure, as president of the Pan-African Parliament. The Pan-African Parliament is the African Union's mechanism of bringing continental unity and building a strong and prosperous African union. Gertrude Mongela, also known as Mama Beijing, has an excellent record of international achievements, having served as secretary-general of the Fourth World Beijing Conference on Women, as Tanzanian high commissioner to India, and as a member of the Tanzanian parliament from 1980 to 1995.

Gertrude Mongela was born on the island of Ukerewe in Lake Victoria in Tanganyika in 1955. When she was only 12 years old, Mongela left her island home to attend a school run by Maryknoll nuns. Upon graduation, she enrolled at the University College of Dar-es-Salaam and there she earned a degree in education.

In 1975, she became a member of the East African Legislative Assembly. Since then she has held several ministerial positions, including minister of state for women's affairs. Mongela's election signaled a new era for the African woman, an era in which a woman could compete with her male peers, and where an African woman could proudly take the foremost position, a front chair where she could direct things for the good of the entire male-dominated society.

From 1981 to 1991, Mongela represented her country at numerous international meetings, conferences, seminars, and workshops, particularly on issues relating to women and to development and the environment. In 1985, at the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievement of the United Nations Decade for Women in Nairobi, she was the chair of the African group and vice chair of the conference. In 1989, she was Tanzania's representative on the Commission on the Status of Women, and in 1990 she led a delegation to present the country's report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

Mongela has continued to hold many local and continental positions and has participated in numerous conferences, including the 1997 Pan-African Conference on Peace, Gender, and Development in Kigali. The conference sought to support the efforts of Rwandan women to combat intolerance and to participate in the reconstruction and reconciliation of their nation.

In the Pan-African Parliament, Mongela continues to advocate women's participation in public affairs as central to the functioning and strengthening of African democracy. She has consistently argued that [Page 970]the participation of women not only provides equal opportunity on a practical level, but also offers a new perspective and diversity of contributions to policy making and priorities for development.