Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson was the first female President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997 before she resigned and became United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights until 2002.

She is a member of the Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health. Last week she led a delegation of the council comprising prominent women leaders and a singer who visited Malawi on issues of safe motherhood. She had a chat with our reporter BRIGHT SONANI before she departed on Friday.

Would you briefly tell me your family background?

My family background should be encouraging to people in Malawi and elsewhere because I don’t come from a political family at all. Both my parents were doctors and Catholics. They had five children and I was the only girl. I have two brothers that are younger than me and two older ones.

I grew up in that rather professional family in a small town, but from the very beginning I was interested in fairness. It was not fair for a young woman in Ireland during that time because young women were expected to either be married or to become a nun.

With such a background what has it been like to be a woman politician who rose to become the President of Ireland?

From that background I had a life-long interest in human rights and equality. I studied law. I was lucky to go to the Harvard Law School (in the USA). I became a member of the Irish Senate at the age of 25. I had a career there which included advocating for family planning as a Catholic Irish. This is one of the issues I care deeply about.

After I had been a member of the Irish Senate for 20 years I thought of leaving politics but then people asked me to run for Presidency. I ran against the expected favourite and I managed to beat him. He was the deputy Prime Minister. That was, I would say, a symbol that my country had changed and opened up. I know that the sudden coming to Presidency of Joyce Banda is different but is also potentially an opportunity for Malawi to be the second country in Africa with an elected woman president who is very much engaged with the issues of the future.

How did you develop an interest in issues of safe motherhood and maternal health?

It was the first issue that I decided at the age of 25 in the Irish Senate. It was very unpopular then and I was denounced by Bishops. It was very, very difficult. Because I was young I actually wobbled. But when I said it I knew it was important; I told myself that even if they hit me I must continue because I know it is good for women and young girls. I pursued the issue and with the support of my husband (we had just got married that year). For me it was a very fundamental issue.

While you have been in the country you met the President… (Interjection)

Yes, we know each other.

And also other stakeholders in reproductive health sector, what is your overall impression of the initiatives that Malawi is taking to deal with issues of safe motherhood, maternal health and family planning?

I would say that the consultations we had with the Ministers of Health and Gender; with the senior chiefs and other officials under the patronage of the President, was one of the most interesting meetings I have ever had for many years because it was an engagement of purpose. We shared the purpose. From the point of view of those who are working on the issue, they care greatly about the future of Malawi, and the need to have more emphasis on reducing maternal and child mortality.

A lot of progress has been made but more is to be made. There is a link between issues of reproductive health and issues of development because Malawi cannot advance economically unless you have a stable foundation.

Which areas do you think Malawi can step up its efforts to effectively deal with these challenges?

I very much appreciate that you are asking this, because this is a key question to your country. I am very encouraged not just by the commitment from the President with her Presidential initiative, the Minister of Health and the commitment by each of those who are speaking on behalf of Malawians. I can say

genuinely on behalf of the Global Leaders Council, we are a very knowledgeable group and I can say on behalf of all these that we are very much impressed. Yes there are challenges but Malawi is on the right route. Genuinely we are very encouraged.

One of the approaches in reducing maternal deaths is the reluctance of pregnant women to deliver babies in health facilities. What can be done to deal with this problem?

There is an important role that the chiefs who were with us in the meetings across the country are playing. Because this is an issue for both men and women in the communities, leadership and chiefs do play an important role.

Yes, you are right that there is now an expectation that women who go to the clinic get quality support. As part of the presidential initiative there is the provision of what we are now calling ‘waiting homes’ because ‘shelters’ is not an appropriate word. We will be very keen to promote more waiting homes. We will try to use the opportunities that we have for advocacy and for financial support. We are connected with various people. We will link up with what Melinda. We have an impression that things are well thought through. I think that is the key to good financial support and training of midwives.

Malawi has lots of problems. It has political issues that I may not understand but on this issue I believe that the President and her ministers are on the right track.

As a former president what political advice can you give to your counterpart President Joyce Banda?

It is interesting but I would be modest because I didn’t face the kind of issues that any President, male or female, faces in an African country. I am a member of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, and I look at the Index on the Mo Ibrahim for African Countries and I see so many more pressures on exercising good leadership in Africa. I see it particularly on this issue (of reproductive health) with your President. I think the other issue which she is equally passionate, which is linked, is poverty.

I see great prospects for your country in agriculture. We did talk privately with the President from health to agriculture and the economy. I know you had droughts; you had climate shocks which is another issue I am focussing on since it is climate justice. It also has problems of population growth. But I have a lot of faith your country can be a model country that can effectively address those issues.

What message would you leave for Malawians as you leave the country this Friday?

I enjoyed my first visit to your country but it was brief and purely to work with the President, when she was a Vice President, to open a health clinic. I was happy to do that. I have a real sense that this country has potential for agricultural livelihood for families here is Malawi. Families should grow two crops; cash crop and the usual maize. I think your President is well aware of that.

You have a problem of reproductive health but that is part of the problem of economic development. We feel very confident that you have here in Malawi the commitment to tackle some of the problems which is very good for the future of young girls. It is these young girls who are marrying too young and facing maternal mortality. And I can assure you that the council will likely be back soon.