Former Ethics and Integrity minister, Dr. Miria R. K. Matembe has described success as discovering your God-given purpose and noted that when one has a definite reason for living, a “why” behind every action, that is the starting point of all achievements in life.
Matembe made these remarks during the 9th edition of the annual Full Woman Health camp on Saturday at the Kampala Serena Hotell, Victoria Hall. This event is part of the Monitor Publications corporate responsibility projects that seek to improve the well-being of Ugandans.
Matembe drove her discuss around matters regarding health, faith, career and relationships.
She told the listeners that God wanted each to be uniquely different, thus none should feel insecure or lack the self-confidence to be oneself.
“When you keep downplaying yourself, you will not succeed… If you know who you are in God, you won’t desire to be someone else. Never compare yourself to someone else,” she said. “Other people fall from glory to grass. But I fell from worldly glory to God’s grace. And it was wonderful.”
Matembe is a born again Christian Lawyer, married to Nekemia Matembe, with whom they have four sons. She is a proponent for and an advocate of women’s human rights in Uganda and recently came out to back up a section of legislatures fighting the age limit bill that seeks to among other things lift the presidential age limit currently capped at 75.
“I studied law to fight for the rights of women and young girls, not to make money,” Matembe said.
On marriage, Matembe discouraged listeners from “trying to manage their partners,” instead, “understand and love them for who they are.” “Then find ways to agree,” she quickly added
“Marriage is like a garden of roses. That garden has thorns. What matters is the strategy you use to prune… I’m married, people say, how does that man [Mr Nekemia Matembe] manage this woman? I’m not a factory that needs management, I’m a human being who needs to be understood,” explained Matembe who said she considers herself an accomplished woman of destiny.
Just recently, Matembe authored a book titled, “Woman in the Eyes of God.” It is here that she said one of the constraints to gender equality which denies women the ability to realise their potential and utilise their God given talents is religious misinterpretation and misapplication.
In this book, Dr. Matembe presented a different point of view, trusting that her interpretation of some of the scriptures that relate to women will give readers an image different from the one they have had.
Other panelists at the Full Woman Health camp included, Mr Emma Mugisha, Dr. Catherine Nanono, ‘Kojja’ Ibrahim Semakula from Ddembe FM among others.
aaron@ugchristiannews.com
