Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba - Photo credit: Facebook page fo the Office of the SPeaker

Lawmakers in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly debated the proper title for Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba on Monday, following a heated exchange over an international report that referred to her as “Ms.”

The debate was sparked after Hon. Gabriel Guot Guot presented the report from the 150th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, where the use of “Ms” instead of the more traditional “Mrs” in the official document caused a division among the lawmakers.

Conflicting cultures and protocols

The disagreement began when Flex Bali of the SPLM from Western Equatoria objected to the way Speaker Kumba’s title was written in the report.

He claimed the use of “Ms” failed to reflect the Speaker’s marital status and insisted it should be corrected.

“First of all, I want to start with a correction from the title. Right Honorable in bracket, they put Miss. But Miss in English is when you don’t know whether this person is married or not married,” he argued

“So, the right way to give dignity to our female who attended, we add R we put MRS. This one will be clear. This person is married. So, just remind,” he added.

In response, Guot Guot defended the use of “Ms”, saying it follows the IPU’s official format and protocols.

“We are using the format of the IPU. We write here Mrs. And then they go and bring out cancel R and say this,” he said.

Other lawmakers joined the discussion, sharing their views on whether or not marital status should be reflected in official titles, especially for women leaders.

Barnaba Marial Benjamin backed the use of “Ms”, saying it recognizes a woman’s identity and independence, without tying it to her husband’s name.

“It is interesting actually. When you say Mrs., then we will not mention the name of the speaker, it will be the husband’s. You see. But to give the lady her independence and her identity, you put MS. You see. It has this liberation of women, you know,” he asserted.

Luka Monoja also weighed in, stating that international norms discourage referring to women by their marital status, adding that gender, not social status, should be the standard reference.

“International law discourages defining women by their marital status. We only need to show gender male or female not whether someone is married,” he said.

Speaker’s conclusion

In the end, Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba herself stepped in to clarify the matter.

“Thank you very much. The explanation is clear. We are using international norms because the IPU is an international body. For the record, your speaker is Mrs. Jemma Nunu Kumba, very officially married for the last 39 years. Let us adopt the report as it is,” she declared.

Despite the initial disagreements, the parliament eventually adopted the report, with the Speaker reaffirming the country’s commitment to following international parliamentary standards.