5 ways to start building your political career
Today more women are taking charge and running the show in different capacities as businesswomen, captains of industries, CEOs, academics, and professionals. Yasss! Salute to all the Motherland Moguls making it happen. For the longest time, politics all around the world has been referred to as the big boys’ game. Well, hold the door fellas because more girls wanna come in and play too. Why politics? It’s simple. There are various issues that affect us African women such as those tendered in the Nigerian Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill which failed to pass for the second reading in the Nigerian Senate. Some of these issues include access to education, divorce rights, ownership of property. To get the laws that will favour us, we need better representation in government. An article in the West Africa Insight declares that women are usually found at the bottom of the political chain; organizing, supporting, and acting as spectators as opposed to leading and initiating. Traditionally, the woman is relegated to the background and as such this practice has found its way into political participation. In the ECOWAS parliament, we have only a minute number of female parliamentarians. Nigeria has one of the lowest numbers of female senators and ECOWAS parliamentarians (6.7% of parliamentarians in Nigeria are female). Despite decades of self-governance, this country has produced only two female governors in its entire history. Does this mean that women are uninterested in politics? Of course not. While we recognize that the participation of women in politics has been an immense struggle with several factors working against us such as financial constraints and cultural inhibitions, we must rise to the occasion. We commend the efforts of countries like Rwanda, South Africa and Namibia for taking a feminist stance in political representation. However, several African countries are still lagging behind. We need to rewrite the story of women in Africa and it starts with every single one of us. Politics is not confined to running for office either. Some of us will rise to become the most influential persons in the government’s cabinet as ministers, commissioners, advisers and administrators. It’s not just about women issues. If we are qualified and passionate about good governance, then we should put ourselves out there. If you have a dream to create an impact in your constituency, by all means work towards it. Where should you begin? For those of us who would like to make our foray into politics, these are some of the steps we need to be taking: 1. Start young It’s not too early to plot your map and begin making steps towards your political future. Now is as good a time as any. Take a leaf from Lindiwe Mazibuko, former parliamentary leader for the Democratic Alliance in South Africa who made history as one of the youngest parliamentarians. She decided to veer into politics after being intrigued by her future party’s dynamics making it the focus of her final year dissertation in university. 2. Get involved with a cause You need to be known for something. This is the time to begin to carve a niche for yourself. What social issues are you most passionate about? There are several campaigns that you can get involved with depending on where your passions lie. Volunteer within the community. Propelled by crises in her own life, Joyce Banda, Former President of Malawi inspired and impacted the lives of women and children battling systemic abuse and poverty even before assuming public office. She also fought to enact bills protecting women and children when she gained a seat in parliament. 3. Align with a mentor Network with the people who can kick off your career and fund your aspirations. According to Political Parity, a platform aimed at helping women achieve their political aspirations, more women remain at the bottom tier because of lack of access to funding. Mentors who are able to relay their experience as well as provide resources and connections play an invaluable role in an aspirant’s rise to success. 4. Develop the right skills to stay relevant Hanna Tetteh became an indispensable member of her political party in Ghana after a worthy performance managing its communication strategy. She has been described as an expert negotiator and it is no surprise that this skill has helped keep her at the top of the political ladder. What skills can you start to develop that will be useful when you begin building your political career? 5. Become an expert in your chosen field As a young woman some people may already have their doubts about you so it is extremely important that you become a master in your field. Former Nigerian Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonji-Iweala had a long career as an economist rising to one of the top positions in the World Bank before entering government. Despite controversies, she was a prized asset in President Jonathan’s government due to her level of expertise. Thulisile Madonsela became Public Protector of South Africa after receiving a 100 percent vote from parliament. She holds a BA in Law and an LLB, she was also awarded three honorary doctorates in law after an impressive record in public service. She was involved in the drafting of South Africa’s constitution amongst other notable feats. No one can deny that she knows the law and would be an effective advocate for South Africans. Begin to build a worthy resume by deciding what area you intend to become an authority in and by working diligently at it. There you have it ladies, 5 steps that can help you ascend the political ladder. What moves will you be making?
20 powerful Chimamanda Adichie quotes for today’s boss women
Nigerian writer, speaker, and activist, Chimamanda Adichie, is beloved by many. The award winning novelist and Ted talk sensation is fiercely revered for being a thought leader on Africa and contemporary African politics. With her recent feature on Beyonce’s self titled album, Beyonce, many have come to know her for talk, “We should all be feminist”. But Adichie speaks on more fronts than one, from the personal and private to the institutional and public. Below, we share 20 of our favorite quotes by Adichie that shed light on some of the topics and issues today’s boss women care about: being our true and best selves, navigating social roles, confronting gender and racial injustice, love and relationships, the motherland, and of course, money and being a creative. While short, each quote is steeped deep in history and context and is worth pondering over. On being a powerful woman 1. Never ever accept ‘Because You Are A Woman’ as a reason for doing or not doing anything. 2. I want to be respected in all of my femaleness because I deserve to be. 3. Minister to the world in a way that can change it. Minister radically in a real, active, practical, get your hands dirty way. On life 4. Your standard ideologies will not always fit your life. Because life is messy. 5. Please do not twist yourself into shapes to please. Don’t do it. If someone likes that version of you, that version of you that is false and holds back, then they actually just like that twisted shape, and not you. And the world is such a gloriously multifaceted, diverse place that there are people in the world who will like you, the real you, as you are. 6. The truth has become an insult. On Men, Love, and Relationships 7. Masculinity is a hard, small cage, and we put boys inside this cage. 8. Of course I am not worried about intimating men. The type of man who will be intimidated is exactly the type of man I have no interest in. 9. Please love by giving and by taking. Give and be given. If you are only giving and not taking, you’ll know. You’ll know from that small and true voice inside you that we females are so often socialized to silence. Don’t silence that voice. Dare to take. On injustice 10. Racism should never have happened and so you don’t get a cookie for reducing it. 11. The real tragedy of our postcolonial world is not that the majority of people had no say in whether or not they wanted this new world; rather, it is that the majority have not been given the tools to negotiate this new world. On Gender and Feminism 12. I am trying to unlearn many lessons of gender I internalized while growing up. But I sometimes still feel vulnerable in the face of gender expectations. 13. Some people ask: “Why the word feminist? Why not just say you are a believer in human rights, or something like that?” Because that would be dishonest. Feminism is, of course, part of human rights in general—but to choose to use the vague expression human rights is to deny the specific and particular problem of gender. It would be a way of pretending that it was not women who have, for centuries, been excluded. It would be a way of denying that the problem of gender targets women. 14. Culture does not make people. People make culture. If it is true that the full humanity of women is not our culture, then we can and must make it our culture. On Africa and being African 15. I recently spoke at a university where a student told me it was such a shame that Nigerian men were physical abusers like the father character in my novel. I told him that I had recently read a novel called American Psycho, and that it was a shame that young Americans were serial murderers. 16. They themselves mocked Africa, trading stories of absurdity, of stupidity, and they felt safe to mock, because it was a mockery born of longing, and of the heartbroken desire to see a place made whole again. 17. Because although there’s a lot of gender bullshit in Nigeria, I think women in the west have a lot more invested in being liked. And being liked if you’re female means a certain thing. So in workplaces, women who are bosses in Nigeria are fierce. The people who work for them, men and women, respect them. But, these are women who very keenly perform gender stereotypes when they go back home. And if they give a public interview, they have to say, ‘My husband supported me and allowed me to …’. On Money and wealth 18. Creative writing programmes are not very necessary. They just exist so that people like us can make a living. 19. There are many different ways to be poor in the world but increasingly there seems to be one single way to be rich. 20. How can we resist exploitation if we don’t have the tools to understand exploitation. Which of your favourite quotes by Chimamanda did we miss?
We should all be feminists: The business case for women’s inclusion
Mao Zedong once said: “Women hold up half the sky”. While I wholeheartedly agree with this notion— I must add that in Africa, women not only hold up half the sky but also hold down the land and everything therein. Let’s examine the facts: According to ActionAid International, women make up more than half of African farmers and produce up to 90% of Africa’s food Women constitute over 50% of Africa’s growing population According to the McKinsey Global Institute, women represent 70% of Africa’s informal economy It is simply impossible to imagine Africa without its women. However, as Africa has rapidly progressed, there has been a lack of proportional representation of women. Women are often missing in the narrative of Africa’s growth and are clearly underrepresented in governance. The concepts of growth and governance are in many ways intertwined and key to a prosperous Africa. To drive growth, Africa needs leaders with diverse skills, talents and backgrounds. Given women’s make up over 50% of Africa’s human capital, Africa can’t achieve any milestones without them. There are clear benefits for integrating women into Africa’s growth story and dire consequences for excluding them. Economists estimate that Africa needs to grow at a rate of at least 7% per year to put a meaningful dent on poverty. While some countries are on track to meet this target, others are lagging behind. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that an increase in female labor force participation –or a reduction in the gap between women’s and men’s labor force participation—results in faster economic growth. Also, development economics expert Stephan Klasen found that gender inequality in employment negatively impacts growth in Sub-Saharan Africa— the continent directly suffers losses of 0.3% per year compared to East Asia due to this problem. Fundamentally, the principle of economics tells us there are 3 key ingredients for economic growth: land, capital and labor. Economic growth is maximized when all of these factors are fully tapped into and being utilized. There is no nation in the history of the world that has achieved meaningful economic growth without engaging its female population. Further, the Nike Foundation found that women reinvest 90% of their income back into the household, whereas men only reinvest 35-40%. Cross referenced, the data suggests that the path to sustainable growth for Africa is one that needs women at its forefront. Hence, governments, private sector firms and individuals need to make a conscious effort to promote female participation in building the kind of economy Africa deserves. That said, Africa needs visionary and ethical leaders. Since gaining independence from colonial powers, many African countries have been ruled by male leaders (often dictators), and in that time we have not made meaningful progress. According to the World Bank, East Asia managed to reduce extreme poverty from 78% in 1981 to 8% in 2011. In South Asia, the share of the population living in extreme poverty is now the lowest since 1981, dropping from 61% in 1981 to 25% in 2011. Sub-Saharan Africa on the other hand, has only reduced its rate of extreme poverty from 53% in 1981 to 47% in 2011. While one can argue that external factors have contributed to this reality, I emphasize that a large part of Africa’s failure to live up to its potential has been due to poor leadership. Numerous behavioral studies have found women to be more trustworthy and publicly spirited than men and particularly effective in honest governance. A study by the World Bank Development Research Group found that higher rates of female participation in government are associated with lower levels of corruption. One can argue that these studies are neither all-encompassing nor conclusive. However, given that our current modus operandi has largely failed, I suggest we employ another approach towards the leadership of our continent – one that has more female leaders at the table. The World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report shows Rwanda as being in the top 10 countries of gender equality globally. One area of particular strength is the political empowerment of Rwanda’s women. The country’s women hold 64% of parliament seats (highest in the world) and 39% of ministerial positions. Rwanda also holds the number 1 rank globally for female labor participation, where the country has more women than men contributing to the GDP (with a female to male ratio of 1.02). It is no surprise, then, that Rwanda’s economy grew by 7% in 2014 and is projected to grow by 7.5% in both 2015 and 2016 according to the African Economic Outlook. The success Rwanda has shown in engaging women in political leadership is a glimpse of what the rest of Africa can accomplish with more women at the table. The business case for aggressively engaging women in the development story of Africa is clear— we simply cannot achieve growth without them. While there have been some bright spots, leadership has been poor. To realize our potential across every sector, women need to be engaged women at all levels. Women will not solve all our problems, but leveraging our most talented people—both female and male—promises to be the only sustainable solution.