-By Favour C. Nrabalu
In this month’s edition of women’s corner, we will delve into a misconstrued concept on how we should behave as women who are aspiring to get to the top or who are aspiring for greatness.
This misconception is simply the ideology that as a woman, you don’t need men to get to where you are going or that men are out to get you. This mentality is quite dangerous and will lead us nowhere as we need men (just as we need most people we come in contact with; be it man or woman) to climb the ladder to get to where you are heading to. Instead of seeing men as enemies of progress, we should learn to take them as allies and colleagues. By so doing, when the time comes for them to support us in whatever endeavour we are aiming at, because of the good relationship we have already developed with them, they will help you in pushing our agenda as long as it will be for a good cause.
Let’s take the recently appointed Director General of the World Trade Organization, H.E Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala as an example. She is the first woman and first African to hold this position; this is no small feat. She built herself as well as her capacity over the years and was recognized for her excellent work ethics and ability to deliver excellence professionally. However, it is safe to believe that she had a good rapport with those she worked with or met over the years, such that when the time came for her to be selected for the position, she had the nomination and backing of the President of her country, Nigeria (a man) in person of President Muhammadu Buhari. She had also worked as a Nigerian Finance minister, twice, under the administration of male Presidents (the first woman to hold this position at all and the first woman to have served in this position under two different presidents) and has had numerous, reputable appointments over a span of 30 years including being at one time the Vice President of the World Bank, yet, she was always said to have exhibited a humble demeanor in spite of her obvious strengths and capabilities. I assure you that if she had portrayed to people that she could do without them (especially men), she wouldn’t have the kind of support she has now which has helped in spear heading her to where she is today.
In the same vein, our very own H.E Amina Mohammed who is the current Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations was given the opportunity to serve by a man, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres who knew she would be capable of handling the position. She had also previously served as the Minister of Environment between 2015-2017 under the President Buhari led administration. There are numerous examples of women who are thriving in their chosen fields and endeavours both as a result of building their experience and abilities over the years as well as because of the relationships they’ve built with men and women they’ve come and across.
The aim of this article does not imply to say women shouldn’t compete with men in boardroom and politics; but what I am simply saying is; treat everyone equally, with genuine respect and kindness, whether man or woman but most of all, try not to see men as enemies of gender parity and progress, rather just as you see fellow women as allies, try to see men as same through the same prism.