This has been a really fascinating year to witness the seismic
changes in today’s global landscape. Many of us laughed at the whole
Brexit movement because we knew for a fact that it couldn’t happen,
until it did.
We’ve watched the debasing of American politics as the campaign
dialogue races to the bottom of centuries-held norms of acceptable
behavior among political office aspirants. Donald Trump has demonstrated
such deeply divisive actions and uttered very shocking words that one
almost wonders if Paul Ryan and Reince Priebus will come out and say
this was a grand ole experiment to see how far crazy America
would tolerate. The release of the recent audio tape in which he was
heard referring to his predilection to sexual assault against beautiful
women around him made me shudder. This is 2016. We cannot accept a
self-confessed assaulter of women as a candidate for the highest office
in the United States of America.
We’ve now got Theresa May as the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister.
We’ve got Angela Merkel as the most powerful woman in Europe and
possibly the entire world for now. We’ve got Hillary Clinton as
the first female major party ticket holder for candidate for US
president. How can this be happening today? And then the grand finale
(or at least I hope) of the verbal assault on women on the global stage
occurred when my very own president, Muhammadu Buhari, in response to
his wife’s criticisms of his administration said “I don’t know which
party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living
room and the other room.” Wow. Very quickly after this, the hashtag
#TheOtherRoom began trending with Nigerians and the world screaming out
about this misogynistic message from a leader in today’s world who was
standing right beside Angela Merkel when this statement was made!
I’m a 40 year old investment banker who also happens to be a wife
and mother to three sons. I am constantly juggling, balancing and trying
my best to have a fulfilling life which allows me to surpass my
ambitious goals with a healthy and happy marriage, family and friends
right beside me. I am always being told to work “harder than they do”
and “lean in.” As hard as I work and as much as I lean in, I’m
struggling to understand how to make sure that the decision makers and
leaders in today’s global economy can see me and all of the other women
like me working as hard as our bodies and minds will allow. Do we
matter in the grand scheme of things?
Can men in today’s business environment see beyond the fact that I
am a “young woman?” I recently sat in front of an allegedly
well-respected man, possibly in his 50s, discussing my interests in
board appointments and he called me a “baby” when I told him my age. I
sat there in front of him as cool as a cucumber but I was furious. I
doubt he meant to be condescending but I began to wonder when I would be
regarded for the breadth and depth of my professional and personal
accomplishments without being looked upon as a child. Nigerian society
has an acute problem with sexism and ageism. We need to fix this quickly
otherwise we will continue to lack the full range of tools, brain
power, and efficiency to lift ourselves out of this economic rut, which
predominantly older men have plunged us into. Young people today bring
fresh ideas and a new way of thinking which is what has propelled
technological advances globally. We must embrace the contributions of
those under the 50 - 60 age bracket in Nigeria and bring women along for
the journey too. We don't want to be in the trunk or back seat either.
Sometimes we want to drive.
We also have to see more women as competent and capable of the
highest offices in the land. The banking and legal sectors have managed
to get this right given the vast numbers of mid-level and senior women
in these fields. Notwithstanding this fact, out of 25 commercial and
merchant banks in Nigeria, only 3 have female chief executives. If women
represent 50% of the population, when will we start to represent 50% of
the executive suite? How can we succeed at pushing this agenda if our
own President can demean his wife on the global stage by saying that she
belongs in the kitchen and other private areas of the home? The
assuring part of this #TheOtherRoom debacle is that the private sector
always leads the public sector so while I have no doubt that women will
continue to shatter the glass ceiling in the private sector, our
government is woefully behind in its actions and thinking.
As I and many other women work incredibly hard to differentiate
ourselves in our careers and soar new heights, I am asking you if you
see us? Just because I don’t grace the newspapers in the style sections
and ensure I am in the spotlight for things other than my passion topics
– female empowerment, financial security, international finance – do I
not matter? Just because I am not 50+ doesn’t mean my experiences don’t
count. I’ve worked in Central and South America, North America,
Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. I’ve had an almost 20 year career in
finance and entrepreneurship with major global institutions. How can I
be referred to as a baby with a silly head nod to boot? Can we scoff at
Mark Zuckerberg for being 32 years old in the face of his
achievements? That would be unwise. Larry Page and Sergei Brin,
co-founded Google in 1998 when they were 25 years old and I don’t need
to tell you what they’ve done for the planet since then. Do you see so
many of my female contemporaries who are brilliant, successful and
brimming with ideas?
I was recently given advice that I should create a brand for myself as apparently this is all the rage de rigueur. Make
sure that people know exactly what I stand for and make my opinions
matter. I do this every day in my work place and in my community but do
you see me? There are millions of women who are stepping up in their
workplaces and earning accolades quietly. Do you even see us? I’ve heard
so many stories about accomplished women with multiple Ivy League
degrees and bonafide work experience to support their current position,
only to be reduced to the demeaning and absurd objectification that they
are where they are because they used woman power with their
male bosses or some other powerful man lurking in the shadows. Do you
see us? Do you see the millions of hardworking, well-educated,
multitasking women out there who are contributing to their families,
supporting their aged parents and still making magic in the office? What
is this notion about getting ourselves out there more? Why don’t you
see us? We are everywhere, everyday.
Men are appreciated for being ambitious and assertive while women
are admonished for being aggressive. Many of us are working towards the
same goals. We want to be recognized for our hard work. I’m not speaking
for those women or men who seek shortcuts through subterfuge and
illicit means. I’m talking about women like myself – well-educated, well
intentioned, hardworking, credentialed, honest. We aren’t perfect but
we deserve to be seen.
I’m watching with excitement at the global rise of women and also with disappointment as male leaders are tearing us down. When leaders engage in this misogynistic verbiage, followers follow suit. Why do we have to keep referring to Bill Clinton’s misadventures with women when it’s his wife that’s running for President? Why are people so quick to crucify her for staying with her husband when he was publicly caught denigrating his office? Why is it our business even? Do you see Hillary as the candidate in all her accomplished and shining glory or do you see Bill Clinton’s wife who should be baking cookies and a cake?
Sadly America is quickly losing its exceptionalism in the world and
the likes of Donald Trump are exacerbating the steep decline. Who is
going to change the way the world looks at girls and women? We are. We
as women will need to continue to demand that we are seen and heard and
not misunderstood. One woman’s actions cannot represent the lot of
us. In the case of Nigeria, you can’t get away with saying “Well, we
gave them a powerful set of ministries to govern and they
messed it up. Don’t expect serious responsibility again.” That’s not
fair to the rest of the 3.5 billion girls and women on the planet. We
don't say “Well, Adolf Hitler was a man, Francisco Franco was a man,
Sanni Abacha was a man. No more men in power again.”
We have to take equality seriously because it’s a political and social imperative. Women deserve to have 50% representation in classrooms, workplace, government, and beyond.
No comments:
Post a Comment