Sick and tired of seeing women being presented as ‘just meat’ to be devoured with a free-for-all attitude, I have made a conscious decision to post articles and video clips of the phenomenal women I come across. This is not a moral crusade, our morals are determined by our values. I value being seen a whole human being not just ‘this thing’ that is there for men. At the same time, I know not all men see women as objects but we have a porous media that delights in what sells. Well, we are not for sale and we must show there are women achievers young girls can look up to.
So, my phenomenal woman series is about women, who challenge me mentally, intellectually and in different aspects of life; women who know who they are and what they stand for and women who do not feel the need to dilute what they say to please the masses but stand firm, knowing full well that what they are saying makes sense. Women who inspire and challenge the norm, that’s the woman I want to become and so, I celebrate those who have gone ahead of me. Today, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is that woman. She is currently a director of the World Bank and was Nigeria’s Finance Minister and then briefly Foreign Affairs Minister from 2003 to 2006, and was the first woman to hold either position in the history of that, nation. Her actions were criticised by those who hate progress, yet she pressed on and achieved more than a few before her had managed. Nigeria’s debt was reduced and she also worked to address the nations plague of corruption and make Nigeria’s finances more transparent, needless to say, the corrupt punks among them made sure they threw all they could to frustrate her efforts but she held on and made sound judgements, where decisions were concerned. She started reforms to make the Nigeria’s economy more hospitable to foreign investment and her credit was good too because a few heeded her call to come and invest. I wonder how many other people can say they have that kind of credit?
My baby sister recently went off to university to study Economics, it is my hope that she and other young women across the African continent and the world look at the achievements of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and tell themselves they can do it. I hope that they will never feel the need to settle for less because they are women but push down doors and boundaries, and become a force to be reckoned with in whatever they do with their lives. I know life places us in different circumstances and situations we have no control over, after all, you don’t get to pick the family you will be born into, the nation or continent but we also need to show young girls that they can do more with their heart, head and skills than they can achieve being flat on their back or doing the bootie-call honour roll in music videos. I shall leave it there for now.
Enjoy, be inspired, take action and execute your goals!!
If you know of other phenomenal woman out there, please share.
