The elevation of Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, to the position of Commonwealth Secretary-General last week shines a spotlight on the opportunities now available to African women on the international stage.
Similarly, in 2021, Nigeria’s former Finance Minister, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was appointed as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the highest position within the organization. Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala and Mrs. Botchwey are the first African women to hold these prestigious positions.
Another recent high-level appointment for a Ghanaian woman was that of former Foreign Affairs Minister Ms Hanna Serwah Tetteh. Upon leaving office, she became the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General to the African Union and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU).
These remarkable stories and appointments should be shared often with our African women as sources of inspiration.
As a youth in Africa, though in my early 40s, I find these appointments and the elevation of Africa’s women highly encouraging. They motivate me to continue promoting and advancing the education of women in my community, especially for young girls.
Growing up in the Zongos, I witnessed the belief that a woman’s secular education beyond a certain stage is akin to giving her a dagger to stab her family—or her husband—in the heart.
Thankfully, this perception is changing, though there remains a lingering mindset among some men regarding women with higher education.
It’s, therefore, unsurprising to see high rates of divorce or single women—often referred to as “tuluruwa”—still residing with their parents among educated women in Muslim or Zongo communities across Ghana and Africa at large.
Single women with university degrees often experience resentment from men in the Zongos who consider themselves ready for marriage but lack similar educational backgrounds or status. More needs to be done to combat the stigma and stereotypes around educated women in our communities. By all standards, the education of girls/women is as vital as the education of boys/men.
I also encourage women with higher education in the Zongos, who may see themselves as “high-class,” to remain tolerant, understanding, and mindful of our community and religious values. Being considerate toward men with fewer qualifications or lower-paying jobs can promote harmony in our communities.
A family is built by two people, not one. Coming together as a family requires mutual respect and this qualities help foster peaceful relationships.
Reflecting on the achievements of these distinguished African women, I urge all junior and senior high school teachers, headmasters, headmistresses, parents, guardians and community leaders to use their stories as sources of motivation and inspiration for younger generations.
Ghana continues to set examples for Africa and the world. At one time, it was almost unthinkable for a woman to lead vital state institutions like the judiciary or parliament in parts of Africa. But Ghana has made such leadership common, accepted and normalized within its borders and beyond.
Our Holy Books, the Quran and the Bible (Old and new Testaments) encourages us to be fair, just and tolerant in our interactions with each other. But too often, women are denied their due status at home, in communities and at workplaces. If we genuinely want our daughters to receive the respect they deserve, these practices must change.
Islam, in particular, reminds us of the equality of men and women except for those who most fear Allah, as illustrated in the following verse and hadith: “Surely for Muslim men and women, believing men and women, devout men and women, truthful men and women, patient men and women, humble men and women, charitable men and women, fasting men and women, men and women who guard their chastity, and men and women who remember Allah often—for ˹all of˺ them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.” (Quran 33:35)
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “None of you attains faith until he loves for his neighbour what he loves for himself.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
I pray to Allah to elevate our ranks in this world and the hereafter and to keep us steadfast on His path of righteousness.
“Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Eminent Member and Chairman of the Finance and Fundraising Committee, Greater Accra Regional Peace Council, National Peace Council of Ghana (NPC)
By Alhaji Khuzaima Mohammed Osman