History was made in the history of football. I mean the European Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea. We had female officials in an action-filled contest. Stephanie Frappart, a female French referee, officiated the match with the help of her assistants Manuela Nicolosi of Italy and Michelle O’Neill from the Republic of Ireland.
They became the first women officials to take charge of a major men’s European match. Judging their performances in the game, they didn’t put a foot wrong. Their calls in the match were spot on.
Could this be the revolution that we’ve been waiting for?
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Gender equality is what we’ve always craved for and it’s a welcome development from the world of sports as we finally saw women being trusted to take part in a men’s game. However, we don’t want this to be limited to sports alone, we want to see this in different spheres of life.
We want to see many female Presidents, governors, the board of directors, and other sensitive positions in the world.
We want a world where everyone is seen equal irrespective of gender. Of course, it’s a big ask but we can get there gradually.
Perhaps if we change our mindset, it will change our way of thinking. It will change our view of women, especially in Africa. We need to start seeing women as leaders and not a baby-making factory. We need to start trusting them with sensitive positions.
I was excited when I saw Obiageli Ezekwesili also known as Oby Ezekwesili contested for the post of presidency in Nigeria, but eventually stepped down to some reasons best known to her. As a Nigerian, I wanted it.
Would I have voted for her?
Yes, I would have voted for her. If she could be entrusted with the post of Vice President for the World Bank’s Africa Region in 2007, why can’t she build a falling nation like Nigeria?
A country like Nigeria needs a great leader that understands how to build the country’s economy from scratch, and a candidate like Oby would have been a blessing. But it’s not over yet, Oby has laid a foundation that every woman can build on in the future.
Hillary Clinton was another strong woman that could have been the American president but lost to Donald Trump.
Great women like Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Ariana Huffington and many more, have all shown that women can be successful leaders.
It’s high time Africans overlook gender and give women a chance to also lead nations without bias or prejudice. If they can become successful entrepreneurs, they can also be successful leaders of nations.
But the big question remains, ”are we ready?”