聽*I鈥檓 very happy. I鈥檓 the first woman and first African to lead the organisation鈥�. But I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 about those two attributes. I think it鈥檚 about competence, says Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of World Trade Organisation

*Former Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard has suggested that it is important for women to develop a set of friends and allies, both male and female, prepared to call out gender bias being used against a woman leader

Gbenga Kayode | 绿帽献妻

In relating her fond experience before clinching the plum position as the Head of the global trade institution recently, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), has disclosed that 鈥渃ompetence鈥�, not gender or race saw her appointed as the first African and first woman to lead the governing body of the organisation.

Okonjo-Iweala, who resumed office at the World Trade Organisation Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, March 1, 2021, stated this while speaking with former Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the South China Morning Post鈥檚 鈥榃omen of Our Time鈥� virtual conference, which coincided with this year鈥檚 International Women鈥檚 Day.

绿帽献妻 gathered that both Gillard and Dr. Okonjo-Iweala recently co-authored a book entitled: Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons.

Recollecting her journey to leading the much troubled WTO, reportedly facing one of the most difficult periods in its history, the 66-year-old Director-General who restated her readiness to hit the ground running said: 鈥淢y mantra is, we can鈥檛 have business as usual in this organisation.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 continue to have debates about serious issues of world trade, where we need to make rules about e-commerce and the digital economy.

鈥淲e need to make rules about trade and climate 鈥�, and I think I have the skills to bring people and members together.鈥�

Okonjo-Iweala now faces the herculean task of revitalising the 164-member organisation that has been battered by rising global trade disputes, in particular the US-China trade war, report stated.

According to her, 鈥渨hen you have all these challenges in the organisation, people do wonder, how come this is not the right moment for a woman? So, there鈥檚 a bit of a glass cliff involved in it.鈥�

As part of the current challenges confronting the global trade body, the WTO has also been operating without its Appellate Body, which arbitrates global trade disputes, since December 2019 after the former US President Donald Trump administration in the United States (US) blocked the appointment of new judges.

The Trump Government was reported to have refused to back Dr. Okonjo-Iweala鈥檚 candidacy, instead opting to favour South Korea鈥檚 Yoo Myung-hee, leading to months of delay until the Joe Biden administration withdrew the American opposition.

But with all that as history, Okonjo-Iweala is now in the right position to address the long-standing complaints from the US and Europe about subsidies enjoyed by Chinese state firms favoured by the government.

鈥淚鈥檓 very happy. I鈥檓 the first woman and first African (to lead the organisation). Why not? That鈥檚 what I tell people.

鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 about those two attributes. I think it鈥檚 about competence,鈥� she told South China Morning Post鈥檚 Women of Our Time conference.

She noted that 鈥渨ith all these problems (within the organisation), if you don鈥檛 succeed, then certainly you鈥檙e going to fall over the cliff. So, I have to focus like a laser beam on getting results. 鈥淏ut yes, when you have all these challenges in the organisation, people do wonder, how come this is not the right moment for a woman? So, there鈥檚 a bit of a glass cliff involved in it.鈥�

Okonjo-Iweala said she had already experienced glass cliff situations 鈥� a phenomenon where women are chosen over men for leadership roles in organisations when the chance of failure is high 鈥� during her career.

鈥淏y now, my skin is really thick. What makes you have a thick skin is knowing why you鈥檙e there. You鈥檙e there to get something accomplished 鈥� so that鈥檚 what I used to tell myself.

鈥淒on鈥檛 let them rattle you. Because you have some skills that can help people in your country and you have to apply them,鈥� she stated.

Okonjo-Iweala further said: 鈥淢y advice to people is that sexism is not your problem; it is the problem of the sexist. Racism is not your problem. You are who you are.

鈥淚 like who I am. It is the problem of the other person, if they don鈥檛 like me. I鈥檓 black, I鈥檓 African, so keep going.鈥�

Ex-Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard relates experience in leadership

Former Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the occasion admitted that glass cliff situations also played out in the early months of her tenure in the country, with people judging the job she was doing, in part, based on her gender.

Gillard had served as the first female Prime Minister of Australia between 2010 and 2013.

The discourse at the 鈥榃omen of Our Time鈥� virtual conference grew more and more gendered as there were heated arguments about various policy issues, and it was much more likely that I would be insulted in gendered terms, much of it very, very crude, repot said.

Gillard stated: 鈥淲hat I actually found was, the longer I was Prime Minister, the discourse grew more and more gendered as there were heated arguments about various policy issues, and it was much more likely that I would be insulted in gendered terms, much of it very, very crude.鈥�

According to her, she opted to take a 鈥渟tiff upper lip鈥� approach 鈥� a phrase traditionally used to describe remaining resolute and unemotional when faced with adversity 鈥� by not responding.

In the past month, the Australian Government had been dogged with numerous allegations of sexual assault, one going back 30 years.

Gillard suggested that it is important for women to develop a set of friends and allies, both male and female, who are prepared to call out gender bias being used against a woman leader, because research has shown that if a man calls out sexism, he will be listened to 鈥渆ven more seriously鈥� than when a woman identifies it.

She noted: 鈥淭hat is kind of a little bit galling in some ways, but it happens because people think that a man has got no conflict of interest.

鈥淏ut if he鈥檚 pointing it out, it鈥檚 not because he somehow wants a better deal, it鈥檚 simply because he knows it鈥檚 wrong.鈥�

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