By Josephine Dei Kotei.
“Why fit in When You Were Born to Stand Out”-Dr. Seuss.
I have always been asked multiple times how I can work in a male-dominated working environment and still come out successful. I have myself taken inspiration from other bold women who made it a point in their working lives to either stand up to the task or get relegated based on incompetence.
It is either you stand out and be counted or you act as if you are secondary and never get to change anything or be part of a changing regime.
Women were not created to be secondary or to sit and watch as action is being taken. Women in our 21st-century world are to see themselves as game starters and changers; taking inspiration from Nana Yaa Asantewaa of Ejisu who stood up and called the bluff of the British colonial masters; which started the Sagrenti war. Inspiration can also be taken from Maya Angelou, Ama Ata Aidoo, Winnie Mandela, and Anti-Apartheid activists among others.
The women mentioned in the second paragraph had men in their days but didn’t sit to wait for the men to set the ball rolling before joining; instead, they took the bull by its horns and made great strides with whatever they were known for.
Women across the globe are to make it a point to stand out and be counted on issues relating to the economy, security, health, education, gender and social welfare, and politics, among others. The Vice President of the USA, Kamala Harris, and Supreme Court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson are women who are currently standing out in their respective roles and making proud other young men who look up to them.
The theme for the 2021 International Women’s Day threw more light on Gender Equality. This alone gives women the upper hand to also make strides and know they are no fewer humans than any other gender.
It wouldn’t be easy to make a mark but the only way to get it done is by making a move.
