A lot of people believe that gender inequality really is something of the past, except perhaps in significantly underdeveloped countries. When women like Nenadi Usman, from Southern Kaduna in Nigeria, can become an economic and financial minister, then surely the problem has been solved? Unfortunately, this is not the case. Yes, woman like Nenadi Esther Usman exist, but they are still few and far between. Indeed, even in countries like Germany (Angela Merkel) and the United Kingdom (Theresa May), gender bias continues to be present across the world. Someone like Usman may have been a former finance minister, she continues to be one of the few. What sets her apart, however, is that she believes her past position with the state should serve as an inspiration to other women in Kaduna and beyond, and she hopes that she was not an exception, but rather the start of something new.
The Gender Pay Gap
You have probably heard of the “student loan crisis”, which is present in countries all over the world. What this doesn’t address, however, is the gender pay gap. On average, women earn just 82% of what their male peers earn – and that is in developed countries. What this means is that, for them, it is much more difficult to repay their student loan as well. This is something that Nenadi paid particular attention to, coming from a finance and economics background. According to Esther, when women earn less than men, their education is therefore more expensive.
Nenadi wants to make this burden very clear, hoping that this will truly address the pay gap, which is just one of the many inequalities women continue to face. Esther Usman is not unique in the world. Women the world over have had tremendous achievements in the home, in business, in government, and in the military. Women like Senator Nenadi Esther have proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that women have all the qualities needed to be great leaders. They have demonstrated that gender does not mean ability.
Nenadi Esther has regularly questions why there still seems to be a role for male superiority complexes, chauvinistic attitudes, and male egos. For Esther Nenadi Usman, none of those attitudes help anyone in the country. She believes now is the time to take a more feminine approach to politics, to show men that the world cannot advance when half of the population is being held down and oppressed. Women have a choice and they should be able to take it, and there is no more place for oppression or for political and religious ideologies that place the woman as subservient in the community.
The time has come to empower women, from an as early age as possible. Women contribute tremendously to society, and if they would stop doing all the things they do, the world would grind to a halt. This alone gives them a right to play a hugely important role in governing those societies as well.
