Malawi: Breaking the Glass Ceiling - International Women's Day 2021

Being African, and being a woman has often meant being underrepresented due to discrimination in the corporate and governance pipeline, I thought to myself when I read that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala had just been elected as Director General of the World Trade Organisation. This results from the fact that odds are heavily stacked against them. And although this is an unfortunate reality which must be acknowledged, we must also acknowledge the round pegs in the square holes who have challenged the ruling paradigm in this regard, as Okonjo-Iweala has done so herself.

This should be the case even more so because on the 8th of March, the world celebrates the United Nation's International Women's Day. None of us would be here if it weren't for a woman. Or a man for that matter. But then again, if all of us owe our success to both genders, then why is it that when it comes to important business, political and even artistic leadership positions, women are always at a disadvantage? There are various answers to this question, which must all be addressed.

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