Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the new head of the WTO 

The legacy of African women activists and politicians is a testament to the struggle and empowerment of African women in the world. The women's experience has not always been easy, nor is success by any means guaranteed. But despite the difficulties, it can be said that women's record at the helm of their countries has been recognised and has confirmed that, on the road to renewal, women's empowerment must also be promoted. 

The Biafra war, her mother's abduction, sexism, corruption in Nigeria: former Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has forged a steely character throughout her ordeal. Her appointment is a breakthrough for the WTO in every sense. 

No one can detract from this woman's achievements. At international meetings, she can always be seen dressed in a traditional Nigerian costume of brightly printed cotton. At 66, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the first African woman to take the reins of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for a four-year term. 

Crippled by the early departure in May 2020 of its previous head, Brazilian Robert Azevêdo, and by the Trump administration's exacerbated protectionism, the WTO needs to be revived, as its role is to develop and enforce international trade rules to avoid customs and trade clashes among its members. 

Her CV paints a picture of someone who is an intrinsic and unquestionable part of the global establishment, always with her sights set on a progressive agenda. The new director general will find in her Geneva office burning issues that will test her international negotiating skills, essential for the functioning of the multilateral institution, which could then come out of its lethargy and find the means to carry out its essential mission: to peacefully resolve trade disputes between its member states. 

The historical trajectory of the African continent and the needs of the collective have also influenced the situation of women: throughout African history, women have gained and lost power. African women activists and political leaders illustrate the great difficulties encountered when it comes to making women visible as those capable of breaking with dominant gender mandates and challenging established power bases. 

Okonjo-Iweala has a quarter of a century of experience in international finance at the World Bank, where she was responsible for a portfolio worth some $81 billion, and a long career as Nigeria's finance minister. Her candidacy has received very broad support during the selection process, for which unanimity is required. 

For many women in Africa, such as Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, achieving gender equality and women's empowerment is a prerequisite for building healthier, better educated, more peaceful and more prosperous societies. As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie puts it, "when women's full empowerment and participation is achieved, the whole society benefits. This is the only way to successfully address the enormous challenges facing our society. So African women are becoming increasingly aware and active in the development not only of Africa but of the whole world. 

This simple statement often does not coincide with the reality in many African societies. For historical and cultural reasons, women have been excluded from the leadership and implementation of economic and political processes in most African countries. There is enormous diversity in this geographical and political reality that we call Africa. There are many different countries with disparate languages and cultures, with different levels of development and different ways of organising themselves politically. However, there has been one constant that unifies the recent history of African societies, and that is the discrimination that women have suffered within them. In different terms and to different degrees we find customs and legislation that restrict women's rights and freedoms despite their significant participation in the labour force, especially domestic and agricultural work for most women. On the African continent we find some of the most striking examples of the initiative taken by women activists on their own to participate in or influence African societies and politics.  

Women in Africa today are seen as a privileged engine for achieving economic development, social and political equality. African women are becoming more and more autonomous in all areas of life, gaining more and more spaces of power. Although they are key players in all aspects of the social, economic, political and cultural reality in each country, their participation in the development of the world has historically remained invisible. However, it is still a challenge to ensure that this representation has a positive impact on women's daily lives. Women have long since begun to actively participate in spaces traditionally considered men's domains of power. In urban areas, women are calling for gender democracy, with equal rights, as legal discrimination is common in most countries. Progress has been made in several sub-Saharan countries that have developed equal legislation. In addition to voting, all African countries recognise women's suffrage, women participate in different spheres of power, for example in national and international judicial bodies, in parliaments, local assemblies and in the executive, as heads of state and government, ministers, ambassadors, etc. 

The African continent and the world in general is undergoing major changes, including a strong social and economic transformation that has led to significant advances in the development and empowerment of African women. All these ingredients have significant gender dimensions because women are the most affected by these situations given the roles imposed on them by society, which are generally related to the provision of food and care for the young, the sick and the elderly while having to cope with the loss of livelihoods and the deterioration of health and security. Women's organisations continue to play a key role not only in creating services but also in demanding accountability and pushing for more and better policy action.  

African women have committed themselves to human rights and dignified lives, laying the groundwork for building more just and equal citizenships. Likewise, women such as Okonjo-Iweala have served as an emancipatory and critical element, occupying a fundamental place in the construction of processes of change. 

The trajectory of African women activists and political leaders illustrates the great difficulties encountered when it comes to making African women visible as those capable of breaking with dominant gender mandates and challenging the foundations of established power. Appointments such as Okonjo-Iweala's have been a good reference point from which to promote and advocate for the transformation of political leadership. The legacy of African women activists and politicians is a testament to the struggle and empowerment of African women in the world.