A female food vendor in Lagos shared vitriolic messages she got from a male customer who ordered food from her and was irate that she used a dispatch driver to deliver the food. The man called her stupid and asked,“ You think I ordered because I don’t know what to do with my money? 5 litres of soup and you cannot deliver it and spend time with me?”
Under her post, other young female entrepreneurs shared their own depressing stories, including one who was almost raped by a male client who’d asked her to come to his house to measure him for clothes he wanted made. She managed to escape by threatening him with a bottle. Some of the women said they stopped doing business because of the constant harassment from men who expected to be rewarded in kind for giving them business.
These men think that the only way a woman should succeed in business is by allowing men sleep with them. Sadly, these are more than just isolated incidents making the rounds on social media. Years ago, a friend was stranded in Nsukka, and a man she considered a friend offered to house her overnight. He gave her dinner and then demanded sex. When she turned him down, he threw her out. If he was doing her a favour, he wanted one himself too. These incidents highlight the systemic issue of harassment and discrimination faced by women in Nigeria.
Last week, Zenith Bank announced the appointment of Dame (Dr) Adaora Umeoji as its Group Managing Director/Chief Executive. Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji – per the bank’s site- is the first female GMD/CEO since the inception of the bank, “and her appointment is consistent with the bank’s executive transition tradition, succession plan, and strategy of grooming leaders from within.” Umeoji has close to 30 years of banking experience and has been with Zenith Bank for 26 years. Apparently, she is known in many circles as Ada Zenith. With degrees and certificates from Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, MIT, UniJos and a First-Class honour in Law from Baze University, Abuja, amongst others, Umeoji, it is clear, was appointed on merit.
Her appointment should, therefore, have been celebrated by everyone as a significant milestone, not just for the bank but for women in leadership positions across Nigeria. However, the unfortunate reality of gender bias and sexism reared its ugly head once again. Some (ignorant men) questioned her qualifications and insinuated that she must have slept with some oga at the top to get the job. One man who could barely spell wrote that she looked like a “hook-up girl.” Some mocked her for chasing her career rather than a husband, forcing her husband’s relative (I presume) to write a post about “our wife,” and demand that she be respected. The baseless insinuations and derogatory comments made about her appointment further underscore the pervasive misogyny that persists in our society.
The stories shared by these women, from the food vendor facing harassment from a customer to the entrepreneur narrowly escaping assault, show the urgent need for action to address the dangerous misogyny and sexism deluxe model our people are peddling. No woman should have to feel unsafe doing legitimate business. No man should feel entitled to a woman’s time or body for patronising her business. And no woman should have to face ridiculous accusations of using her body to achieve success, especially if her qualifications are clear for all to see. And no woman’s respect should have to be conditional on her having a husband.
It was heartwarming to read testimonials on social media from people who have had dealings with Umeoji attesting to her exemplary leadership and work ethic. Some of the posts not only countered the ignorant narratives but called them out. That is how change happens.
We must fight sexism and misogyny wherever we encounter it: in our homes, on the streets (including social media streets), and in our offices. I commend Zenith Bank and the other corporations that have put deserving women in visible positions of power. These are the role models our world needs to dismantle damaging, patriarchal narratives. They are the glimmer of hope for a less sexist, less misogynistic Nigeria