Patrick long time. Good to hear from you. Hope you are doing well there. best regards Christine
On Sun, Dec 8, 2013 at 2:52 PM, Patrick Okuni <[email protected]> wrote: > Indeed I listened to an interview with her a few days back, and it was > very inspiring. > On Dec 7, 2013 5:15 AM, "Charles Male" <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Series: Inspiring leaders >> >> South Sudan's telecoms minister is the kind of woman young women >> should aspire to be - rather than Rihanna >> >> Jess Matthias >> >> Guardian Professional, Friday 6 December 2013 07.00 GMT >> >> Last week, I met a woman with a challenge greater than most. Her name >> is Hon. Rebecca Joshua Okwaci, minister for telecoms and postal >> services in South Sudan - and she has a pivotal role in building the >> future of the world's newest country. >> >> Having won independence just two years ago, South Sudan has a major >> challenge on its hands. Thanks to a decade of bitter conflict, women >> suffered violence and hardship on a level unimaginable to most people >> living in the UK. Yet, now the new state is - in Okwaci's words - >> "alive and kicking", the future for women in South Sudan is looking >> up. >> >> One of the main drivers for the African economy is connectivity. In >> South Sudan, this important area is being driven by a woman. Luckily, >> Okwaci is no stranger to challenge. A journalist by profession, she is >> also a prolific peace campaigner and advocate of women's roles in >> peace; she has founded several peace organisations, is secretary >> general of Women Action for Development in South Sudan and produces >> radio programmes targeting women at Sudan Radio Service. The only >> female member of the Association for Media Development in Southern >> Sudan. Okwaci also instigated the first ever peace-building programmes >> in the Shilluk Kingdom - now South Sudan. >> >> Okwaci is now working towards a 35% representation of women within >> South Sudan's government. In any developed country, this ambition >> would be worthy of national acclaim. For a country in which 90% of >> women are illiterate, domestic violence has been called an epidemic, >> and women's health remains among the world's worst, these are goals >> beyond the realms of the average imagination. >> >> South Sudan's business environment is a far cry from that of the UK. >> While we undoubtedly have mountains to climb before we can boast >> gender equality, compared with the women of South Sudan, we are >> blessed. >> >> Okwaci's challenge is wildly different to that of businesswomen in the >> UK yet we can take inspiration from what she is achieving. My point is >> that women like Okwaci should be shouted about to our aspiring young >> businesswomen. Instead, there is a small selection of women thrust in >> front of us by mainstream media. These women are packaged up into >> ready-made "role models" for young, impressionable women to idolise. >> This selection is depressingly bland, and tends to centre around >> reality TV or pop music. >> >> A recent survey found Beyoncé, Cheryl Cole, Kim Kardashian and Rihanna >> to be in the top five female role models for 16 to 17-year-old girls. >> The only one that was not a popstar or reality TV participant was >> Michelle Obama - famous because of her husband. While I don't doubt >> that the aforementioned have done well for themselves, they represent >> a dull picture of inspiration for our future generation; they are easy >> and unimaginative choices - people we are told to admire. >> >> What does it take to be a role model? To me, it's having someone that >> you can learn from and take inspiration from for your own life and >> career. In Okwaci's case there are many lessons to learn. If you feel >> people should get together to support an area of society, invent a >> pressure group that does just that. If you want to get something >> heard, talk about it on the radio. If you think women should have a >> bigger share of running the country, step up and help run it. >> >> Vince Cable said at the recent Women of the Future Summit, "to drive >> economic recovery, we must turn to women". It's nice of him to say >> that. However, if women are to take a leading role in shaping the >> future of the UK, perhaps we don't need to wait for permission from >> the secretary of state or turn to the media-approved female role >> models. A celebrity whose latest achievement is a tattoo on a famous >> body part isn't going to cut it. Perhaps if more people made the >> effort to seek out their own role models, the business world in the UK >> would present a more dynamic, fair and rewarding environment for >> women. >> >> Jess Matthias is deputy director at international communications >> consultancy Wordville >> _______________________________________________ >> WestNileNet mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >> >> WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >> >> The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >> attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. >> _______________________________________________ >> > > _______________________________________________ > WestNileNet mailing list > [email protected] > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. > _______________________________________________ > >
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