Focus on Gender Parity

UN Achieves Gender Parity

UN achieves gender parity among leadership worldwide

Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, has announced that, “there is now gender parity among those nominated to fill the position of UN Resident Coordinators – the UN’s team leaders on the ground around the globe.”

“These latest appointments also increase the regional diversity of this group, showing that the goals of gender parity and regional diversity can be pursued in parallel,” he said.

Sustainable Development Goals

To achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development the Resident Coordinators are critical, he said. Goals 1 and 2 relate to reducing poverty and hunger. Good health and well-being is goal 3, and quality education is goal 4. And women are often the leaders in change in these areas.

Sustainable Development Goal 5 - Gender Equality

Sustainable Development Goal 5 – Gender Equality

Goal 5? Gender equality! That’s also a goal for UNWomen, which I wrote about two years ago.

Not only in countries around the world, but in senior leadership at UN headquarters, there is now gender parity, Guterres said. Wonderful that the UN is modelling the achievement of this goal.

Guterres seems to be giving a nod to #MeToo when he says that gender parity is important, “to end the power imbalances that contribute to sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse.”

AuthorSpeak at Norwalk Library

I was honored to be the featured author at Norwalk Connecticut Library‘s AuthorSpeak presentation on Wednesday. Forty people came to hear about Nigeria Revisited, My Life and Loves Abroad, listened intently, and asked lots of great questions.

with Cynde Lahey at Norwalk Library

with Cynde Lahey at Norwalk Library

The Library’s Cynde Lahey was clearly on top of the excellent arrangements. All the staff were friendly and helpful.

Several audience members asked how I adapted to the difference in culture posed by my marriage to a man from Nigeria. Others were curious about how racism has affected us and our children.

How Did I Adapt?

Curiosity and openness have certainly helped me adapt. To be accepted and embraced by my husband’s family was critical. Learning the Igbo language helped. In that I was lucky. There are other women married to Igbo men who tried valiantly to learn the language with its tone but could not.

Since I had already lived in Nigeria as a Peace Corps volunteer for over a year when I met Clem, I knew that I was happy there. Perhaps being so obviously an outsider made me comfortable.

During high school and college, I was never part of the “in” crowd. In Nigeria I didn’t have to pretend that I belonged. As the wife of an Igbo man from Nanka for 54 years and the mother of three children, I have a built-in community.

I’ll tell you about my answers on race and racism next time.

Voting in Northern Nigeria

Signing books at Norwalk Library

Signing books at Norwalk Library

One person asked a question I couldn’t answer. “Can women in northern Nigeria, a Muslim area, vote?” she said. I believe federal law gives women the right to vote. But I’m not sure if it is enforced throughout the country.

Can you help? A prize – a signed copy of my memoir, or of my new book if you already have the memoir – to the first person with the answer.

Doral Ladies Brown Bag Luncheon

The next day I spoke to the ladies at the Doral Brown Bag lunch in Stamford, Connecticut about my memoir. It was a smaller but equally engaged audience. Bea, with her program committee co-chair Linda, made wonderful arrangements and publicized the event within and outside the Doral Community.

With some of the Doral Ladies after my talk

With some of the Doral Ladies after my talk

I did not use a PowerPoint presentation as I usually do. My publicist Aline suggested I prepare a hand-out instead. I compiled a list of the major points I would discuss and

included four pictures.

The size of the continent of Africa always surprises audience members. So I included the map that shows China, India, the United States, and much of Europe superimposed on the continent. The other map shows the major ethnic groups of Nigeria.

I added photos of Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Adichie, and called them Nigeria’s most famous authors. Do you agree? Several women had read their books.

Signing books at Doral

Signing books at Doral

Again there were challenging questions. One woman said, “Would you say something about your original family? How did they prepare you?”

My answer at least in part is that my father came from Germany to the U.S. as an adult. When he met my mother she was engaged to someone from her home town of St. Louis, but ditched the fiance and married my dad.

Leaving one’s home to travel to and then live in another country was not strange to me.

What’s In a Name?

The Connecticut Press Club annual award ceremony was this week. Jane Green, best-selling Westport author, was again the emcee. I’ve just finished reading The Sunshine Sisters, her gripping story of a dysfunctional family, which I loved! I told her so.

Two years ago (this is the same post I referred to earlier) I won first-place for my speech, with honorable mention for my blog post. This year I didn’t enter, but I went to honor others, including Aline, my publicist.

Jane was still proud of how well she had learned to say my name! When she was reading the list of  prize winners, she announced, “A prize that’s not among the categories – for the most interesting name!” And she nailed the pronunciation again.

I will enter next year. If I get my second book published by year’s end, I can enter in the nonfiction category. And if not, I’ll enter something else!

Author: Catherine Onyemelukwe

Author, blogger, speaker. Born in New York, grew up in mid west United States, lived in Nigeria for 24 years, back in U.S. since 1986. Advocate for racial justice.

4 Comments