As more women get appointed into the foreign affairs portfolio, Foreign Affairs Editor, NKECHI NWOSU writes on the benefits of the emerging trend.

July 26, 2006

THE tide of women agitation for significant representation in politics is gradually simmering down as most of them are beginning to pick up plum jobs both on national and international scene.

It has been said that the emerging trend is not accidental. For instance, some people easily cite the campaign of the gender-friendly United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Since Annan assumed the revered position at the UN, he has never stopped pressing leaders of nations on the need to have significant representation of women in government as well as allow them a voice in politics. He has maintained that their involvement would promote peace and security.

But there is a sign of good harvest already, at least from a sector of no mean importance. The cabinet line-ups of nations of the world in recent years indicate an emerging trend of a league of female foreign ministers. The post in the past seemed an exclusive preserve of men. Most politically agile women had been benched or assigned less important portfolios.

It has been opined that heads of governments' realization of the far-reaching results achieved by a few women who eventually get to the top may have informed the seeming change in attitude towards them. In international diplomacy many of these women are doing quite well. Their performances are not altogether unexpected sine they largely parade intimidating credentials.

There has been a systematic rising trend in the appointment of female ministers. For example, since year 2000, about 21 female ministers have been appointed including nine from Africa, the largest ever in the continent dotted with most conflict spots. Austria has two women on board, but one of them for the European Commission. This year alone, 11 female foreign ministers, including Africa's latest and Nigeria's first, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, British Margaret Beckett and Colombia's 35 years old Maria Consuelo Araujo Casrto.

This year's women roll in the international political circle is considered a significant improvement on last year's appointments. At the UN World Summit, last September, there were only 17 female foreign ministers. But the number has swelled. Then, the United States Stanford University professor of international affairs, Condoleezza Rice was appointed to the hot seat to polish the country's image greatly smeared by the controversial war on Iraq. Since her appointment, she has embarked on extensive shuttle diplomacy criss-crossing nations and, once again, restoring confidence in American as well as its allies. Worthy of note is the improved rapprochement between Washington and a country like Liberia.

As Iran and North Korea played games with the nuclear ambition, Rice stood firm, saying Washington was not disposed to such arm-twisting with the recalcitrant regimes. She has paid several surprise visits to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Again, as hostilities re-emerged in the Middle East where some 700,000 have been displaced in Lebanon and several hundreds killed as the country and Israel flexed muscles, Rice on Monday jetted into Beirut and Jerusalem. International community's appeal for cessation of hostilities appeared to have fallen on deaf ears.

The roles of these women in negotiating new ties and resuscitating relationships between nations are often talked about.

The first female foreign minister, Ana Pauker was appointed in Romania well back in 1947, a position she occupied for six years. Mo Yun-suk of South Korea followed in 1948 and Chile's Ana Figuero Gajardo in 1950 for a two-year stint on the job. Some of the others who left a mark in international politics include Israel's Golda Meir who was appointed in 1956 and who served in the position for eight years. She later became the Prime Minister of Israel in 1969 for a five-year tenure.

But Africa's first female foreign minister, Jeanne Martin-Cisse of Guinea was appointed in 1972 and served till 1976. Guinea's women only got a next opportunity for the job in 1999. Other African nations which have also tried out with female foreign ministers at some period include Liberia , Togo , Zambia , Cameroon , South Africa Kenya, Uganda , Ghana , Botswana and Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo). Also, Gabon, Mali, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Niger, Malawi Tanzania, Somaliland, Burundi, Madagascar, Sao Tome, and Principe and Seychelles.

As Nigeria craves for more international spotlight the appointment of a female foreign ministry is well calculated, though some people feel otherwise.

President Olusegun Obasanjo as the nation marked the Democracy Day anniversary in May said with the debt of problems he would now want to do more on the image bog and in the area of economic development. In view of the enviable feat she performed in the Finance Ministry, analysts say the unsolicited job offer to Dr Okonjo-Iweala demonstrates yet the administration's resolve to clear the last vestiges of doubts about the nation's capabilities and shore up investors' confidence.

Dr Ayo Akinbobola, an international relations and political science lecturer at the University of Lagos told The Guardian that Okonjo- Iweala appointment "is a definite effort on the part of the Federal Government to put an economic project on the international politics of the country." He said it was a well-deserved reward for "her diligence and efficiency in the management of Nigeria's Finance Ministry.

Mrs. Okonjo- Iweala, who as finance minister helped actualize the debt-stock dismantling, by her new appointment, it is believed, will infuse her economic wizardry into Nigeria's international politics with huge dividend accruable.

Akinbobla said, "her appointment shows that the government wants to inject similar vigor into the international policy arena. There is no doubt she will bring her economic wizardry to Nigeria's international policy issues and provide impetus in Africa from an economic diplomacy perspective which has not brought much returns on Nigeria foreign policy.

"From now on, whatever Nigeria does towards Africa and other regions will yield fruit. It will no longer be like a Father Christmas as it has been over the years," Akinbobola said.

Continuing, he said, "the fact that she is an economist will bring meaning to Naira and Kobo on quantifying Nigeria 's involvement in many regional and international programmes, including globalization. She will even bring more vigor to Nigeria's involvement in financial institutions and regional economic integration such as ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States)."

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala efforts in securing debt forgiveness for Nigeria recently have made her a toast of the diplomatic community in the country. For instance, Dr Dietmar Kreussel, the outgoing Ambassador of Germany who spoke to The Guardian hours before Okonjo-Iweala was appointed early this month, had cited Mrs. Okonjo- Iweala who led the economic team as an asset for international politics. He described her as " a very well-known personality. A very experienced one in international relations, in particular, money issues. Her career in the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund has given her all the credibility," the envoy said.

To the envoy, women generally do better in politics because they have no room for the other considerations, which often distract their male counterparts and they tackle issues in a subtle manner and most times with high success rate.

A similar compliment was paid to the Greece foreign minister recently. Mayor of Athens, 51-year-old Dora Bakoyannis in February this year became Greece's first female foreign minister.

The first Greek female mayor is seen as dovish towards Turkey, and analysts consider her new appointment a good omen for the possible revival of stalled efforts to reunite Cyprus.

Ankara deputy G?ls?n Bilgehan, a friend for 30 years and member of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in a Turkish Daily report said Bakoyannis would play a great role in Greek politics.

"I see a bright future for her. Dora is a stateswoman who is very good at international relations...Her father, former Greek Prime Minister, Constantine Mitsotakis, always helps her," she said.

Bilgehan also said that Bakoyannis was conciliatory towards neighboring Turkey and supports settlement of the dispute over the divided island of Cyprus.

"I know that she especially favors a solution on Cyprus, supports UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's reunification plan, but I also know that she, first of all, thinks about her country's national interests just like all veteran politicians," Bilgehan said.

Barely 24 hours after the cabinet reshuffle, Bakoyannis listed improving relations with Turkey and resolving the Cyprus dispute among her top priorities.

Speaking generally about the emerging gender role in politics, taking into cognizance the success of most women leaders in areas where their male counterparts had obvious difficulty breaking-through, the Turkish parliamentarian, Bilgehan, said, "I believe that female politicians can be more effective, patient and transparent than men in terms of solving international crises." Many can not agree less with her.

Source: The Guardian