When the anger of yesterday's little girl translates into a dedication to today's girls and women…
Positive Minds | Positive Stories | Edition 014
Welcome to Season 1 of the "Positive Minds - Positive Women" series. This series has one single goal: to inspire young African women to believe in themselves and fulfil their dreams.
On the first Sunday of every month, we talk to a woman leader who has made her own dreams a reality, against all odds.
I am Adama Coulibaly, better known under the nickname "Coul". Today we welcome Mrs Assalama SIDI.
Positive Minds (PM): Welcome to 'Positive Women'. Introduce yourself to our readers?
Assalama SIDI (AS): I am the mother of 3 beautiful children, the eldest of a family of 11, a sociologist by profession and Acting Regional Director of Oxfam in West and Central Africa.
PM: Tell us about an event that marked the young girl you were and how it has influenced your personal or professional choices in life?
AS: During my first 3 years in primary school, I was the only girl in the whole school. It was in a nomadic school where my father was a teacher. The nomads did not want the 'white' school, which they saw as a threat to their culture and identity.
Women were the guardians of this culture, so it was unthinkable to send their daughters to school. It was very hard for me at the beginning. I felt lonely and envied the girls in the camp who helped their mothers and played with dolls. I envied them a lot... But I quickly adapted.
I was not only the only girl at school but I was among the best. I played all the games traditionally reserved for boys and went hunting with them. I adapted so well that I no longer felt any different from my classmates. This stage of my life made a huge impact on me. I soon realised that women can be as successful as men and in all areas as long as they are given the opportunity.
As an adult, when I sometimes find myself in meetings where I am the only female leader among men, I often remember that time, far away but so close. When this happens, I look around me and I smile in my inner depths saying to myself "you are used to it my dear 😊".
My commitment to women's leadership, women's and girls' rights, the fight against gender-based violence and discrimination against women is certainly a legacy of that time. That time when the girls in the camp were unjustly deprived of their right to education. I did nothing for them. There was nothing I could do at the time...
This has turned into anger, but an anger that today translates into a commitment to always do a little more so that girls and women, especially the most vulnerable, can fully exercise their rights. This commitment, this passion is the fuel that allows me to move forward against all odds for a cause that could not be more noble.
PM: As a woman, what is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career and how did you overcome it?
AS: In order to advance in my professional career, I have always been tempted to go abroad to prove myself in another context. When I had this opportunity I was confronted against all odds with a cultural challenge.
Some of my relatives found my decision daring for the more diplomatic and insane for the more direct. As a married woman, this is unthinkable. I resisted any influence that went against my wish and decided to go ahead anyway. This decision was backed by two men: my husband and my father.
My father used to say to me, "Take your time and think before you decide. Once you decide, go ahead and take ownership." The trust I enjoyed from these two men enabled me to overcome all the challenges I faced, and better still, it served as a powerful lever in the pursuit of my career.
PM: What advice would you give to all these young women who have big dreams for themselves and their countries?
AS: Break taboos and myths that always put women in the background. Never look for the easy path because you are a woman and never assume it is hard because you are a woman. Always remember two important words: Determination and Perseverance.
PM: Is there anything else you would like to add for our readers?
AS: The promotion of girls' and women's rights must be everyone's business: women as well as men. We must banish certain prejudices in order to move forward. There are male role models in all communities who can be true ambassadors of this cause. Let's find them and work with them. The two models I know and am proud of are my husband and my father. There are hundreds of others around the world, that's for sure.
“Break taboos and myths that always put women in the background. Never look for the easy path because you are a woman and never assume it is hard because you are a woman.”
