Former Minority Chief Whip at the University of Ghana Parliament, Dayan Akpene Green, has shared her inspirational journey of breaking gender barriers in politics.
During an interview with Univers News on overcoming societal expectations as a female politician, she highlighted the rewarding feeling one gains as a woman in breaking those challenges and proving her ability to equally perform greatly in positions typically reserved for men.
“Through the journey as a female student leader, [it] has been one of the most rewarding and both challenging [experiences] for me, occupying positions that are mostly renowned for men has proven things I can do as a woman; people are not used to the idea that women can actually do societal duties for men but once you are able to get there and prove yourself, you are able to break that notion and perception.”
“Rising through the ranks of being a student leader in the University of Ghana and outside the university has been challenging but quite rewarding because at every seat where you are able to prove yourself that you can do it, be able to do it and show them the results, people tend to have a different perception that women can do things men can do and at most do it better. It’s quite rewarding for me.”
Ms. Green stressed the importance of women navigating their emotions to achieve aspirations and encouraged fellow women to come out their nutshell to step into the forefront for a brighter collective future.
“The most challenging issue is being able to manage my emotions towards professional or political stuffs. I have to be able to [manage] my emotional intelligence and prove that I can do better than what I think I can. The first step is to just come out of your shelves; it doesn’t matter your level or how you want to do it, just do it and learn your lessons and work on it. You have to be bold and take that first step because one day you will have to inspire another woman. Growth comes at once but it’s by steps. It’s not going to be all roses but part of the journey is you overcoming the challenges and learning new lessons and [inspiring] other women that they can also do it.”
On the issue of promoting equal opportunities for women in the society, Ms. Green expressed hope on the creation of more initiatives which will be geared at promoting gender equality within educational spheres whilst also raising awareness on women empowerment, more specifically their need for a supportive environment.
” We need to ensure that we have the same chances as men in school and jobs, and support and treat everyone equally… I hope to see more initiatives promoting gender equality on campus to increase awareness; [this] will contribute to a more inclusive and supportive environment for women to drive in all aspects of life and encourage everyone to reflect on the contributions and challenges face by women.”
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Story by: Grace Afestrom | univers.ug.edu.gh
