The New WTO Head Is a Black Woman. Here’s Why It Matters.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former two-time Nigerian finance minister, was appointed on February 15 to be the director-general of the World Trade Organization. She is the first African and the first woman to lead the body, which was created in 1995 to help settle trade disputes, write new trade rules and encourage the flow of goods and services worldwide.
When picking the organization’s seventh director-general, members of the General Council undoubtedly put their faith in Okonjo-Iweala because of her unparalleled credentials and ability to lead the WTO in a particularly difficult time for global trade. But it only makes sense that the world has focused on Okonjo-Iweala’s identity.
Indeed, the background of the next WTO’s director will directly benefit its mission. Okonjo-Iweala has faced adversity and came out of it dedicated to fostering international development. In addition, the work she has done in Africa and the representation she provides for underserved communities around the world will be invaluable to break with the organization’s colonialist undertones.
“She will bring a different kind of global perspective to the WTO than anyone before her,” former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said. “She has a global view of challenges and problems and is insightful about solutions.”
According to Forbes, the less privileged groups who advance to higher levels, on average, will have a higher level of innate talent. This means that Okonjo-Iweala may be much more qualified than her peers to take on the position. So what exactly has the 66-year-old woman achieved?
The Nigerian-American economist rose to prominence as managing director of the World Bank and distinguished herself when she helped write off $18 billion of Nigeria’s debt to the Paris Club, a group of mostly Western government creditors. In her home country, she also earned a reputation as a corruption fighter in the oil industry. Her efforts led to the abduction of her elderly mother by a group of kidnappers demanding her resignation. Undeterred by threats, Okonjo-Iweala remembered her father’s words—“never allow anyone to intimidate or blackmail you”— and her mother ultimately survived the traumatic experience.
Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz described Okonjo-Iweala as “a warrior to stop corruption” who “stood up and pushed ahead with a clear message.”
Okonjo-Iweala is an expert on issues like climate change, public health, and global development. She has sat on the advisory boards of 20 non-profit organizations, advised major banks and corporations, authored books and dozens of major reports, and earned 10 honorary degrees, in addition to her doctorate from MIT and bachelors from Harvard. You might have seen her on the lists of the world’s 100 most powerful women, 100 most influential people in the world, 10 most influential women in Africa, Top 100 or 150 women in the world, among many more.
“She is this wonderful, soft, very gentle woman with an authentic approach to problems but, boy, under that soft glove there is a hard hand and a strong will behind it,” European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said. “She is going to rock the place.”
Okonjo-Iweala also led World Bank initiatives to assist low-income countries during the 2008–2009 food crises, and later during the financial crisis. In 2010, she was part of the World Bank’s successful drive to raise $49.3 billion in grants and low-interest credit for the world’s poorest countries.
Yet she has been criticized by Robert E. Lighthizer, the outgoing U.S. trade representative, who bashed her credentials in an interview with the Financial Times.
“We need a person who actually knows trade, not somebody from the World Bank who does development,” he said.
But we know that Black women’s performance is judged more harshly than their peers’. And Okonjo-Iweala stands ready to withstand attacks on her professional abilities.
“When you’re a woman of color in a leadership position — a woman, first of all, and then of color — these comments are not too surprising,” she said. “You see them as you make your leadership journey.”
“If you encounter a problem because you are a woman and you’re Black and you’re African, take that problem, that weakness they have, and make it your strength,” she added. “Keep going.”
This is where Okonjo-Iweala’s identity comes in. The WTO was founded in 1995. At the time, many of the countries subject to its rules were under colonial rule. As an African woman, Okonjo-Iweala can help restore faith in multilateralism by representing the interests of small developing countries and ensuring that they benefit as much from global trade as their wealthier counterparts. It is essential that richer states do not have more leverage over decision-making compared to poorer nations.
“There’s much mistrust within the WTO: it’s not just between the U.S. and China. It’s between the U.S. and Europe; it’s between Europe and China; it’s between developing and developed countries,” Okonjo-Iweala said. “Bridging the gap among all these groups, I think, is something that I can really bring.”
“She has championed causes and people who have been left behind,” said Una Osili, treasurer and research director for the Association for the Advancement of African Women Economists.
As COVID-19 vaccines are distributed in the Western world, African countries have lagged behind, unable to compete for scarce resources. Okonjo-Iweala can help solve the issue: she has led the board of GAVI, an international vaccine alliance focused on distributing doses to developing nations. According to her, the WTO could push back against trade restrictions that allow countries to hoard supplies — including protective gear, drugs, and vaccines.
“No one is safe until everyone’s safe,” Okonjo-Iweala said. “Let’s straighten out the rules so they work for the world, for the ordinary human being.”
Finally, as it becomes clear that disadvantaged groups are the most affected by climate change, it’s no small feat for an African woman to be heading the WTO at a time where it must address the global deregulation of our ecosystems. Okonjo-Iweala is not equipped to tackle the issue only because of her personal background. Indeed, the economist has recently co-chaired the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, an initiative of former high-ranking government officials to make climate change a key consideration in global economic policy.
Although climate change isn’t officially part of the WTO’s mandate, the agency could look at the new trade barriers implemented by a growing number of countries for those without a comprehensive climate program. Okonjo-Iweala has called for a carbon tax, which could be “another way of bringing in additional revenue [for countries] whilst encouraging better economic behavior with respect to climate change.”
All in all, Okonjo-Iweala is a renowned economist from an underrepresented community, and her appointment will inspire generations of aspiring women in the field while setting the tone for the WTO’s priorities in this pivotal moment in the organization’s history.
“I don’t care what names they call me,” Okonjo-Iweala said. “I’m a fighter; I’m very focused on what I’m doing and relentless in what I want to achieve, almost to a fault. If you get in my way you get kicked.”
Sources:
Why Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Wants to Reform the WTO
A Nigerian corruption fighter nicknamed ‘Okonjo the trouble maker’ could shake up the WTO
'I'm a fighter': WTO's first female, African head ready for battle