Challenging bias: The Fight for Fair Recognition of African Women Leaders

Growing up, I learned about Winnie Mandela's activist efforts primarily through the news, but I didn’t grasp all the details. When she passed away in April 2018, I eagerly tuned into various news outlets, hoping to uncover more about her role in liberating South Africa during the dark era of apartheid. To my surprise, the coverage was overwhelmingly negative, even from major news organizations. A renowned media outlet ran a brief story focusing predominantly on her crimes rather than her accomplishments. Adding insult to injury, was the fact that an African female presenter led the special report on Winnie Mandela's life, which centered on public criticisms rather than highlighting her resilience, faith, and the challenges she faced as a female activist during apartheid.

In contrast, when Robert Mugabe, the former president of Zimbabwe, died a year later, the reporting on his life seemed more balanced. This disparity made me realize that narratives about African female leaders are often skewed, emphasizing their weaknesses and failures while neglecting their strengths and successes.

On March 21, 2025, Namibia added a celebratory chapter to Women’s Month by swearing in its first female president, H.E. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (NNN). She made a bold move, reducing the cabinet from 21 ministries to 14, with eight ministries now headed by women, alongside a newly appointed female vice president and speaker of parliament. I was over the moon as I witnessed this milestone; however, my excitement quickly turned to concern as I recalled the struggles of previous female heads of state in Africa.

H.E. Dr. Joyce Banda of Malawi, who served from 2012 to 2014 following her predecessor's untimely death, faced significant obstacles. Her constitutional ascension to the presidency was initially blocked, marking the first of many challenges. She is credited with improving Malawi's economy from 1.8% in 2012 to over 6.2% in 2014. Determined to combat corruption, she initiated investigations and apprehension of suspected officials in the infamous cash-gate scandal, which unfortunately backfired; this effort was weaponized against her by opposition parties, leading to her defeat in the 2014 presidential election.

A year later in 2015, H.E. Dr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim was elected in Mauritius. Known for her efforts to conserve and promote the island nation's biodiversity, she joined the Planet Earth Institute (PEI) to promote science and innovation in Africa. However, an issued credit card for her work at PEI became a source of controversy, resulting in her resignation in 2018 despite a public statement from the organization corroborating her innocence in the matter. Recently, she expressed her frustration over media bias regarding a case she filed against a major bank in Mauritius for leaking her personal information during the year she resigned.

In the same year (2018), as H.E. Ellen Sirleaf Johnson was leaving office as president of Liberia, many media outlets accused her of corruption and nepotism. This was a stark contrast to the praise she had received for her efforts to combat poverty earlier in her term. Some outlets even suggested that she was indirectly responsible for her vice president losing the subsequent presidential election. This trend raises a critical question: why are our female leaders consistently held to unrealistically high standards while their male counterparts often escape similar scrutiny?

In a recent interview, H.E. NNN acknowledged that the world is closely watching her administration, poised to react at the slightest misstep. She expressed concern that if any typical issues arise during her term, women leaders will disproportionately bear the blame. This pattern of public shaming seems to be a recurring theme for female leaders. Moreover, there’s noticeably less local excitement about our female trailblazers compared to their international counterparts, especially during election seasons. One may argue that many large international media houses are not African-grown, therefore our female leaders will not get enough “airplay”. But these same outlets are quick to spread the shortcomings of our African heroes.

So, what can we do to change this narrative? How can we foster more support and positive representation for female heads of state before, during, and after their terms in office? As the Zulu saying goes, “A person is a person through other people.” How can we, particularly women, actively advocate for and uplift our heroes?

Credit: Image was generated by Deep AI