Oley Dibba-Wadda is the Executive Director of Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), a pan-African Non-Governmental Organisation working in 32 African countries to empower girls and women through gender-responsive education. Oley is an international development sociologist specialising on Gender. Her interest in international development started in 1999 working for the European Development Fund in The Gambia. She combined a Diploma and Masters in Gender Analysis in Development from the University of East Anglia. Oley’s involvement with CU started in 2003 in West Africa, where she had several roles. In 2006 she relocated to the United Kingdom and joined the Commonwealth Education Fund – A DFID funded programme co-managed by ActionAid, Save the Children UK and Oxfam GB, as Gender Project Manager. She then worked with Oxfam GB as Global Gender Adviser promoting gender equality practices in education and humanitarian programmes. Oley’s passion for working on gender has led her to pursue a PhD research on Gender in development organisations with her alma mater.
What does your experience tell you about being a woman activist/leader in civil society?
My experience reflects that most civil society organisations work and advocate for quality of life and towards the promotion of equal and better social service provisions for women and men and boys and girls – more so for women and girls who are the flag bearers of social service provision within the households and communities. Naturally women as nurturers are more compassionate and are better able to empathise on the lack of provision of these services to the citizenry and therefore as women leading civil society organisations, we take the natural process upon ourselves to prioritise, engage passionately and unconditionally for these issues.
What is your leadership journey?
I see my leadership journey as a ‘calling’ – ‘my purpose in life’ - that is, to engage tirelessly and give all that I have and all that I am to humankind. I get my inspiration from the search for knowledge and compassion for humankind. My career has naturally led me to the sector I am very passionate about and get inspiration from and that is working to promote gender equity and equality in Africa irrespective of whether it is in the areas of education, health, peace, security, water and sanitation, violence etc., as long as it benefits women and men, boys and girls equally, then it is an area I am passionate to engage in. However, I do believe that the backbone of the cause is that it all begins with having access to and the opportunity to receive quality education and completion particularly for women and girls as the foundation for a good quality of life for themselves, their children and to generations yet unborn.
What are the barriers and enablers that women face as leaders/activists in civil society?
I believe the main barriers women face is multi-tasking their roles as mothers, wives, daughters and professional leadership positions. It can be a challenging experience combining these multiple roles; trying to strike a good balance between values versus economic empowerment. I have been lucky to receive strong support from my family, particularly from my husband and my four children. My family’s unconditional support, understanding and appreciation for my professional career and the responsibilities that goes along with it has made it possible for me to comfortably focus on the work front and engage in something I believe in. It can sometimes be practically impossible to combine a career and personal life on equal terms without this kind of support. Unless the woman has a family all grown up and left home; or she is single or divorced.
Do women get treated differently in the third sector because of their gender? Do you think you need to prove that you are as good as male counterparts?
At a particular point in my career, I felt I had to work twice as hard if I wanted to get to where my dreams were leading me. One such example was balancing between work, home and university life. When I was in the United Kingdom, I had to juggle the start of my doctoral degree course at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, coupled with working full time as a Global Adviser on Gender at Oxfam GB in Oxford (often travelling overseas) with raising 4 children and a husband at home in Bracknell. Eventually, I almost reached a breaking point. I had no life of my own. I felt I had to work three times harder than an average person to get to where I wanted. However, in hindsight, I doubt I would have gotten to where I am if I did not experience that journey.
Is there a sector pay gap between women and men?
I am sure there may be. Studies have indicated so. However, personally, my focus has always been more on engaging in a career that I find fulfilling, that I enjoy and believe in its cause. The salary is important as it pays the bills and puts food on the table; however, it is not my primary focus and I have tried not to allow my ego to take control over my passion for something I believe in. I have tried not to follow–up on that issue of comparing who gets what and how much. Job satisfaction matters more.
What recommendations would you make to address the challenges faced by women in civil society?
My recommendations will be broad, because I feel there is no one size fits all approach to tackling some of these issues. Each individual has their own unique style of managing things. However, if there is one key recommendation it will be – to listen to the voice within you when you feel things are falling apart. Watch-out for the signs and indicators. Believe in your cause. Ideally, one should engage in something one believes in and is passionate about, and then everything falls into place. Most of the women leaders working in the Civil Society sector I have come across or have had the privileged to engage with have been passionate about the work they do; so that even when the going gets tough, they are still engaged in the causes unconditionally and irrespective of the challenges. However, sometimes, following your professional passions may not be an easy journey, particularly if it is not a 9 to 5 job or goes beyond just sitting behind a desk. Fortunately for me, my career has been more than a job. If you are fortunate to have a dream career on the same frequency as your passion, then “the world is your oyster”. That being said, it is important to remember that the ultimate goal should be to achieve a fulfilling life.
Knowing that I am playing my part and making a modest contribution towards humanity is, for me, one of the most important drivers in this career. Despite the various challenges (which also open doors for opportunities), trials, and tribulations. I personally have no regrets and if I have to do it all over again, I would do it the same way.