NBA presidency: Move that needle — by Susan Henshaw

If you are not voting for a woman to be the next NBA president on July 20, take a step back and ask yourself why. Is she any less qualified than the men running? Is she any less determined? Has she worked less at campaigning than the men running? The short answer to the single interrogatory is a resounding NO.

I have heard “she is high handed”… this does sound familiar. That phrase is a scarlet letter for every woman trying to justifiably assert herself in a man’s world. Some say she is “not as popular” as the other candidates. If she were, they’d say the NBA presidency is not a popularity contest. We know that story too. About the ever shifting goalposts.

As far as I am concerned, the only reason Mrs. Oyinkashola Badejo-Okusanya SAN wouldn’t win this thing, would be because women in the bar failed to look at the big picture and commit to move that pesky needle. The last time a woman was president of the Nigerian Bar Association was about 34 years ago. That is a scathing indictment, whichever way we slice it. The NBA has come a long way and that progress should reflect homogeneity.

Every young female lawyer should feel that leading the NBA is an achievable feat, just like it is for their male colleagues. If the last time a woman was president was sometime in ancient history, before over half of the them were born, it inspires no confidence in them. For this greater purpose I am personally all about playing the gender card.

Suffice to say also, I have found it pleasantly surprising that all the male lawyers I have posed the scenario to, readily agree: we have a great female candidate, why not seize the moment?
For the greater good of moving the needle, they would cast their vote for her.

If a substantial majority of female lawyers vote for Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya SAN, she would easily win this thing, and yes, it would be a really huge deal. The ball is in our court.