By 
If you call her a force to reckon with when it comes to women empowerment in Africa, you will not be wrong. And this is because Aissata Sidibe has dedicated the last six years doing just that in her home country of Cote D Ivoire (she is Ivorian/Mali) where she has been a voice for the upliftment of women in her country and beyond as well as helping to improve the daily lives of young ladies and women through her nongovernmental organisation, Yelenba -Women in Action and Afrique Femme. A former staff of the International Monetary Fund, IMF where she rose to become the first African non-economist to run the staff association as a junior staff, Aissata speaks to The Street Journal on a wide range of issues ranging from her charity work to work in the media uplifting women to politics and sundry issues.
Reading about you and Yelenba – Women in Action, you were quoted as saying that founding it was as a result of your decision to support African women and girls in order to offer them opportunities to improve their daily lives. But what is your story? What triggered your decision to set it up in the first place?
Well, Yelenba -Women in Action is a non-governmental organisation and it began because I used to work in a place where my female boss wasn’t quite fond of me. It was a difficult time for me especially because I am a free spirited and liberal person, and I just could not understand why it was difficult for my boss not to like me. So, I got in touch with other women of like minds with the core mission of helping other young women navigate the workplace and not have to go through what I went through. Although we didn’t get around to doing that, the focus of the NGO is women empowerment and we also do a lot of awareness raising for young girls. It was born out of a desire to serve and put our shared experiences at the service of others as well as from a realization of the difficulties that women and girls face on a daily basis.
Who are these other women?
They are also wives and mothers like me who share the same passion with me. They are dynamic, active and committed women, who come from all walks of life. They are business leaders, they work in communication, in banking, in public administration and are journalists, doctors, and lawyers, a real melting pot of experience and diverse origins with a common goal: make a lasting and concrete commitment to contribute to the empowerment of women and the awareness of young girls. I am the head of the NGO. But I must state that besides gender-based violence, the NGO works mainly on three axes throughout the territory; coaching and mentoring; support for the empowerment of women and raising awareness among young girls.
What does Yelenba mean?
The light, the big light. The logo is that of a woman carrying light. Yelenba literally means bringing light to other women.
There are quite a number of organisations geared towards the same thing – the interest of African women and the girl child. Are African women and the girl child still so disadvantaged to require so many of these organisations looking out for their interest?
Yes I believe so because you would be shocked at the number of women and young girls across Africa who do not have access to some of the basic amenities which is quite rampant in schools because girls do not get the proper sex-education or young girls dropping out of school simply because they are probably being taunted at school for getting blood stains during their menstrual period.
What sets yours apart from the rest of the legion of NGOs in Cote D Ivoire?
We are true to ourselves, we don’t make balloon promises we can’t fulfill and every money that comes to us is geared towards the vision of the NGO. We have a certain amount that we task ourselves periodically and at least 90 per cent of that money is used judiciously to the cause. The rest may be used for transportation or other things related to the NGO, but nothing is ever misused, and it doesn’t ever go into private pockets. Although we have a few partners we try not to collect money from politicians for very obvious reasons.
What are some of the projects Yelenba has embarked on over the years?
We have been able to mentor young ladies and fix them in places of their core area of competence for internship, we still do so. We organise evening literacy classes for adult women and girls who have dropped out of school. We have completed a nursery school in a village that will allow the young women of the village to go about their activities, and other small businesses. These are just a few among several others.
What is your vision for Yelenba in the next five years?
To grow and operate bigger than we currently operate. To be able to impact as many people as possible.
The women of Yelenba
You also run another organisation called Afrique Femme. What is it all about?
It has been in existence since 2013, it is part of my husband’s company, but I started running it in 2020. It is really a platform for women empowerment. Through it, we give tips for women and everything ranging from fashion, career, marriage, relationships and everything that has to do with women. It is mainly focused on Francophone Africa in the diaspora and even people from the French Caribbean. I also host a show on TV twice a week. It is a show called African Woman 2.0. It is about women who are role models in their career, in their communities, basically, women who have succeeded in their area of core competence. Like female entrepreneurs, women who are in banking.
How about women politics?
We try to stay away from politics. We do not want to politicize the show or the platform. The programme is really to help create role models for young women because I feel like for a lot of Francophone countries, even though there are a lot of leading women in various spheres of life, there aren’t well known, unlike in Nigeria where there are so many of them who are well known. In Francophone countries, our communities are so small that one may not feel that there are enough role models, but they are there and this show spotlights them to show them as role models to young women. You know we usually look up to the United States, to the afro Americans like the Oprah Winfreys, but we have do have our women who are successful in Africa, so I felt that it was important we showcase these women. I have interviewed over 100 women since the inception of the show.
Do you believe that having women in political leadership provides a different kind of voice?
Yes, I believe so. There is a growing recognition of the untapped capacity and talents of women in leadership positions whether in politics or otherwise. The meaningful participation of women in national, local, and community leadership roles has become an important focus on a global scale. Although the percentage of women in such positions has increased over the last few years, but not significantly enough. I think women’s participation in politics or in leadership is very important. Their positive impact is undeniable
Power and powerful positions have most often been associated with men as opposed to women. Can you highlight some of the barriers still in the way of African women participating in politics? I think the barriers are created by the women themselves. Yes, more and more women are now in politics but obviously, there is something that they are going to have to give away to excel in politics. Women are going to be missing in action somewhere, either it’s in their family or with their children, it is going to be a sacrifice and not many women are willing to make that sacrifice. Otherwise, it is 100 per cent possible to be in politics and excel in it if women are willing to make that sacrifice. I won’t really say there are barriers so to speak in terms of men saying women cannot be in politics. I mean some men even encourage women. But women sometimes do not want the responsibility that comes with going into politics, they do not want to make the sacrifice, because they know it will take a toll on their family life.
How best do you think women can be given more support to encourage them to get into the political space?
We should encourage women to get into the political space because women do make a difference, and I think women’s politics is different from men’s politics in the sense that there isn’t too much ego with women when they get into the arena. For men, there is a lot of ego. With women, we are mothers, friends, wives, so the way that we do our politics is a little bit different. We think more about the people as opposed to maybe the financial gains. To men, politics is business, although, technically, it is not a business, but for men, it is transactional. But when women get into politics, they really want to impact, bring about change. But I must say not all women are interested in making a change. But I think most women are better politicians than men because they are nurturers, they understand, they have a tendency to listen – they listen to their husbands, children, relations – and understand what the issues are and try to solve them. And when you listen, you tend to be a better leader and make good decisions based on that. So, in my opinion, I really believe that women make better leaders. I think that what we should do, as it is not necessarily been done, is that we should allow the environment to be conducive enough to encourage them to get into politics. It is not just telling them to come into politics and allow them to sacrifice their families. What are you, who is telling them to come into politics, giving them to make it easier for them to be in that space? With career women, it is different; some offices have nurseries in the workspace, lactation rooms for breastfeeding mothers who need to pump breast milk, have more flexible working hours, you know different options. But it is not so in politics because there are no hours in politics. You can be summoned at any time of the day. So, for a woman to want to venture into politics, it has to come from the heart. Also, family plays a very important part. You know our parents often times prevent us from achieving our dreams because they want what they think is best for their children. If my child for instance was interested in politics, of course I will encourage her, but I will also tell her it is hard and that she would have to sacrifice something.
Aissata Sidibe
But don’t you think times have changed and parents will fully support their children to go into politics regardless?
I do think they encourage their children but for the wrong reasons and a lot of the times, the encouragement is more for the financial gain. The passion for politics is really grassroots. It starts at a young age. Take for instance my NGO. My passion to help people began at a young age. It is inbuilt. You don’t wake up all of a sudden and say you want to go into politics except you have an ulterior motive. When I worked at The International Monetary Fund, IMF at the staff association, and that was even the time I enjoyed working with people, I realised that I actually liked doing what I was doing then – people would come to me with their problems, I help them resolve it by going to talk with the people in Human Resource, the management etc. It is innate. Look at civil right leaders, they die for the causes they believed in, it wasn’t necessarily about money and that is what I believe politics should be all about. It should not always be about financial gains.
I want to believe it is peculiar with Africans
Exactly. It has become a greed thing. And it shouldn’t be so. Government is not for gain but for the people. But things have changed now. Everyone now wants to be in politics because they want to make money.
Do you agree that women’s equal participation and leadership in politics and public life are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 by United Nations estimation?
Yes, not just in politics but in all walks of life. I think we need more people who are more committed to change, to really understand the issues in general. Women have a place at the table for decision making, leadership etc. In Africa, we have a tendency to often believe that women cannot combine their role at home with their work either in politics, business, even though women are out there doing things and breaking barriers. A lot of people still do not understand why women have to work instead of remaining home makers. The African man may likely not stop you from working so you won’t say they are evil. They will tell you to go work but to remember to play your wife and motherly role. Some will even filter the kind of work you do. These are subtle barriers that they are putting in your way. I consider it the biggest scam ever because women work twice as much as men. It is not easy on women. Infact, my mum was a housewife and never worked. She was very educated, but she never had a job. So, when my sisters and I complain, she would tell us, ‘At least during my own time, I only had to deal with the kids and my husband, but you guys have to deal with the kids, husband, boss, house etc. Goodluck to you, I pray for you.’ So in my opinion it is a scam because we want equal rights, we want to be in the workplace and still be able to take care of home, yet we have to work twice as hard to even make a headway.
Are you a feminist?
I don’t think I am one. But I do think it is ok for women to choose to be either home makers or career women, it is a matter of choice. Some women want to be married and remain at home while others prefer to go conquer the world from their little corner and that is okay, there is nothing wrong with that. Someone needs to raise the kids, and some women want to personally raise their kids. I think that is commendable as well. Both should be equally okay, and one should not be judged for wanting to be a stay-at-home mother because some women actually enjoy that and do not want to be bothered by office politics or other types of politics.
Your background is in communications. What inspired you to get into this field?
When I was young, I wanted to be an economist like my dad. So I went to school and got a degree in Economics. But when I got into the workspace, I hated it. And so I made a switch to communications, enjoyed it and remained there. However, my mum told me that from a young age, I used to sit in front of the television and mimic the television presenters. I don’t even remember that, but she said I used to do so. So maybe it was meant to be.
Can you describe your career journey so far, the high moments and how you were able to overcome any challenges?
To be honest, even though I am in media, I have always been stressed by public speaking. It is only recently I have gotten comfortable with public speaking, but I think it is with practise. People may not believe but there was a time I had a phobia for public speaking. While I was at the IMF, I was in the communications department then and I had to do speeches in front of the staff. The messaging was fine, but it was the nervousness that killed me. I love to wear heels by the way but when it was time to give those speeches, I would be wearing flats because of my nervousness. This went on for so many years. I would always know what I want to say but each time I opened my mouth; I start to falter. So, I understand when people freeze while making a speech. Also, I am usually more careful now that I am a public figure because I don’t know who is or what they want when they approach me. High points? I think the fact that I am in the media has helped me to not only develop my NGO but to give it the proper media exposure.
What do you consider most important about your career?
I am all about putting out positive messages either it is through my social media platforms or through the programme I present. I do not like negative communication. I do not like the trolling, sensationalising news etc. I want the news that I put out to be forward thinking, impactful in a good way. It is very important to me. I like to stay positive. I mean if you are not going to say anything good, then do not say anything. I am not saying you shouldn’t tell people if something is bad but there are better ways to put out such messages, there are positive approaches to every negative news. So, for me communication has to be positive, it has to be used for good and not for bringing down people.
If you could change one thing about your life what would that be? Perhaps, I should have studied more in school. Sometimes I feel like I wasted time in school because it took me a while to figure out what I wanted. Like I said earlier, I started out wanting to be an economist only to end up in media and believing that it is what I was meant to do. But I do feel like I could have been more into my studies when I was younger.
And in your career?
I wish I could make more money being in the media because I don’t make enough money There is no money in media generally There is no money in media in Africa specifically. It’s not like that in the developed world and I mean in communications campaign and the likes not newspapers or television. In Africa, people don’t really respect communication, that is the last thing on their mind. They will pay for everything else and leave the remnant for communication. And with the coming of social media, people think they do not need the media. they think they know but they don’t really know. So, I don’t think I want to change anything about my career other than making more money.
What advice would you give to anyone, especially the female gender looking to start a career in communications?
If you are going to do communications especially nowadays that things are so much different from when we started out, I would advise that they go for the Information Technology, IT angle of communication. The future is social media, Artificial Intelligence, AI. Now it is all about knowing the tools and how to make use of them.
If you weren’t doing this, what other career path would you have pursued?
I love what I am doing. I think I am where I need to be. I am not a numbers person and do not think I would have fared as much as I am currently.
What or who would you say must have significantly shaped you into who you are, either in your private life or in your career and how did it happen?
I think my mum who is happy with what I am doing with my NGO, giving back to the community and the television show which is all about being proud of being an African, understanding your roots and history. Then my four sisters – we are close and tight knit and having them as a support system has really helped me. In terms of workplace, the managing director when I was in IMF, Christine Lagarde, she was a real woman’s woman. When I was chair of the staff association, she liked me. I don’t know why but she took to me. She encouraged me and that helped a lot. I was the first non-economist, African, to run the staff association. It was a big deal because in the past, only economists ran the staff association and most of them were senior staff. I was in communication, and I was junior and an African. It was tough for me, but she really encouraged and supported me all through my two tenures. Although one gets elected to the board of the staff association, there are usually seven people in the board, but the chair had to be chosen by a unanimous decision. So, some of the staff asked me to chair it but I didn’t want to because I was afraid.
Why were you afraid?
I don’t know. I had never done anything like that of such magnitude before. It was a big responsibility. I had a lady friend who was like a mentor who asked me why I didn’t want to chair the association. In my mind I was like what do I have to offer? I was overwhelmed by imposter syndrome. And this is the issue that a lot of women have. We feel we are unable to carry out some tasks because we are afraid or that we feel we do not have the requisite qualification meanwhile, we are more qualified than the next person. But you need people to really encourage you to do things you feel you are afraid of doing, especially if you are capable of doing it. I had made up my mind to tell them my decision not to take up the offer but this lady friend of mine and my husband encouraged me to go for it. I had listed several reasons why I won’t be able to take up the offer, but I also listed out the advantages of taking up the offer. The advantages outweighed the disadvantages. I am thankful I took up the offer because the experience was worth it. It finally gave me the confidence that I needed in life.
How would you define success and what do you think sets people apart for it?
Success is setting goals and achieving those goals. If you surpass those goals, good for you. For me, people who are not successful are people who are not versatile. If you are too rigid, it will be very difficult for you to be versatile. A successful person should be able to think outside the box in all situations, the person should be resilient, be able to adapt in different environment, be driven. I suppose there are some rigid people who are very successful, maybe they think they are rigid but in reality, they are not. If you set a goal, you are likely to encounter a lot of obstacles on the way but if you are not able to remain focused and refuse to be distracted, you can’t reach your goal. It’s not about being smart or intelligent because there are some not so smart people who are successful.
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