Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has responded to the apology issued by a Swiss Newspaper for referring to her as ‘grandmother’.
When reporting that she was appointed the new DG of WTO, the newspaper had said, “This grandmother will be the new Chief of the World Trade Organisation,”.
This headline sparked criticism and reproval from all corners of the globe as people questioned the selection of the term “grandmother” to describe Okonjo-Iweala, despite the plentitude of titles and accolades that could be used instead.
Nordwestschweiz has now issued an apology via a communique signed by Samuel Schumacher, Foreign Editor-in-Chief.
“This headline was inappropriate and unsuitable…we apologise for this editorial mistake,” the communique reads, in part.
The DG has thereafter responded via her social media, accepting the apology and expressing gratitude to the public for calling out the “racist and sexist remarks”.
I’m thankful to all my sisters, UN Women Leaders and the 124 Ambassadors in Geneva who signed the petition on calling out the racist & sexist remarks in this newspaper. It is important & timely that they’ve apologized. @phumzileunwomen, @Winnie_Byanyima pic.twitter.com/pyz1TQ3tKA
— Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (@NOIweala) February 28, 2021
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I’m thankful to all my sisters, UN Women Leaders and the 124 Ambassadors in Geneva who signed the petition on calling out the racist & sexist remarks in this newspaper. It is important & timely that they’ve apologized. @phumzileunwomen, @Winnie_Byanyima pic.twitter.com/pyz1TQ3tKA
— Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (@NOIweala) February 28, 2021
“We need to call out this behaviour when it happens. This is precisely what my book Women & Leadership co-authored with Julia Gillard talks about – the stereotypes women face when they take on leadership positions,” she said.
Okonjo-Iweala was appointed the Director-General of the WTO on the 15th of February, in a historic manner; being the first African and the first woman to hold the position in the organisation’s 26-year history.
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