IN a matter of days, from March 18 to 23, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) holds presidential elections of great significance in that, in one of the rarest moments, an African candidate has raised a hand to contest.

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, an IOC Executive Board member with impeccable credentials. In my view, the fact that she is also a woman bears great meaning and implications. For far too long, women’s progress the world over has been held back by my tendencies, such as misogyny and male chauvinism.

In my book, Coventry’s decision and resolve to contest against a string of powerful men from the so-called developed world is already a massive victory for Africa and the Global South in particular.

Her rise to the top will also notably affirm women in every corner of the universe, including in the West.

Also of immeasurable importance, Coventry is the only woman running for the IOC’s highest office. Contesting her is a list of seven men, none of whom represent the developing world.

The men are Sebastian Coe of Britain, who is the President of World Athletics. He is followed by Johan Eliasch of both Britain and Sweden, who is the President of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation. The third is David Lappartient of France, the President of the International Cycling Union. Also in the running is Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, who is the current Vice President of the IOC. He is followed in sixth place by Morinari Watanabe of Japan, the International Gymnastics Federation’s boss.

Now, the IOC has cited key issues around which the candidates will be assessed and judged as, among others, climate change and sustainability, the use of AI in sport, protection of women’s sports, and engaging the youth via digital and social media. According to the IOC, all candidates agree on the issues raised above. Their areas of difference of opinion include issues such as the remuneration of Olympic athletes, the allocation of more power to the IOC members, and the manner in which Olympic host cities are chosen, among others.

Also of great interest is the stance of the seven candidates on gender policies in women’s sports. Virtually all the candidates appear to support restricting women’s category to those born female. US President Donald Trump will love that. He cannot stand transgender athletes competing as females. It was Trump’s election promise to tackle the issue head-on, and hardly one month in office, Trump has made good on his promise after decreeing that under his 47th administration, only two sexes are recognised: male and female.

But it is Coventry who has caused me to focus on the IOC and the future of the global Olympics and its administration. I am totally pleased that of the seven candidates vying to succeed the incumbent, Thomas Bach, Coventry is spoken of well and held in high esteem.

As I indicated earlier, she does not represent only Zimbabwe or Africa in her quest to break the proverbial glass ceiling. She holds on her broad shoulders the aspirations of the entire Global South and women in particular.

Girls and all females in sport and in every sphere of life should look at her guts and courage and draw strength, as I intimated above, knowing that Coventry’s lesson is that nothing and no one should stand in the way of women’s upward mobility.

In international relations speak, the Global South is often described as the Majority World. Methinks that the time has come for the global institutions to start reflecting the geographic make-up of the international community. The anticipated ascension to the zenith of global Olympic administration is truly an encouraging proposition.

International institutions ought to start reflecting the honest and true dynamics of global relations. In an interconnected and interdependent international world order that is constantly changing, developing nations deserve to take their seats in the right spaces at the tables of authority.

With due respect to all the other male candidates, the time of male dominance everywhere must come to an end. Women’s leadership has by far characteristics that can only be located uniquely among women. They include empathy, compassion, and foresight. The absence of the penchant for conflict among women leaders across the world is another reason why Coventry should be a shoe-in to succeed Bachs.

Despite all the factors in Coventry’s apparent favour, history teaches us otherwise. The undying power of patriarchy is an ever-present threat to women's emancipation. It comes in many forms, particularly in the era of modernity as more become enlightened and aware of their individual and group rights.

The rise of gender equality across the dominant secular societies has also forced male chauvinists to adopt new ways of achieving their goals of dominance. Make no mistake, it never is, or was easy to undo male dominance. This is a mammoth challenge that Coventry is facing on behalf of universal women and the developing world.

What can be done to ensure that, as she is seemingly the frontrunner in the contest, no force scuppers her possible victory? Methinks unity of purpose. National Olympic federations should look at the dire need for change at the helm of the IOC. They should vote as one for the same candidate that is Coventry.

They should not allow money to influence their voting patterns. That would be too shortsighted and downright foolish. The bigger picture is the future—the women-led future that would be characterised by a new ethos of empathy, for the lack of a better word—of motherhood.

As for the Global South and rest of the Majority World, the time has come for the display of solidarity in pursuit of a common, noble goal. Their historical fragmentation has benefitted no one. Their interests in development and poverty alleviation initiatives have languished at the bottom of a long list of priorities.

As they say, until lions write their own stories, the tales of hunting will forever be distorted by the hunters. I hope my argument is not coming as a case of “us and them”. We are all members of one universal human race. But no one can obliterate history, and its lessons of inequality, suppression of pro-poor agendas, and the dominance of the rich over the poor—all these are lessons that must push the developing nations to put one of their own at the very zenith of the IOC.

Hopefully, it will be Coventry, whom I plead with in advance—don’t disappoint once you discover the joys of the comfort at the very top. Just remember that you’d carry a mandate of teaching the rest of the world that we could indeed be one, and happily reap the benefits of the shared future.

* Abbey Makoe is Founder and Editor: Global South Media Network (www.gsmn.co.za). The views expressed are personal.

** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, Independent Media, or IOL.

#gender-equality

The importance of female leadership in the IOC