I predicted that if the NBA does not take a sharp, clear stance against the sexual harassment of lady-lawyers in the profession, we would have on our hands a movement more compelling than the #metoo movement and as it is with all revolutions powerful men fall face flat. At the time when I was having this conversation with friends and Colleagues (including people who have had to or were still dealing with sexual harassment) they thought I was being petty, idealistic, unserious and indeed a “Wet blanket”. The last description nearly crushed me. So a lady trains, becomes a lawyer and sets out to acheive her goals but has to be ‘fun’, ‘entertaining’, endure lewd jokes with smiles just to get the patrochial endorsement of not being socially awkward… I worried. I worried even more because personalities that are naturally warm and extrovert have it worse… I worried. Why is it that the world is defining work etiquette in a way that is safe and balanced for both genders but the profession, the vanguards of Human Rights was quiet? Who is this silence convinient for? I worried.
The first time the profession proferred any help, Mrs. Boma Alabi, SAN was the mouthpiece of God that day. It was an International Women’s Day programme organised by the President AB Mahmoud SAN led administration. When she was asked how She has had coped with sexual harassment through the span of her very successful career, proferred the solutions that has worked for me till this day. Before, I tell you what the solutions are, let me first of all point out that she was not in denial of the fact that there was a huge problem in the system and neither was she elitist about it. (This for me was a major win;finding someone who not only understood that there was a problem, she understood the problem and publicly she acknowledged not just the existence of the problem but also an empathic understanding of the problem). This for me meant gold.
Mrs. Alabi blessed us with hands-on tolls for handling sexual harassment which she tagged ICE. I for ignore; sometimes a good approach would be to ignore the offender depending on the nature of the harassment, C for Confront which provides an platform for refress and accountability and E for Educate to prevent further occurance and bring to speed persons who resort to harassment because of cultural, religious and soceital misdirections.
Mrs. Alabi gave me these important gifts and I have taught this as well. It provided an intervention but it did not entirely solve the problem. I yearned for a lasting solution. A system that would call out this evil and provide laid-down rules on how redress would be sought and consequences to be met with where necessary. Again, my friends thought me a dreamer.
The last NBA National elections was keenly contested. During the campaigns, Dr. Babatunde Ajibade , SAN openly confronted the issues and promised to tackle this menace; he even made a video about it. Another bag of Gold for me; precious. It was the first time I witnessed a Presidental candidate stir up this conversation at the frequency that he did whilst offering to combat the menace. He did not win that election, but the conversations that arose from the campaigns whipped up the confidence of many who spoke publicly and attracted the attention of other lawyers. Dr. Ajibade’s campaigns changed the trajectory. It was not International Women’s Day, Day of the Girl-Child or any other gender inspired ceremony that forces us to look in the mirror. This is a man, a successful and powerful lawyer identifying the problem and offering to bring this conversation to the table of power where it rightly belongs and use the position if elected to not only give an institutional nod to the fight against Sexual Harassment and other Gender – related issues but also to infuse solution based methodologies into the profession. Gold, Gold, Gold!
Ours is a profession that depends on performance and peer reviews for assessment, appraisal and promotions ( whether at the Bar or Bench). If Peer Review is an important tool in the profession then it is important that it is neither tainted nor is it allowed to become a weapon in the hands of perverted assailants. It not only encourages this menace, it downplays Performance and relagates merit to the back burner. Young Lawyers would rather strive to be in the good books of their colleagues rather than be actual good lawyers. Sad. The term ‘Godfather’ is not a jargon for the political arena only, it has sadly come to our house and is being established as a need sold to young, success-hungry, lady-lawyers. Worse still, beacuse this falsehood stays uncontroverted generally, it is often employed by person who are in dire need in their careers and are even in no place to play God-father over anyone. This popular narrative eats up the foundation of the Profession I met. How do we root out this tragedy threatning to become a tradition???
I am elated by the conversations reported from the just concluded NBA-NEC meeting at Uyo, Akwa-Ibom state. I thank Amaka Ezeno Amazon for raising this Issue at the meeting of one of the highest decision making bodies in the profession. I salute the President of the Bar, Olumide Akpata for the promising conversations reported from the just concluded NEC. Again I feel. Like i have hit gold again. I hope it is an indication of an institutional clamp down on this menace before it becomes too late. I dream that sexual harassment of Lady-Lawyers should be spelt out as a Professional Misconduct and i hope that massive education and a comparative review of corporate norms ofNBA and other BAR Association be done to filter best international practices and apply as needed. Good practices that promote safe and balanced work spaces for Lady-Lawyers should be applauded and incentified.
Thank you.
