In success, age ain’t nothing but a number

​The world gained another young female leader—Ms Vjosa Osmani—who at 38 years was elected Kosovo’s second female president for a five-year term. Osmani joins the league of New Zealand’s Jacinda Arden and Finland’s Sanna Marin in proving that young women too can lead nations.While the likes of Osmani, Arden and Marin make for great examples on what women can achieve at a youthful age, it is tempting to forget the other side of this coin. In a society that likes to put ‘expiry dates’ on women when it comes to careers and even marriage, it is important to remind ourselves that women can also achieve greatness at a later time of their lives, as the following examples clearly demonstrate.The first woman that comes to mind is Nancy Pelosi who, at 81 years is serving as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Pelosi was first elected to congress in 1987 at the age of 47, and first elected as speaker in 2007 at the age of 66. In her eighties, she is one the most active and powerful female politicians in US politics, remaining lucid even at her age, save for some ill-thought out remarks this week following the verdict on the George Floyd killing. Still, Pelosi remains a towering example that when it comes to achieving success, age is just a number.Closer home in Liberia is former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, whose remarkable life story continues to uplift me. She earned her first degree, a BA in Economics at the age of 32, which would be considered relatively ‘late’ by today’s standards. She went to become president in 2005 at the age of 67, retiring in her late 70s. Now at 82, she continues to serve at the WHO and advocating for education and employment rights for women.From Malawi, Joyce Banda entered politics at a relatively older age at 49 years in 1999. She then ascended to become the country’s first female vice -president in 2009 at the age of 59 and later the country’s first female president at the age of 62 in 2012.Lately, a personal favourite Ngozi Okonjo– Iweala was appointed Nigeria’s first female Finance Minister in 2003 at the age of 49. She would later have a long and lustrous career both in politics and public service, becoming the first woman and first African to lead the World Trade Organisation.Other local examples include Ugandan Winnie Byanyima, who at 60 was appointed the Executive Director of UNAIDS in 2019. We have women like Lady Justice Martha Koome still going strong after decades of practicing law, as is Martha Karua in politics.There is Lady Justice Joyce Aluoch who at 61 was elected to the International Criminal Court. I cannot forget Lady Justice Effie Owuor, who in her 70s continues to make remarkable contributions to gender equality.Let this be a message to the young and the old; greatness and success has no age-limit.[email protected]