Last week’s Economist magazine featured a series of articles on global poverty and takes a critical look at the UN’s Millennium Development Goals and their impact on poverty thus far.   Acumen Fund has been mentioned in the article on healthcare (“More Money Than Sense”) with reference to our investment in AtoZ.  AtoZ is the company I have been working with in Tanzania this year.  Click the titles below to read:

More Money Than Sense, Are We Nearly There Yet?, The Eight Commandments.

There she was.  In a polka dot shirt listening intently to the headphones perched on her slicked hair.  Pauline Nyiramasuhuko. Rwanda's Former Minister for Women's Affairs.  I watched through a glass window as a slow tennis game of translation for the trial proceedings of the Butare case occurred in Arusha, Tanzania,  last week in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda ("ICTR").  Pauline is accused of using her official capacity to incite Hutus to rape thousands of female Tutsis during the 1994 Rwanda Genocide- the first woman to be charged with rape as a crime against humanity by an international tribunal.

She ruins the suspicion that I have had for many years that somewhere along embryonic development, the Y chromosome seems to alter good judgment when it comes to greed and the power of political and corporate leadership.  Yep, there is a part of me that always wondered what the world would be like if it was led by (official) female leaders?  Would leadership influenced by the maternal instinct translate into a more peaceful world?  Right now in the US election race, we are wondering, would Hilary lead America into unnecessary war…how would she handle conflict and peace issues if she was President… would she do anything about the genocide in Sudan?

The World Bank announced a report on 14 June stating that women politicians are less corrupt.  "Some studies undertaken on women in public office have indicated that women could move countries into shying away from corruption and towards good governance," said Dr. Shimwaayi Muntemba, the gender adviser of the World Bank.  "Studies indicate that women in business are less likely to pay bribes to government officials."

As a woman, I would love to believe that we just naturally are more ethical leaders.  As a feminist, I am not so sure it has as much to do with genetics as it does with historical experience of oppression.  See, as a feminist, I believe that we are pretty much capable of achieving the same goals as men…and by the same means.  Humans are humans- capable of the wildest possibilities given equal opportunity and access to resources- proven not only by Pauline’s accused atrocities in Rwanda, but also by the amazing strong ethical fibre of the many female leaders who spoke out in action against genocide, against slavery or against apartheid.

As I sat there in the courtroom, 13 years after the genocide in Rwanda, watching the expensive process of justice being carried out, I wondered what difference it is really making.  Are others deterred from conducting massive genocide because they see that leaders in Rwanda are now being held accountable by the international community?  Is this process making any difference to those in Sudan who are actively choosing to slaughter other human beings?  If not this, then what other options do we have to show the crazy people in power they cannot mass murder and get away with it?

More information on the International Criminal Court can be found by clicking here. 

Some of you may remember my Tanzanian friend Mike, who sang his song for my blog about creating a future which has light.  We talk a lot about music and one of the Tanzanian hip hop artists that he says represents everyday life of Tanzanians well is Professor Jay.  I thought it would be fun to share Professor Jay’s video of his song "Nikusaidiaje" meaning “How can I Help You?” The video has some great scenes, so click the arrow below to view.