Page 50 - Forbes - Africa (March 2020)

ARUNMA OTEH, NIGERIA

ACADEMIC SCHOLAR, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
FORMER TREASURER AND VICE PRESIDENT, WORLD BANK
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE AFRICA ADVISORY GROUP
MEMBER
Arunma Oteh has dedicated her 35-year career to leveraging finance and capi-
tal markets as a force for transforming society.
Oteh, who is an academic scholar at the University of Oxford, focuses on capi-
tal markets, economic development and financial technology as research areas.
She was the Treasurer of the World Bank from 2015 to 2018. During her term,
she pioneered the first pandemic bond in response to the Ebola crisis in West
Africa to avert a devastating loss of life as well as economic losses. In 2018, she
led the World Bank treasury team to issue the world’s first blockchain bond,
which she promotes for transforming society because of its attributes of trace-
ability.
Before the World Bank, she was the Director General of the Securities and Ex-
change Commission, Nigeria, where she quickly earned a reputation as ‘Iron
Lady’ for her tough stance on fraud and corruption. During this period, she led
the rebuilding of the Nigerian capital markets after the global financial crisis.

What does being a powerful woman mean?
A strong sense of responsibility in a world where there is so much to do espe-
cially in respect of the world’s most challenging problems – poverty and cli-
mate change.

What is most fulfilling about what you do?
Enabling future generations realize their potential through impacting knowl-
edge on critical areas of leadership, finance and sustainability.

What do you enjoy most about being a woman?
The idea that where women go is where society goes. Women are the back-
bones of society.

FATOU BENSOUDA, GAMBIA

PROSECUTOR, INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC)

sthefirstwomantoassumethepositionofICCprosecu-
tor,FatouBensoudaissteadfastinhermandatetoinvesti-
gateandprosecutecrimesthatshocktheconscienceofhu-
A manity.ShewaselectedbytheAssemblyofStatesParties
toserveasthechiefprosecutoroftheICC,overseeingmorethan120
countriesandovertwobillionpeople,afterbeingthesoleAfricancan-
didateforelectionnominatedbytheAfricanUnion.
Havingassumedofficein2012,BensoudaisoverseeingallofICC’s
ongoinginvestigations,prosecutionsandpreliminaryexaminations
inconflictandpost-conflictsituationsaroundtheworld.Someofthe
countriessheoperatesinincludeMali,Georgia,BurundiandBangla-
desh/Myanmar.SheiscurrentlyappealingthedecisionbyICCjudg-
esrejectingherrequestforauthorizationtoopenaninvestigationin
Afghanistanandhasaskedjudgestoruleonaspecificquestionofjuris-
dictionbeforeopeninganinvestigationintothesituationinPalestine. motivateddailytodojusticefor woman,everygirl,everychild,in-
Throughherwork,shehasstrivedtoadvanceaccountabilityfor thewomen,menandchildren deedeveryhumanbeing,hasthe
atrocitycrimes.NineinternationaluniversitieshavebestowedBensou- whoaremurdered,raped,dis- righttolivelifewithoutviolence,
dawithhonorarydoctorates,andshehasreceivedseveralawardsin- placedduringwarandconflict, andwithoutfearofviolence.Iwill
cludingtheAmericanSocietyofInternationalLaw’sHonoraryMem- [including]thosewhoarebrutal- continuetoemploythepowerof
bershipaward;theUNAssociationofSpain’sXXXVPeacePrizeand lyafflictedbyatrocitycrimes.Asa thelawtoitsfullestinaccordance
theSocietyofAmericanArchaeology’sPublicServiceaward. lifelongadvocateofgenderequal- withmymandatetodefend that
“The challenges that come with my position do not distract me. I am ity and justice, I believe that every right,” says Bensouda.

46 | FORBES AFRICA MARCH 2020 FORBESAFRICA.COM