by Patricia Daniel
Germany’s Minister for international development Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul was understandably concerned to hear that World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz - the man who pledged to stamp out corruption in developing countries – had come under suspicion himself for facilitating the rapid promotion and steep increase in salary of his partner Shaha Riza. Wieczorek-Zeul recently hosted a high profile international conference to promote the World Bank’s new initiative ‘Women’s empowerment is smart economics’. Clearly the concept has worked for the Wolfowitz household.
Riza, described as a secular muslim feminist, may well have influenced Wolfowitz in the development of the World Bank’s gender equality plan (which is being championed by Wieczorek-Zeul herself). It just goes to show that some are more equal than others. I’m not referring here to the fact that Riza now earns more than Condaleeza Rice. But World Bank economic policies, which impose lending conditions on governments, continue to negatively affect the livelihoods of women as householders, farmers and traders throughout sub-Saharan Africa. When did we last see that as front-page news?
