The Best Man for the Job: The UN's Next Secretary General

When a white straight man is chosen to do a job which has never been filled by a woman or visible minority, especially when under pressure to choose a diverse candidate, they are not saying that this man is the best for the job. They are saying there is no woman or minority that can match that man in this job. This is just plain false. In no way do I doubt Mr Guterres' capability for the position of SG. The same way I do not doubt the suitability of Ms. Irena Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO, or Ms. Helen Clark the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, or Ms. Susan Malcorra, the Foreign Minister of Argentina, all of whom threw their names in the ring for the position. The point is they all could have had successful terms as United Nations Secretary General. But a woman as the world's most powerful diplomat could have done so much more for the young girls watching, wondering if the world will ever be ready to let a woman lead. Ruth-Anne Seburn is a proud Winnipegger who graduated with an honours degree in International Development Studies and Politics from the University of Winnipeg. She has worked for the Mennonite Central Committee New York Office, The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, and is currently working in Colombo, Sri Lanka with the World University Service of Canada.