Recently, on my way from Entebbe to Kampala, I stopped by a Shell Fueling Station at Entebbe Town and wow did the pump attendant impress me. She was so well put together. You could see that in the morning when she prepared to come to work, she had put in the effort. Her make up was perfect. Her hair too. And the way her uniform fit her perfectly, and which she accompanied it with nice feminine shoes. Kudos!

When she approached our car, she was gracious and easily joked with me about how unusual it is for women to dress so well for certain kinds of jobs, including of a pump attendant. Seemingly, the code is that when women do jobs traditionally regarded of the men, they need to be more male-like.

How long we have come with women breaking glass ceilings and establishing the much needed bridge that is enabling us to attempt to forge a more egalitarian society in which gender-based-inequality is ameliorated.

During my childhood, 50 years ago, it was unheard of for a woman to be a pump attendant. Now, there are many women pump attendants and moreover, the youth, and who are doing their jobs proudly! Our beautiful pump attendant is among them. She served us well. It is when we asked for receipt and she was writing it, that I remembered to take a photo of her.

Our pump attendant is a modern woman at work. These are the role models that we should and must exalt, celebrate and encourage all – boys and girls, men and women to emulate.