A Seat at The Table

“Despite advancements toward gender equality, women still doubt where men push forward without reservation”

Across Africa, women are generally acknowledged as natural entrepreneurs - always out grinding and making something out of nothing to take care of their children and families. However many women are ‘allowed’ to be business people only in the informal sector - petty trading, and farming activities.

Despite changing perceptions and economic hardships that mean more women are now in formal employment than they were compared to the early 2000’s; women still consist of less than 50% of the corporate labour force world wide.

With these dismaying statistics and other stifling traditions and culture, how do women in Africa ensure that they not only achieve their career goals but sustain and maintain their own enterprises?

From May 12th - 14th 2017, I was privileged to mentor, lecture and inspire a group of female business owners, directors and decision makers to consider these questions.

These women were attendees of the China Europe International Business School's Women Entrepreneurship and Leadership for Africa (WELA) program. The objective of this practical program is to “critically examine issues, challenges and opportunities women face in creating, managing and leading companies in Africa”.

As part of my module, I shared learnings and experiences from my over 20 years in business and executive coaching. Some of the issues we tackled included:

• Work-life balance - Women spend 2.5 times more time and effort than men on unpaid care work and household responsibilities. “Be conscious of the sacrifices you need to make and why you’re making them. Endeavour to present in the moment; when at work focus on work”.
• Image Leadership for success - A seat at the “decision-making” table means you ought to develop gravitas Gravitas, EQ (Emotional Intelligence), CQ (Cultural Intelligence) and SQ (Spiritual & Social Intelligence). These have to be paired with Appearance, Behaviour and Communication that give you an outstanding signature and significance within your industry

The session ended with a presentation from each attendee outlining their goals, ambitions and career path. It was a delight to realize they were empowered and ready to not just demand but also create their own opportunities for success.

Indeed achieving economic parity for all genders calls for a collective effort but it starts with YOU!

Please share your opinions and thoughts in the comments section below. You can also reach out via my Facebook - DzigbordiKDosoo or Twitter - DzigbordiK.