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Victoria Ruzvidzo Business Focus

My Word! Women are on a roll and they will stop at nothing you can be rest assured.A fortnight ago I attended a Women in Leadership seminar hosted by Namzim, a joint venture between Namibia and Zimbabwe Newspapers in Harare where women from the region came out quite assertive and boisterous, with presenter after presenter insisting the time to moan about this or that was over.

Women were now going about their business without giving attention to any impediment or constraint that has often limited their progress. At least that’s the impression I got and they surely mean business.

I have not experienced so much energy in one place and such a desire to forge ahead as I did that day.

The talk was not about what men have not done or should do to level the playing field or what Government should put in place. Women have decided to be more proactive. They have decided to give themselves the space and latitude to be who they really are in business.

Women have decided to get on with their work and are no longer scared of boardrooms or top positions in companies. They do not mind being outnumbered by men on such platforms but they are telling each other we will make it, let’s not despair.

They will not just pass on cups of tea and trays of eats in the boardroom but they will come well prepared to contribute to the matters at hand. They will dominate, they will be heard and will not apologise for it.

The beauty of it, from what I gleaned, is that they are not trying to push men aside but will just come to the party and sit side-by-side with them. Confrontation is not part of their vocabulary, so I heard.

They have realised time waits for no man, or is it woman, in this instance and that nothing comes on a silver platter.

Speakers from Namibia, South Africa, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe gave a good account of themselves. Not even one of them mentioned a barrier but they all spoke about possibilities. They did not speak of limitation, real or perceived, they did not cry fowl and they did not say the boardroom was too hot for them.

They said it is possible that women can achieve and they had documented evidence in this regard. The speakers, and the majority of delegated, were accomplished women in their fears but they displayed amazing hunger and thirst to achieve more for themselves, their families, their communities, their countries and their continent at large.

They would make a difference in the world and I believed them given the passion and the zeal with which they spoke and interacted during networking breaks.

A business woman from Namibia, Ms Twapewa Kadhikwa, urged women to identify their passions and give their best.

“Everywhere where there is a challenge it’s a fertile ground for entrepreneurship. Our continent is full of challenges so these are opportunities for entrepreneurship.

“Where we don’t have schools it’s an opportunity for you. In Africa, we don’t have problems we have opportunities and as women we must walk the talk. Enock of the Bible walked with God so you must walk,” she said.

“Entrepreneurship works. It’s not lazy. If you must pick up boxes and go then pick them. If you must break your nails then break them. You need to work. Work it, work it and work it.”

TelOne managing director Chipo Mtasa weighed in as she discouraged women from moaning and expecting things to be done for them.

“We should be leaders in our family, communities etc and my philosophy in life is even when chips are down learn to serve wholeheartedly,” she said.

I said to myself this is the kind of stuff that has churned out the Mildred Chiris and the Thuli Madonselas of this world. Women who are not intimidated by masculinity or any socio-political system as they discharge their duties and cleanse the world with such aplomb.

They are quite comfortable in their seats it’s not even pretence or they would have succumbed to the pressures a long time ago.

This new phase where women have decided to do something about their situation will surely reap results for our poverty-riddled continent. There was surely no way such ills as poverty, disease and disaster management would have been handled successfully when the majority (women) were confined to the periphery.

Of course at the meeting I got a hint that so much was still not in place for an easier and more comfortable navigation of the business terrain but I heard many say it would be alright to trade their heels for the boot if push came to shove.

This departure from moaning about lack of capital, scales tilted in favour of men and other constraints is set to yield results and help transform societies and economies in a world that is fraught with wars, poverty, disease, terrorism, corruption and other such.

From the meeting I came out with the feeling that Sustainable Development Goal 5 which talks about achieving gender equality and empowering all women and children would not be so difficult to achieve. The targeted beneficiaries have become willing participants in its achievement.

In fact all the 17 SDGs will be achievable right from eradicating all forms of poverty, sustainable use of resources to achieving peaceful and inclusive societies because women have decided to come to the table in a big way.

A lot is also happening on the global arena.

Recently the UN women country representative, Mrs Delphine Serumaga said the He 4 She campaign – a global initiative launched by the United Nations Women aimed at calling for men and boys to recognise and ensure that they use their clout to enable gender equality – had 1,1 million persons committed including the UN secretary general, Mr Ban Ki Moon.

“In our everyday lives, one can not only work on simple acts such as breaking the stereotypes around what a woman or a man is like, instead, look at the potential of an individual human being who has a lot to offer the nation. We need to acknowledge that while it may not be tradition or religion, we are all born as human beings and rights of access and opportunity belong to all,” she said.

Zimbabwe has registered significant achievements in promoting and recognising gender equality and equity over the years as it has put in place necessary constitutional provisions and policies, Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda has said.

Adv Mudenda said this while delivering a key note address during a signing ceremony for the He 4 She campaign.

The campaign, launched on September 20, 2014 ensured that women are present, represented and participating in transforming communities, politics, economies and any other important environment that allows for any human being to thrive and prosper to their fullest potential.

Adv Mudenda said Zimbabwe has adopted several conventions and protocols and amended 17 pieces of legislation to ensure gender equality and equity.

In God I Trust!

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