By Irene Charley
“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim,” Maya Angelou, the late American poet, memoirist and civil rights activist once said.
I agree with Maya.
It is always magnificent to see women everywhere making auspicious moves wherever they are. They are taking more risks and reskilling themselves to take on more challenging roles, despite the many obstacles they face as they make their way to the top.
The advice is often to take the bull by the horns, know what you want and be relentless in reaching your purpose.
As we celebrate the month-long 64th anniversary of the 20000 women who marched on the Union Buildings in 1956 to protest against the pass laws and demand equal rights, it is heartening that our country is a beacon of hope for women’s rights the world over.
In most sectors, women are a force to be reckoned with.
However, there’s much work to be done. We still have some distance to go before women are impartially afforded the opportunities that would maximise their potential.
It is concerning that women are still significantly under-represented and under-remunerated in the upper echelons of the workforce. Although most organisations say they support diversity and the development of future leaders, women in top leadership roles seem to still be the exception, not the rule.
What do women achievers do when they are at the top?
How can women leaders propel more women to the boardroom chair? Where have all the business role models gone? And why don’t young female corporate executives seek out role models?
As much as I agree with Maya Angelou’s sentiments, the solution lies with Charlotte Maxeke’s call for action.
More than 140 years after her birth and 82 years after her death, Maxeke’s legacy, pioneering and trendsetting spirit and torch-bearer status, are still being felt across the Rainbow Nation.
At the second conference of the National Council of African Women in 1938 in Bloemfontein, a year before her death, she said: “The work is not for oneself. Kill the spirit of ‘self’ and do not live above your people, but with them. If you rise above them, take somebody with you.”
Maxeke was clear about what we as women leaders should do to propel more women into the top leadership positions - take others along by being role models and mentors.
Research cited in the Harvard Business Review found that Fortune 500 firms with the highest percentage of female executives significantly outperformed most within their respective industries. This is only logical, as fostering diversity in management leads to improved efficiency, effectiveness and performance of the entire team, coupled with the fact that women bring valuable skills to leadership roles that are complementary to those of their male colleagues.
Therefore, nothing is considered more relevant than action to promote women as drivers of inclusive growth. Empowering women is one of the most effective and positive forces for reshaping the globe and eradicating poverty and inequalities.
Above all, let us make our young women and girls believe there are no limits to what they can pursue and achieve.
Charley is a businesswoman and President of the International Women’s Forum of South Africa.
The Star