Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the Working Women event at Kofisi, Riverside Square. The conversation was both enriching and powerful.
The panel consisted of amazing working women, all leaders in their respective fields, namely; Beryl Ajwang (Food loss and Waste associate, WRI Africa), Maryanne Ochola (Managing Director, Endeavour Kenya), Maureen Mithamo (Head of Corporate Affairs, Java House Africa), and Sheila Cadogan (Partner, Adroit Law Firm). Our moderator for the evening was the lovely Lilly Bekele Piper creator and host of the Selam and Hello podcast. Here are a few gems I picked up:
Working Women need mentorship
Mentorship is key to getting ahead. It could be a male or female mentor, but having someone in your corner who has both then experience and wisdom you lack, is an absolute game changer. Not only can they guide you when it comes to decision making but also teach you how to handle difficult situations. “Thanks to my mentor, I learnt to lead with the main issue when having conversations with difficult stakeholders”, said Maryanne Ochola, this helped guarantee better and faster resolutions.
Power Sharing of opportunities
Be your sisters keeper. One of the panelists shared how there is no male boss sitting around worrying whether or not he has too many men on his team whereas women bosses will fret about hiring women or worse, gatekeep opportunities due to a scarcity mindset. One of the surest ways to accelerate progress for working women is to send the elevator down once you make it to the top.
Working women build community
Support and accountability come from a strong community of like minded women. Finding and networking with women who are ready to uplift and cheerlead you professionally is key. It not only pushes you to do better but it also gives you insight on what to accept or refuse when it comes to your career. It could be friends, family, colleagues or hired help, a community works by building a support ecosystem that allows you to bring your best self to work. Maureen Mithamo for example, praised her group of professional friends called ‘the cheerleaders’, with keeping her accountable.
Working women share information
‘Only people in power win when information is not shared’. A panelist gave an example of a a friend who after much hemming and hawing finally shared what the company was offering her, only to find out that she was being low balled. It turns out that the people before her in the same position had actually been paid a whole lot better. With this crucial information she was better armed when approaching the negotiation table.
Educate a woman, educate a nation
One thing that stuck with me through it all, was how education played such a key role in each woman’s journey. From opening doors to accelerating their careers, education was the accelerator. Take, Sheila Cadogan’s grandmother, who though illiterate was an astute business woman who educated 11 children by herself after her husband died. When Sheila, her grandchild, wanted to do her Masters in South Africa, fees were a problem but her grandmother offered to help fund her. By 25, Sheila was a regional head of a South African company having been enriched not just by her education but also the power of her grandmother believing in her.
The parting shot went back to the theme of the event, Inspire Inclusion: Invest in women and Accelerate Progress, urging women to not only accelerate progress but to also defend it and protect it so we do not lose the hard won gains.
Suggested Reading:
Rising Together by Sally Helges
