Different rules for women
“Let the gender barriers fall so that more women are enabled to make a difference in the world.”
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Different rules for women
Every August I am asked to reflect on the special journey of women in business, and every year I struggle to give the answer that people expect from me, which is to agree somehow when it comes to business, that women are not the same as men.
The truth of the matter is that personally, I have always approached my role as a business leader with the attitude that there are no special rules for female founders – you are either good, in which case you succeed, or you are not, in which case you fail.
Recently though, as I hear stories from women in our Fetola business accelerators, around the country and around the world, about their struggles against the challenges of sexual predation, gender-based violence and cultural resistance to female independence, it is clear there are extra challenges to overcome. This is not just an Africa thing. Globally, the data shows that female-led businesses are less likely to succeed in raising growth finance and attracting investment, no matter how successful, or well qualified they are.
Girls are also less likely to study those all-important STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) subjects at school, and in some cultures are even discouraged from attending school altogether. In many countries young rural girls are still being married off at 13, rather than being sent to high school where they can gain the education, they need to build independent, empowered lives.
Yet despite this there are women who are succeeding and building businesses that thrive, often whilst raising children single-handedly, and frequently in family circumstances that are less than supportive. Women with grit and resilience, who can hold a baby gently in one hand, cook a meal with the other, whilst running a tough business negotiation on the phone…
So, this week I want to encourage parents to raise children with respect for each other, regardless of gender. For boys to learn cooking, and girls to be encouraged to take on leadership roles. For girls to know that being called bossy is an acknowledgement of their leadership skills and a talent to be nurtured and refined, not a shameful slight that makes them silent and submissive.
Let the gender barriers fall, so that more women are encouraged to make a difference in their business and in the world, and more men gladly share in the roles of child-care, nurturer and homemaker.
Let’s celebrate the many courageous, successful female founders, women leaders and multi-talented mothers out there and give praise to the amazing men who support and celebrate their success.
