Sungeetha Sewpersad, Old Mutual Insure Human Capital Executive
Whilst women around the globe might be shattering glass ceilings, there simply isn’t enough of them doing so, being allowed to do so, or at the expected rate of change. Yet there are many days and months annually celebrating the liberation of women.
Why is it the case that women don’t seem to be climbing the ladder as quickly as their male counterparts? In my own experience, from a South African context, I have noted the following:
- The lack of self-belief and confidence in women
- The lack of sponsorship from other women
- Self-doubt that women experience
- Too few or no seats at the table where it matters
- Consistently having to prove your worth
- Stereotyped roles – this is what a woman ought to be doing
- Cultural biases
- Gender biases.
Taking the above into account it is easy to understand why so many women just simply give up, the burden of taking on a fight is just too big of a challenge. So how do we start making these fundamental shifts in society (albeit we have started recognising the value that women add globally)? Celebrating us for a month or a day is simply not enough.
Below are a few of my tips, (which I am very conscious of and make a deliberate effort to follow through on, thereby creating opportunities for women to thrive rather than just survive):
WANT TO RUN YOUR OWN IFA PRACTICE WITHOUT THE HASSLE OF YOUR OWN FSP?
Airbnb, Uber, and Netflix disrupted the industries that they now dominate. Regulation is disrupting our industry by restricting some businesses and making compliance more onerous.
Fairbairn Consult is a RDR safe haven that gives you the freedom of running your own practice, without the burden of your own FSP license.
Fairbairn Consult is a firm of Registered Financial Advisers.
We are a licensed FSP and a member of the Old Mutual Group.
Support one another – If you find yourself in a position where you can help a sister out by empowering her and enabling her to find her voice, then you are moving in the right direction. Support and being the shoulder to lean on during challenging times bodes well for the sister circle.
Lend your voice – In support of each other. Call out discriminatory behaviour when you see it and openly support women in their quest to be more heard and more importantly be seen as pivotal figures in all facets of life.
Educate the next generation – If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation – African proverb. Having personally witnessed this in my 20-year career in Human Capital, I am of the firm belief that this cannot be truer. Women carry the baton; they drive the generations that come after them to do better and to be better.
Join the conversation – Don’t underestimate the power of social media. Sharing stories and making our voices heard amplifies the power we have as a collective. Doing this on social media increases that possibility by knots. It demonstrates unity, collaboration, support ,and encouragement.
Get Involved – Don’t turn a blind eye to uncomfortable situations in a bid to further your interests or with the fear that you might be victimized for it, or that you might enjoy having an upper hand or edge as we call it today. Helping a sister out speaks more about you than it does about the situation. Jump in and act.
The progression of women in society falls upon all of us. Failure to recognise this is catastrophic for the next generation of leaders, homemakers and game-changers. In the twenty-first century, recognising the power that women have and the difference they can make will ensure seismic shifts in politics, corporates, poverty alleviation and the progression of the global economy.