The tide is turning. The era of pity is over; it’s time for women to demand justice. As a young African woman, i’ve witnessed firsthand the brutal realities of sexism in the professional world. Just five years ago, women were a rarity in boardrooms and were often denied equal opportunities for growth. As I navigate the cutthroat world of corporate Africa, one thing is clear: women will no longer be silenced.

In Zimbabwe Stanbic Bank has launched €20 million in funding for women entrepreneurs. This grant has been imposed to mobilise investments that supports women’s economic empowerment as part of the European Union’s Global Gateway Strategy. This growth centred initiative allows women access to financial freedom and non-reliance on employment. Investing in women is investing in the world’s future.

In the past 20 years senior positions held by women world wide has increased from 19.4% to 33.5%, but this is not good enough. In the past year alone female CEO’s have declined by 9% due to the lack of “respect” and space to speak on issues that arise, which creates an unhealthy work environment. In the event that an economic condition is unfavourable, female senior positions drop due to the stereotype that women cannot handle tough situations. It is clear that economic conditions play a substantial role in determining women’s access to professional opportunities. The recognition of women’s skill seems to be conditional, only acknowledged when convenient for the organisation. It is time to revolutionise the world’s view of women in business.

What can we do about it ?

It is a great saying that we can lead the donkey to the water, but we cannot force it to drink. Similarly, we have been handed the right to work with opportunities for individual growth but it’s up to us to seize it. In a world where financial literacy is the key to success, we have even more reason to strive to achieve it. While opportunities for growth in large corporations may not be equal, it is undeniable that women possess the ability to earn a living and drive business success. It is now unto us to capitalise on these opportunities, cultivate our skills, and shatter glass ceilings. Investing in women is investing in the world’s future.

It is often said that you cannot become a millionaire on a salary or rather it is rare that you can. You cannot become rich through saving; you have to invest. Investing does not mean putting in money somewhere and hoping it multiplies. For an investment to be profitable you need to invest time, effort, research and room for growth. However, growth is not linear, it is multi-dimensional. The path to progress can be winding and slow but glancing back at your beginnings can provide a profound sense of accomplishment and growth. Are you ready to investment in yourself? Are you ready to go through a whirlwind of emotions with the goal of finally succeeding at your goal? Are you ready to take one step forward just to take two steps back, in order to succeed?

You have two choices. Wait till the world finally accepts women’s true capabilities in business and get the promotion of your dreams. OR. Force the world to see your worth. The choice is yours. As women we have often used the excuse that we do not have equal opportunities to men. The uncomfortable truth is, we may never have the opportunity to experience true equality. So, what should we do now? Should we sit around and protest or go out and make it right ourselves. We’ve fought for our right to work and we are still fighting for equality in the professional field but let’s show them what we’re made of. Investing in women is investing in the world’s future.

In Zimbabwe nearly half of the small and medium enterprises are run by women and it is undeniable that small enterprises run the country. SMES in the formal and informal sector make up to 60% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country and is the only thing keeping the country afloat. Zimbabwe has 3.4 million MMEs employing 4.8 million people. Without SMEs and MMEs the country and the world’s economy would shatter. This isn’t the case for Zimbabwe only, in the US there are over 14 million women owned businesses which makes up to about 40% of all businesses in the country. This goes to show how significant your “small business” is. What am I getting at?

Women should not feel less than or constrained by the ideologies of society. If my boss does not think I am good enough so what? If I do, why don’t I do it myself? If society says that women aren’t tough enough to run a mining company, then women should open three companies to show them that we can. The key to financial literacy and financial empowerment is believing you can do it, and you can do it alone. Men are not obliged to empower us. We have to empower ourselves. It’s time we stand up for ourselves and invest in ourselves. Let’s March Forward.

Women are the biggest investments the world could ever make and this will unlock global prosperity. If you were to search “the importance of women representation in business” you will be flooded with all the reasons why women deserve the investment but it is up to the world and it’s leaders to take action. As I conclude, I’ll leave with a quote “Investing in women is investing in the world’s future” – Miss Enock