5 Take Home lessons from the Civic X Launch
On Friday 27th of July, the Civic Foundation for Innovation hit another milestone with the official launching of its mobile learning lab – Civic X, an initiative of the Foundation. Civic-X is a mobile hub transformed from a truck, into a 15-seater tech hub. Retrofitted with an LED screen, smart tabs and computers, electricity and internet facility. The truck is deployed to execute a specially designed program for women and children in rural areas. The program seeks to create access and empower women between the ages of 18-35 years old and children aged 10-16 years old in rural communities with information and skill acquisition on issues relating to healthcare, agriculture, basic ICT and social equality using technology as a vehicle. Civic Foundation launched the program in the School without Walls, a school for children at the Area 1- Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, Abuja. Here are five points and lessons learnt from the event: Breaking Boundaries, Building Synergy Digital revolution is reaching rural areas in many developing countries. However, the rural digital divide continues to present considerable challenges, especially in a country like Nigeria. One thing we are committed to is reducing the gap between rural areas and access to ICT and innovation in Nigeria. Rural residents remain largely marginalized; almost anyone seeking innovative products will look to the city centers and the perceived literates. Civic X allows young children dare to dream by connecting them with Leaders of thought under the mentorship series of the program. Anywhere innovation and technology thrives, community is formed. A community of change influencers and agents of development. The ripple effect of this can be as huge as total poverty elevation from our society. Educational Continuity is Important: The IDPS were not always displaced. One thing we learnt from the launch was that the kids in the IDP camps had proper lives before tragedy struck. Prior to becoming “displaced”, they attended and received basic and fundamental level of education, either completed or half way. There is an urgent need to build on the foundation already established in terms of education for these children. Also, we want to introduce ICT education amongst those that have hitherto, not had any form of ICT education. Civic X seeks to build on this ‘foundation’ by raising the bar and exposing women and children to technology. Starting from the basics and a limited number of communities, it is our plan to scale operations, and increase the number of beneficiaries for this project. Empowering Women Is Empowering the Society The underdevelopment or slow development of any country is directly proportional to the marginalization of women in issues of nation building and entrepreneurial development in the past. This is because statistics and research by business analysts and human resource managers have shown that women are greater maximizers of resources. Studies have shown that women channel a larger chunk of their earnings to building family and society. The place of women in any endeavor cannot be over stretched. Given their huge contributions to socio-economic development, there can be no meaningful advancement when we exclude women from governance and the process of governance. The Civic X initiative for women is designed to help women make better and more informed decisions in their day-to-day lives. The women would be taught on a wide array of topics including but not limited to; personal and financial management, civic education & participation, health, agriculture and governance. Harness the Energy of the Young The energy and excitement with which the kids learnt was amazing. This energy is an untapped resource. This energy must be channeled into productive engagements. As a law of science, energy cannot be destroyed. We can convert it into something impactful or we can watch these kids viciously engage in social crimes and vices. Education and inculcation of societal values at a young age reduces the chances of kids engaging in such vices. Moreover, growing in these camps and rural areas without adequate guidance exposes them to a wide range of vices. Educating and empowering these kids with skills that can be commercialized will have a positive ripple effect on the rural areas over the years because it will hugely reduce crime rate while boosting development. Make the Move and Get the Push There is a general notion that government is not supportive of indigenous initiatives. The launch of the Civic X proved contrary. We got Oludolapo Osinbajo – the wife of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to engage the kids in a Skype call and watch them learn. Three days after, she invited two of the students to the Aso-Villa for an outing and practically spent her day with the kids. They were treated to lunch and spent quality time with her Excellency. At Civic, we believe that what the government is looking for is a value proposition. Its the same thing every top social impact investor is looking for. This article was written by Nwachuku Nnamdi for the Civic Innovation Lab. Sponsored Post.
Fatou Wurie: Using innovation as a tool to deal with Psycho-social development
Fatou Wurie is the founder of (SDP). She is also an AWDF 2015 African Women Writers Workshop for Social Change participant, an Imperial NEXTe Award Recipient for ‘Young Professional of the year 2015’ and Illumessence Women’s National Award Honoree 2016. Her work has been featured on the Huffington Post, Forbes, MamaYe Campaign, UNICEF Innovations Blog, Amnesty International Digital Blog, The Journalist, and others. She is a passion-driven social activist, public speaker, and storyteller. Fatou is committed to project design that employs creativity and advocacy for policy impact which is influenced by her background in strategic communications for development. [bctt tweet=”During the Ebola crisis, I started an NGO that focused on looking at centralizing psycho-social health – @thefatoublog ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tell us more about yourself I’m from Sierra Leone. I have been working on different projects in general health, women’s health, and women activism. During the Ebola crisis, I started an NGO that focused on looking at centralizing psycho-social health, women’s health, mental health as an intricate part of public health. We keep talking about service delivery and about fixing social institutions such as health care, but we don’t look at the fact that the country is in a constant state of crisis, and trauma. We need to create safe spaces where people can access mental health services to be able to ensure that we can increase the efficacy of service delivery. So, I did. I look at innovation and use it as a tool to deal with issues in health, education, and in gender issues through artistic means. So, I look at how we use tools to power our lives, especially African women’s lives and I try to broaden how we conceptualize and think about innovation. I guess I am not a business women in the traditional sense of the term. What inspired you to start the Survivor Dream project? SDB was born out of complete frustration. I worked in the development space for about five years, mainly in the sector of regional health and reproductive health. At that time, I was working as the gender and communication advisor for UNMEER. It was a very difficult time in Sierra Leone and I was frustrated with the development space. During the Ebola crisis and we were so overwhelmed that we were only focusing on breaking the transmission of the disease and getting more people to survive. We really didn’t focus as much on what happened to them after they had survived. We would give them fifty dollars, a mattress, and a certificate saying: “you are a survivor”, meaning that people would now be able to interact with them. I was interested in what happened after people had survived. We started the survivor dream project because we saw two gaps. First, we saw that, due to their role as caregiver, women were disproportionately affected by the crisis and disproportionately unsupported when they survived the disease, so we wanted to focus women and young. The second gap we identified was that apart from the people at the front line of the response, there wasn’t an actual national space for psycho-social support. People were surviving but they had no way to process what had happened to them. They had no means of dealing with internal trauma, PTSD, and anxiety. That’s how the project was born. I do not come from that background, I just saw a need and I was frustrated. I talked about it with a friend and two weeks later we had found a space. At the time, survivor conferences were held where they would provide food, give great speeches, do some artwork, and they would call it a day, which I thought was ridiculous. So, we just took twenty women we saw that was continuously going to the survivor conferences, and through a friend of mine, we gathered them and started working with them. What we initially offered that was revolutionary was space for women, who had lost everything, to come to cry to think, and to deal with trauma. A space that has the tools to manage their PTSD, their anxiety, and their depression. A space where we could bring in professionals to facilitate workshops and to link them with the resources available at the time. We tried to figure out the women and understand their issues. Their wants, their needs, and their demands are dictating what we offer while remaining as ethical as possible. These are people minds, spirits, and hearts we are dealing with. We are not dealing with building hospitals. We are dealing with people’s core so we must be careful about how we went about creating and maintaining that space. This period must have been very hard emotionally and physically. How did you survive it? I always feel that during these types of conversations I have to take a step back and check myself. Many people were playing their part and we were all so depressed. Unless you were in Sierra Leone, you wouldn’t understand. The entire country was in a state of shock. It was such a dark part of our reality, of our history. We had just come out of a cholera outbreak and a war. There were so many series of shocks that had daunted our community. And then the Ebola crisis came. People at first were not believing it, until their aunts, their cousins, and doctors started dying. And we were wondering how we could this. How do you tell someone who lives in a small room with ten other people not to touch them? How do you tell a woman whose mother is sick not to touch her? That is her mother, that is her husband, that is her daughter. You have to understand that this is a poverty-driven disease and it is poor people that are dying. For me, it was a duty. I wasn’t there during the war, I am very privileged, so I live in a very different kind of Sierra Leone. There is no way I cannot give back
Understand your business, do your research and go through a rigorous market survey: Princess Okereke talks about founding Zapi Botanics
When Princess Okereke founded Zapi Botanics she wanted to make a difference in the hair care sector by providing organic hair products. We all know that the hair care industry is filled with products containing toxic ingredients and chemicals that are not only harmful to the hair and scalp but are ecologically unfriendly. Zapi Botanics was created with a single goal- to provide hair products with no harmful ingredients. Zapi Botanics is gathering pace as the go-to place for Natural Hair Care in Nigeria. They also offer advice and information to ladies starting their natural hair journey. Princess Okereke preaches organic health for body and hair, her gorgeous natural hair is also a proof of her love for all things organic. [bctt tweet=”To all our fro’ sisters, have a mind of your own, make hairstyles that work for you, moisturize – Zapi Botanics” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How did Zapi Botanics begin? Zapi Botanics was a long-term drive I had when I was very young. It was an ambition I picked up from my grandmother who loved everything natural. Even at her old age, she would mix up natural ingredients and apply on her body and skin. At 78, her skin was healthy and did not sag, her hair surprisingly did not thin out. Her life was a living proof of how going organic can be beneficial in the long run. I decided to adopt that lifestyle. In 2015 I came up with a brand name, I also cut my texturized hair and began using my products first on my hair. What do you think about the demand for Organic Skincare products in Nigeria? What propelled its rise? I think we began to realize that we need to love ourselves. Funny though, the first maker of relaxer was a black man named Morgan who tested the product on his dog and realized it straightened his dog’s hair. Products tested on animals cannot be said to be all safe. We have more hair losses amongst young women, a lot of women are getting unnaturally bald. We see lots of hair and scalp issues in this line of business. I think people are beginning to realize that these chemicals put in hair products are detrimental to our health. Hence the switch to Organic skincare products What makes Zapi Botanics different? Zapi Botanics started because of our love for plant and Ecology. We decided to come up with a brand that is plant-based because we understand how important it is to go green and it’s a good way to help our environment. We take our time to source for our materials both in and out of Nigeria to ensure they are excellent. Our brand doesn’t end when our products are purchased, We provide our customers with post-purchase treatment and guides on how to use our products. We give them tips and tricks on how to navigate their hair journey, we are only satisfied when our customers are truly satisfied with our services. In 2016, the beauty and skincare industry was valued at $620 million by Euro monitor, how much of this share has been leveraged by Nigerians? There’s a myth about Nigerian made products that are being tackled right now all over the country. People may talk about their loyalty to Nigerian Made Brands but few actually stick to their word and purchase products solely made in Nigeria. People still feel Products made outside has superior Quality. This has hampered the amount of share accrued by our brands in this Industry. How easy has it been to convince people of the authenticity of your product seeing that they are formulated in Nigeria? Based on my reply to the previous question, it has been hard to break into the Nigerian market. We have to do a lot of marketing, promotions, and giveaways. Breaking into the market wasn’t easy, but when I started, I came up with a plan to use my formulated products to style ladies hair. I learned to style, I used my products too on my hair and whenever people see my hair and those of my clients, I refer them to my products [bctt tweet=”A lot of Brands fade because they couldn’t keep up with the changing times – Zapi Botanics” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How are new African hair care products competing with mainstream western brands that have championed the African market for years? A lot of Brands faded because they couldn’t keep up with the changing times. People began to demand moisturizers instead of petroleum-based products and these brands couldn’t adapt to this change in demand. Still, new products are slowly creeping in and competing with the famous western brands in the market space. How does your brand, Zapi Botanics incorporate the unique hair care requirements of the African woman? Zapi Botanics pays special attention to the needs of African hair. Our curly hair pattern makes it harder for our hair to get moisturized, our formulations works great for Kinky Hair. Our Chief ingredients are suited to the African environment. The type4 hair and type 3C hair pattern does not allow the natural hair oil to travel down quickly so our products are loaded with ingredients that make it easier for moisture to be locked in. Tell us about some of your products There’s the Black moisturizing shampoo. The chief ingredient is the African black soap. It cleans, moisturizes and heals damaged hair strands. Our leave-in conditioner is great for detangling and styling wash and goes styles when water won’t just do the trick. The Deep moisturizing conditioner is essential for every wash day, it thickens hair, locks in moisture and revitalizes hair strands. Our special packages are designed for low porosity and high porosity hair. [bctt tweet=”A lot of our health issues can be solved by simply going natural – Zapi Botanics” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You preach an Organic Lifestyle why is that? I think a lot of our health issues can be solved by simply
Vumile Msweli: Thinking global allows us to elevate our standards and fast track our learning
Vumile Msweli is an international speaker, renowned coach and the Chief Executive officer for Hesed Consulting. Hesed is a consulting firm specializing in commerce acceleration, career coaching, women empowerment, facilitation and training on the African continent. Vumile has worked in Europe, Asia and across the African continent for reputable multinational institutions including Barclays, Investec, Nedbank, First National Bank and Vodafone. She is an award-winning businesswoman who has received honors such as the Women’s’ Economic Forum’s Woman of Excellence Award, named 34th Most Influential Young South African by Avance Media, the Mail and Guardian Top 200 most influential Young South Africans. Vumi has also been awarded the Elle Boss of the Year in the Corporate Category. As we celebrate women’s month in South Africa, Vumi talks about what she’s learned from globetrotting and her driving force to start her business. [bctt tweet=”Traveling is one of the best educations you can give yourself – @vumilemsweli ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tell us about your experience studying in various countries and how its helped you I am a vehement advocate for education and its ability to transform lives. I also believe that traveling is one of the best educations you can give yourself. The combination of expanding my worldview through both formal and informal learning by studying in different countries has been invaluable to be me. It helped me realize how I am a global citizen with proudly African roots. Living abroad also shifted my thinking to want to excel at a global level whilst keeping my local values. I also learned that where I was born doesn’t define where I belong. How did studying in West Africa change your perspective about business and career? Being an African, one tends to think of the entire continent as home but West Africa definitely has an energy like no place on earth. There are a palpable entrepreneurial spirit and an optimistic view of taking control and accountability for your life as a pose to making excuses as to why you aren’t where you could be. The competition is also very tough, you look at Nigeria and realize that the population of Lagos alone is half the population of my country South Africa. There are also some infrastructural challenges such as energy but no one sits around waiting for the government to resolve these. Everyone gets on with it and takes it upon themselves to excel despite these challenges. Being in West Africa imprinted in me the importance of a diverse revenue stream, the importance of being able to sustain oneself in a cash economy as a pose to being enslaved by credit for survival. West Africans exude an apologetic confidence for their existence, their desires, and the pursuit of their dreams. Being surrounded by a culture like that leaves you no choice but to walk with your head a little taller, work harder and make no excuses as you toil towards your own goals. What prompted you to start your business – Hesed Consulting? I found myself having coaching conversations with friends and acquaintances on various career-related topics and soon realized that I had acquired some niche knowledge. Especially around accelerating my career, what seemed to me to be a simple strategic career or finance play was a non-discussion amongst my peers. I thoroughly enjoy seeing people transform through a shift in perception. Marianne Williamson aptly said: “ a miracle is a shift in perception”.Certainly, I wanted to be a part of that miracle. Vumi is truly a teacher at heart, I love sharing what I have learned. So the look on someone’s face as they utter “I never thought of it that way before” and then proceed to change the direction of their lives because of that conversation gives me great joy. Being a part of that sacred space of sharing tools and experiences that help my clients leapfrog their learning and accelerate their careers and businesses truly makes my heart sing. That’s what prompted me to start Hesed and it’s the reason why Hesed is still in existence 6 years later. At Hesed, we work with individuals and entrepreneurs to accelerate their careers and businesses. We do this through workshops; training; coaching and consulting. We have a pan-African approach; global exposure whilst remaining locally relevant. I guess what makes our team rather unique is that we have executive experience across sectors so we understand the pressures of both corporate and entrepreneurship. Also, many of our teams have worked and lived in different countries and continents. That cultural richness allows for diversity in thinking when tailor making solutions for our clients. How did you go from being a trained accountant working in an international financial institution to a becoming an international speaker and accelerator coach? I had the scholarship to study my Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting Sciences but soon realized after completing that it definitely was not my passion. Actually, I recalled working at an Investment Bank early in my career and instead of focusing on the financial audit work I was assigned to found myself in the customer care department worrying about clients. I was more concerned about the organization’s strategy and operational ability to service them better. Needless to say, my career shifted towards being people-centric and that has never changed. It just expanded to their strategies for success and how they can operate better in their careers and personal lives. [bctt tweet=”Being African allows us to see the world through a certain lens – @vumilemsweli” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How valuable is it to be African and think global? I often say I am a proudly African global citizen. Thinking global allows us to elevate our standards; fast track our learning; bring international best practices to the continent whilst expanding our reach to the whole world. Thinking global in my opinion should not be in exchange for our what makes us African. Being African allows us to see the world through a certain lens and more often than not have a
Nathalie Ndongo-Seh: How I built my career in the United Nations (UNOAU)
Nathalie Ndongo-Seh is the Chief of Staff of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She has been recently appointed as the Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom of Swaziland. Ms. Ndongo-Seh is a former Attorney-at-Law, who started her career with the UN in 2000 in East Timor as a Legal Officer and who, over the past 18 years, has accumulated a wide-ranging United Nations peacekeeping and political experience in Afghanistan, Liberia, Israel, Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, and Ethiopia. She has worked in the fields of peace and security; justice and rule-of-law; governance; partnerships building; institution-building; resource mobilization; ethics, conduct and discipline; and management. Very soon, Ms. Ndongo-Seh will assume new responsibilities on the continent as a UN Resident Coordinator while leading a United Nations Country Team and coordinating UN operational activities for development. Ms. Ndongo-Seh began her international career in the private sector in France, Cameroon and Ivory Coast. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commercial Law; a Master’s Degree in International Law; and a postgraduate Degree in International Economic Law, all obtained from Pantheon-La Sorbonne University in Paris, France. ‘Women are not only mothers, caretakers, bread-winners, fighters, and survivors in the most challenging security circumstances: they are also key players in conflict prevention, mediation & building peace. They drive change and transformation every day’. What was your ambition growing up? My parents told me that at a young age, I wanted to be a chef and afterward, a social worker taking care of street children. At the age of 11, I decided that I would become a lawyer – this never changed. At the age of 15 or 16, I started shadowing friends and acquaintances of my parents working as lawyers, magistrates or judges. I studied international law, graduated from La Sorbonne University in Paris and was admitted to the Bar in 1993 (first admission) and in 1995 (final admission after my apprenticeship). Did you ever think you would end up in international affairs, or at the United Nations? Yes, it had always been my goal to work at the international level. I studied international economic law (along with international relations) and was trained to work as a lawyer in the corporate world or for international organizations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), or the African Development Bank (AfDB) on development projects, international contracts and agreements, litigation and so forth. I also had a strong interest in the UN at that time and was thinking that I would apply for internships or short-term assignments with the UN. [bctt tweet=”Want to build a career in the United Nations? Read how Ms. Nathalie Ndongo-Seh became the (UNOAU) chief of staff.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What was your path to working at the UN? What factors helped you along the way? There was no path as such except for my interest in development, human rights, international justice, the rule-of-law and my determination to contribute to saving the world from ‘the scourge of war’. I would say that it was a set of circumstances that facilitated my access to the United Nations. I was already working on continental issues when I started meeting and interacting with staff from the UN and other organizations that seemed to often have exciting careers and professional paths that coincided with my aspirations. In 1999/2000, the UN opened new peacekeeping missions. I decided to apply for several vacancies while seeking advice and guidance from UN acquaintances on how best I could write my resume and prepare for the interviews. Within a month, I was contacted by UN Headquarters for a brief interview and offered a Legal Officer position in East Timor with the UN Peacekeeping Department. Recruitment procedures have since changed and, these days, the UN is drawing down missions more than it opens new ones. There are however several working opportunities throughout the UN system as a staff member, a consultant, a UN volunteer, or as an intern. How does the UN compare with other organizations you have worked with? I am privileged to have worked in various environments, including in a parastatal company, in the private sector and in a continental organization. I have enjoyed and drawn life lessons from each experience. For now, the UN is the perfect fit for me as I have assumed a wide range of responsibilities at the senior leadership level in 8 countries. Till date, I have attended several courses and received several pieces of training, which altogether have enhanced my knowledge, skills, and competencies. Also, I have been promoted and afforded opportunities to compete for positions, traveled the world, including to countries that I had almost never heard of prior to working for the UN. During my time here, I have met individuals from different backgrounds and origins who have opened my eyes to social, political, economic, human rights, and community issues to which I may not have been sensitive to under other circumstances. By working at the UN, I have encountered challenging situations that tested my resilience and at times my beliefs; and I have made friends who have become family. [bctt tweet=”There are several working opportunities in the UN as a staff member, a consultant, a UN volunteer, or as an intern. Read more…” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Have you ever received a painful rejection in your career? How did you handle it? Yes, rejection is a part of life and one that I have experienced several times in my career and that I may continue to experience in the future. Some are obviously more painful or frustrating than others. Altogether, and when handled well, they make you a stronger, wiser, possibly more focused and more strategic person. I have handled them at times with tears, silent disbeliefs, wisdom (sort of “well, that was meant for me; something better/bigger will come my way”), or while immediately putting the matter behind me, refocusing on my objectives, and counting my blessings. But what is important to
African Women Entrepreneurs – A Different Perspective
I recently came across a TED talk by Natalie Case and Freya Estreller. They are co-founders of CoolHaus, a company that creates architecturally designed Ice cream in the U.S.A I found their passion and drive for their business fascinating. They started their business with an old postal van, which they converted to an Ice cream truck. In less than a decade, CoolHaus has grown into a multi-million dollar enterprise. It now has over ten trucks, two scoop shops and is being distributed in over four thousand groceries stores across the U.S. They currently oversee seventy employees and they plan to broaden CoolHaus to the number 1 recognized Ice cream brand in the world. Bringing this home to Africa, with the entrepreneurship buzz going on right now, I began to look at the reasons for the springing startups we have right now, especially the businesses founded by women. Why do women want to be their own bosses? What makes entrepreneurship exciting and interesting right now? I asked around and found answers like: I. More income will help me take care of myself and my family II. A business will help to beat the recession crunch III. It will enable me to be independent of my spouse/ partner IV. No one wants to be a stay-at-home mom anymore V. I want to be respected and admired as a capable leader All of these are great motivating factors but are these all there is to entrepreneurship? These do not have the ability to project a business to global standards. It is important we know the motive for creating a business because of this, in most cases, determines how far a business will grow. A woman may want to augment her spouse’s income. She may start a business to achieve this and this will determine the kind of business she goes for and what her vision for her business will be. If her trade achieves that goal in a few years there might not be a need to expand the business any further. While earning enough to cater for her family is important, having this mentality about the business may stifle it. If we survey all outstanding businesses, we would discover they were created by people who had a vision of making their companies prominent in the world. This factor may be deficient in Africa’s startups. It is imperative that African women entrepreneurs must first begin to develop a different orientation towards startups. [bctt tweet=”As entrepreneurs, we have to begin to look upward toward progress and acceleration” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Building the right business starts from the core, but the right questions need to be asked. Why is it being started? What motivates an individual to start a business? If these questions are answered correctly, this would change the way African women entrepreneurs approach their businesses. Sadly many entrepreneurs do not know the ‘WHY’of their business. This crucial step is neglected AND camouflaged with reasons like “Everyone swears by it on Instagram“, “It’s what brings in the cash” and “It just seems like the best thing to do now” The ‘why’ of a business also establishes if a business is the right thing to do. Does it really meet a need? Does it emerge from an undeniable conviction in the entrepreneur’s heart? Listen. There are two ways to go about it. 1. Find a passion to turn to a business or find a business to turn to a passion While a business is something entrepreneurs should be passionate about they shouldn’t be delusional about the relevance of their business. Every business should satisfy the needs of people while accruing profit. 2. Striving onwards While being financially liberated may be a reason a business is started it should not be the sole reason a business continues. 50% of the United States GDP comes from small businesses employing less than 500 people. African women entrepreneurs should seek ways to come together and build a conglomerate enterprise that can employ young people from every scope and status in Africa thus helping young entrepreneurs off the streets. Women should be encouraged to dream big and start businesses that can grow into mega-corporations in their lifetime. This indeed is possible. [bctt tweet=”Entrepreneurs should understand that within them lies the capacity to create a lasting legacy ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] African women entrepreneurs shouldn’t be constricted to starting businesses that are short termed, escape routes to financial challenges. Entrepreneurs should be made to understand that within them lies the capacity to create a lasting legacy and they should regard their business as legacies. They should be encouraged to have prospects and plans for expansion into the future. Therefore partnership and public corporation are the way to go if these businesses would outlive their founders. All of these start with a different perspective and a clear vision of what entrepreneurship means and what African female entrepreneurs can do. Some of which include: Influence the decision making in a nation if they drive its economy in a significant way. Sponsors lawyers, activists and projects that will push the goal for women rights and achieve gender equality faster. Reducing the risk of young girls being raped by removing them from the streets through the provision of jobs. Put communities in Africa in the spotlight, they can influence global decisions and drive Africa’s economy. Create brands that outlive them and change the world. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
GENDER PAY GAP: HOW TO NEGOTIATE THIS UP
The World Economic Forum Report 2017 states that women are paid less than men. This figure reflects the global amount and differences in the wages of men and women for the same work. Even men and women with equal qualifications earn differently. This phenomenon is highlighted now that more women are entering the job market. Why does this happen; Fewer women in top management position earning huge salaries More educated Men in the job market getting the high paying jobs Fear of sexual harassment Fear of termination Non-payment of domestic work done by women Cliques and Boys Club culture in most corporates Poor legislation and enforcement to ensure equality at the workplace The reasons may be varied but the net effect is that women earn less than men in the workplace. How can any woman climbing the corporate ladder ensure that this gap is reduced and eventually eliminated? The Corporate world is a typical example of “A MAN’S WORLD”. For a long time, women did not participate so the structures, rules, and culture are very male-centric. With the increase of women who have fought their way to top management how can they survive and thrive in this “Man’s World”? The main issue is CULTURE at the workplace that results in the Gender Gap. How can you manage and mitigate this when entering the job market? 1. Measure of performance The work culture of how output is measured is key. Work output should be based on results and not on hours spent. Using hours as a basis is not advantageous for women who may require time off to attend to children and family obligations. Women in Corporate positions should influence the matrix for assessment of performance to be more favorable to women. The measure should include the natural strengths of women e.g. customer retention, team cohesion, dispute resolution and sustainable growth. A reality is that after giving birth productivity is lower due to the natural hormonal response of our bodies to prioritize the child. This usually affects productivity. Perhaps, a different scale for 6 months (while breastfeeding) after pregnancy would help to equalize the scales further. Progressive jurisdictions provide extended maternity leave or flexible hours of up to 2 years without losing your job. 2. Flexible hours This is a strategy that can be used to ensure that women can contribute/work even while out of the office. Further, it allows the woman more balance in her life. This strategy however attractive should be used strategically as it can be used as a further tool to increase the gender wage gap. How? Women outside of mainstream job hours may be excluded from projects and decisions as they are not present. Until the culture of teleconferencing or virtual working is embraced fully, being in the office during work hours remains strategic. As a woman, you can negotiate times for meetings that are in tandem with your personal schedule. 3. Equal pay for same grade and qualifications The policy on job Grades should be based on responsibility and qualifications. For promotions, the name of employees should not be in the shortlisting process. Basically, the process should be purely merit-based. Further, policy on equal pay for the same grade and role should be implemented. A requirement to disclose salaries of co-workers could be a negotiated point. Another strategy is a cap on overtime as often women are not able to work overtime due to family life while their male counterparts can. 4. Promotion policy Negotiate the promotion policy to ensure progress/growth of the company. You can negotiate a promotion every 2 years based on appraisals. This is a sure way to ensure that you access the higher levels of management as years move forward. A maximum period to be in the same job group can also be a strategy to open up space for women in the top management. 5. Skills enhancement Skills enhancement and education incentives and opportunities should be included in the employment contracts. This allows women a chance to advance further and towards the higher job grades. This policy allows women to continued training on the job to increase their chances of being qualified for the top management jobs. 6. Boy’s club membership Women need to ensure that they can access all places that their male counterparts access to network and influence change e.g. private members clubs, sports clubs and golf clubs to name a few. Further, women need to network aggressively. For now, it may be a necessary affirmative action strategy to resort to GIRLS’ CLUB. Women need to support women in the corporate world. Influence is the catalyst for change. Women in top management need to be deliberate about getting influence and using it to get more women at the boardroom table. 7. Include the cost of domestic care While negotiating your pay, including the amount of support you will require to perform the domestic care while you are at work. Women do not include this cost of their time when negotiating pay and leave packages. This should be factored in. You may also negotiate Day Care facilities paid by the company or within the company facility. Many women say this is beneficial and could be a useful negotiation point. 8. Sexual Harassment The higher up the corporate ladder, the more acceptable sexual harassment is. Women are made to feel incompetent and unworthy when they complain of sexual harassment at such high levels. This causes many competent women to opt out of the corporate world due to this or accept to be passed over. It is important for there to be a clear sexual harassment policy. Further, there should be sensitization seminars often especially for top management to reinforce a positive culture. This can be a negotiation point for getting employment. 9. Gender training An awareness of gender issues including Gender Wage Gap allows for conversations, understanding and less resistance to gender mainstreaming strategies and policy. Negotiate this into the training schedule of the company to sensitize the team and
Ekemini Dan Abia: I decided to help people identify potential abusers through Abuse survivor
Ekemini Dan Abia is a legal practitioner who got inspired by her work in the criminal justice system to create a community which supports and educates victims of domestic abuse through her Instagram page, Abuse Survivor. Abuse survivor aims to create awareness of the damaging effects of domestic abuse by educating members of the public, using Narcissism as a subject. She believes that helping individuals understand narcissism can greatly reduce domestic abuse in the home and its result in the larger society. Through Abuse Survivor, she identifies potential abusers and identifies abuse dynamics. She also provides materials and support for the recovery of survivors and counsels victims of all forms of abuse. What has been your biggest achievement as a prosecutor? Watching adults, children, as well as pre-teens who are victims of sex offenses, look their abuser in the eye and testify against him or her in open court. I am filled with a sense of accomplishment because I know that the person is taking back his or her power and getting out of the abuser’s control. What prompted you to start the platform Abuse Survivor? I was deeply shaken by the death of Ronke Shonde in 2016, who was allegedly murdered by her abusive husband. Reports of spousal abuse/homicides seemed to increase in 2017, and I recall asking myself “why couldn’t they heed the red flags before walking down the aisle”? So I decided to help people identify potential abusers and also highlight the long-term effects of remaining in abusive relationships on adults and children. I came to realize that a large percentage of those convicted for violent crimes are products of dysfunctional home environments and are people with unresolved childhood trauma. The pain and anger they carry around makes them gravitate towards crime or other anti-social behaviors. Knowledge of the above facts propelled me to create Abuse Survivor. Are you an abuse survivor yourself? Yes. I have been a victim of malignant narcissistic abuse. How do you vet the authenticity of the stories people send to you since its all done virtually? Most stories sent to us are accompanied by imageries which are very compelling with the victims pleading for their anonymity. I ask certain question which aims to validate their assertions without leaving them feeling we disbelieve them. It calls for tact and sensitivity, else we could leave a victim of abuse with invalidated feelings which is against everything we stand for. Would you consider yourself to be a social entrepreneur and if so, what would you say is the most challenging part of this role? Yes, I do. We live in a society where an in-depth discussion of abuse is given a passing interest, thus accessing funds to have more impact has been really challenging. Like most start-ups, this is the biggest challenge I have faced so far. You use NARCISSISM as a subject to educate your community. How has this impacted them positively? Lots of people have undergone narcissistic abuse without knowing it. As a result, they lived in utter confusion, depression and other health complications which is characteristic of victims of narcissistic abuse. Watching some members of our community gain clarity, stop blaming themselves and take control of their lives has been very fulfilling. Since starting the platform ‘Abuse Survivor’, have you had any support from anyone? And how has this contributed towards your success? A survivor of narcissistic abuse, who is also a member of our community reached out to me sometime in February 2018. Although living in the UK, she volunteered to build a website for our community. I am very grateful for this gesture. She has also become one of our resource persons. She is always on standby with brilliant and innovative suggestions. Having her as a support system right now propels me to keep doing what I do. What is the one motivation that gets you up every morning? I wake up every morning with the zeal to put out more information in order to reach more people. The knowledge that far too many people in our society are ignorant about narcissism motivates me. What is one piece of advice you would give to a woman suffering from domestic abuse? I would tell her that she is stronger than her abuser is trying to make her feel. All she needs to do is to see herself the way God sees her and learn to love herself. Only then will she have the strength to walk away for herself and to provide a better environment for her children (if she is a mother). How do you juggle your full-time job with managing your platform? To be candid, it is very tasking. However, it is easier because I am passionate about this topic and my full-time job inspires me too. I make time in the early hours of the day from 4 am to 6 am to plan my content. That way, members of our community never experience content drought. You currently run Abuse Survivor solely on Instagram. Any plans to move it to another platform? (Website, blog etc). Right now, we are working on our official website. We plan to make use of other social media platforms while retaining Instagram as our primary means of reaching out to members of our community. Do you ever meet with the women whose stories you share? The vast majority of those who share their stories in our community are impossible to meet geographically because they do so from all over the world. However, I have met a handful of them and they are the most resilient women I have ever met. What future plans do you have for ‘Abuse Survivor’? My vision is for Abuse Survivor to become the number one support system and resource outfit for victims of any form of abuse in Africa. We plan to innovate along the way. What’s your favorite book / Ted Talk of all time? My favorite book is Chimamanda Adichie’s ‘Purple Hibiscus’. I think that is where my interest in domestic abuse was
How to set goals like the motherland mogul that you are
To me, setting a goal is like aiming that bowling ball at the white pins; the amount of effort and calculation put in determines how many bottles will be cleared which is why your goals do not matter more than the mode of setting them. I’ll give you a better illustration. Setting a goal is similar to aiming a missile at a spaceship from this planet, you don’t know for sure if your aim is going to bring results but you just close your eyes and do it anyway! IT MUST SCARE YOU The number one lesson which is fundamental to setting goals is going way beyond your limit. Now I’m not asking you to be unrealistic, set a goal within your human capacity just let it scare you a bit. How does your own goal scare you? You know you’re scared of your set goals when: I. It’s within the limits a motherland mogul like you does not have II. It’s something you can do even though you think that you cannot attempt it III. You don’t believe it’s something you can do or someplace you can get to BE REALISTIC When it comes to the art of setting goals, my dear you must be very realistic. For instance, you shouldn’t submit your CV for a job which requirements are higher than your professional level knowing fully well that you cannot get those papers before the interview. You must meet the requirements of your requirements! You have to strive to reach the eligibility level and never relax on your oars. UPGRADE YOUR OS I know this is 2018 so everyone probably knows OS means Operating System right? Right. Ever wondered why Apple keeps upgrading the performance level of their gadgets? To keep up with the consumer market! Same way you cannot stop being eligible! You have to continue being the best person for that position, the one they are losing out on if they don’t put their monies on! How do you do this? I. Get professional The ‘masters syndrome’ in today’s Nigeria has ravaged most appointment seekers. What they don’t know is that professional certification singles you out of the master’s multitude. You need to attend a course today, start from somewhere, be it WIMBIZ or a Nigerian Women Techsters training just do something! II. Build your experience Fill your resume with internship/externship experiences, work for free if you have to! III. Get out of your comfort zone Your comfort zone is that place in your existence where you feel totally at peace, rested and fulfilled. I will tell you a secret today (promise not to tell nobody?), your goal will never be in your comfort zone! Beyonce had to go solo, leaving behind friendships and carbs to become who she is, Malala went over the fence of children and women not being heard in a rather conservative state and Joe Okei-Odumakin had so many visits to detention and prisons to be an activist. None of these people felt entirely happy leaving the comfort of friendship, being obedient to repugnant laws and the comfort of their bed and peace to be moguls but they did anyway! That’s my point exactly! Don’t reject offers in other regions! Stop telling yourself you’re too young! Stop telling yourself you’re a woman! Just stop! Learn something outside of your known area of specialization, think of a business idea someone in your society is not taking up, be creative. IV. Don’t try to be regular Try setting goals negating what you were expected to do. For instance, in the legal profession, most ladies decide to work in the civil service to minimize stress in order to combine law with making a home but some outstanding ones still take up jobs as company secretaries, private practice, maritime legal experts etc. Sometimes our purpose lies in our ability to think outside of the box, in order to get the honey out of the rock, you might have to roll up your denim and begin to cut it out instead of just taking your mind off it totally. These tips are great life builders and I hope they help someone. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Chidinma Emodi Chukwuemeka: Pitch your business proposition from the ‘why’ perspective, not the ‘what’
Chidinma Emodi Chukwuemeka is a seasoned entrepreneur with a specialty in Brand and Digital Marketing. In July 2017, Chidinma and her husband, Mr. Bentley Chuwkuemeka officially launched The Footwear Academy. The Footwear Academy is a footwear training and production school for individuals interested in the art of footwear production and sales. Their vision is to enable shoemakers in Africa starting with Nigeria produce exportable standard products. Her Start-up The Footwear Academy has pitched and participated in various local and international startup competition. They are the recent winners of the Proudly Made in Aba Hackathon – winning a grand prize of $50,000 from Ford Foundation. They also took 2nd place in 2017 at the Open Mic Africa startup pitch competition organized by Techpreneur Africa and MIT Legatum. Chidinma is an Alumni of Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI Regional Training Center) – Onsite Nigeria Cohort 4. She was awarded star of Business and Entrepreneurship for her cohort. She is self-driven and very passionate about helping brands and people succeed. [bctt tweet=”You have the ability to be anything you want to be ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”]