This year’s theme, “#BreakTheBias,” challenges us all to examine how our thoughts and actions can help form a more gender-equal world. So, what exactly does that mean? According to the official IWD website, this theme is explained as follows: “Whether deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead. Knowing that bias exists isn’t enough. Action is needed to level the playing field.” Put simply, breaking the bias means to start questioning the attitudes we hold and shine a light on them."
To celebrate IWD 2022, Business Insider Africa reached out to three amazing women to share the best advice they’ve ever received, why IWD is important, and their advice on how we can all promote equality in our daily lives.
- Jane Karuku, MD & CEO of East African Breweries
BI Africa: Is it (still) necessary nowadays to decide between career and children, and what advice would you give to young women in this regard?
Jane Karuku: I think it is not necessary to make a choice between career and children. Both are very important for a woman to feel whole. There might be instances when one needs to choose the sequence or the timing of family carefully, but in general terms, the world has moved on, and increasingly organisations are putting in place policies and conditions for women to thrive.
To the younger women, it is important to aspire and plan to have a great career and a great family.
BI Africa: How important is it for women to empower, support and lift each other, and what does that mean to you?
Jane Karuku: For me, this means that I have to empower, support and lift other women by ensuring that they have equal opportunities and representation as required. It also means that I provide an excellent platform to network, be a role model, coach and mentor to women so that they can thrive.
BI Africa: You work closely with the innovation and technology industry, which is male-dominated. Do you ever have to deal with negative reactions or not being taken seriously?
Jane Karuku: Of course, some people will be negative towards you, consciously and unconsciously.
For example, when you go to a meeting, they are still looking out for the blue stripes-suited guy, and some come to you and ask, “Where is Mr Karuku?”, while others when you tell them where you work, they ask you whether you are in HR or Marketing etc. I deal with this by ignoring them, as it would undermine my confidence if I took it seriously.
BI Africa: Tell us about a few women who inspire you.
Jane Karuku: Many women inspire me; my favourite are those Grandmothers who have always been the leaders without titles in the family and community settings.
Others are Michelle Obama, and Angela Merkel.
BI Africa: What message do you want to share with young women who are thinking about their future careers?
Jane Karuku: My message to young women is to ensure that you have a good education to give you the functional capabilities that earn you a seat at the table or a ticket into the door. Once you are inside, ensure that you understand what it takes to succeed in the job and the organisation where you are.
BI Africa: What’s the biggest factor that has helped you be successful?
Jane Karuku: The biggest factor which has helped me is being very clear about my ambition or goal and being very focused on achieving that goal.
- Helene Weesie, MD of Guinness Ghana Breweries
BI Africa: Is it (still) necessary nowadays to decide between career and children, and what advice would you give to young women in this regard?
Helene Weesie: While I do not believe it is necessary nowadays, I do not think it is easy to combine children and career. It requires setting up a support network where several others (partner, family, friends, possibly daycare, nanny) support a mother to combine work and children. Also, employers can play a role here. Currently, Diageo has a flex working policy in place in which employees can opt to work from home for a maximum of 2 days per week. This is helping greatly in supporting women (and men) to combine family and career.
My advice to young women: start thinking early in your career about setting up a support network to help you take care of your children. Discuss it openly with your partner – raising children is a shared responsibility!
BI Africa: How important is it for women to empower, support and lift each other, and what does that mean to you?
Helene Weesie: For me, this is not only a matter for women. Overall I believe that both women and men need to empower and support each other. A company culture that is full of internal competition will not offer a safe environment for individuals to learn and develop themselves and will not stimulate them to get the best out of people.
BI Africa: You work closely with the innovation and technology industry, which is male-dominated. Do you ever have to deal with negative reactions or not being taken seriously?
Helene Weesie: Early in my career, I was often the only woman in a team. While having a good team atmosphere, it would happen that my views were directly connected to being a woman rather than attributed to me as a team member. It singled me out. Later I found out that it makes a world of difference to have more women in a team – it immediately takes the spotlight off ‘gender’ and allows women to be more effective.
BI Africa: Tell us about a few women who inspire you.
Helene Weesie: Angela Merkel – for her vision and power to depolarize, connect & unite.
Tina Turner – for being open about taboos, reaching out to many women in the same situation.
Amanda Gorman – for her courage to deliver a poem from the heart at Biden’s inauguration in a polarized USA.
My mother – for her relentless optimism and drive to make things better
BI Africa: What’s the biggest factor that has helped you be successful?
Helene Weesie: Being open about my mistakes and learning from them.
BI Africa: What message do you want to share with young women who are thinking about their future careers?
Helene Weesie: Know your strengths and talents – develop and supersize them. Be aware of what your weaknesses are and ensure to improve on them. Remember that you can rarely turn a weakness into a talent; at best, you will get them to an average level. That’s OK. Choose roles and projects where your strengths can shine! Push the boundaries, every day, everywhere.
- Imane Dodo, VP of Strategy, Releaf
BI Africa: Is it (still) necessary nowadays to decide between career and children, and what advice would you give to young women in this regard?
Imane Dodo: I strongly believe women can have it all. We can have successful careers and families but having the right partner and support system is essential to making this happen. We have seen many women across the world rise to the top in their careers and have a great family life. The common thread in successful women like the head of WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is their partners that play a crucial role in supporting them to flourish. It’s about aligning yourself with people ready to make the necessary sacrifices to help you succeed. With this support system in place, women will not have to choose between having a career and having a family.
BI Africa: How important is it for women to empower, support and lift each other, and what does that mean to you?
Imane Dodo: Women empowering and supporting each other is essential. It is the most effective way to address the imbalances of the current system and create more opportunities for women. Some people are hesitant to support other women because they feel there isn’t enough space, but there are always enough seats at the table. If there aren’t, we can create more.
BI Africa: You are working a lot alongside the innovation and technology industry, which is male-dominated. How do you react to some negative reactions/not being taken seriously?
Imane Dodo: I like to focus on myself and how I can constantly make myself better rather than paying too much attention to the negative reactions. Those reactions often reflect people’s insecurities which they are trying to project on you. Understanding that helps manage most situations and channel your energy towards what is most important.
BI Africa: Tell us about a few women who inspire you.
Imane Dodo: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is someone that inspires me. She has excelled in her personal and business life, which I certainly want for myself. My mum is also a big inspiration. She was the first female foreign secretary in Africa and the first black woman to lead a United Nations peacekeeping mission. Finally, my girlfriends are also a source of learning every day. They are pursuing careers that truly make them happy regardless of society’s perception, and are unapologetic about it.
BI Africa: What message do you want to share with young women who are thinking about their future careers?
Imane Dodo: Always believe in yourself and stay true to yourself. There is so much noise in our world today about what women should and shouldn’t be, but it is important to know your strengths and use them to navigate your career journey. You can and should always acquire new skills but staying true to yourself can make it easier to achieve your goals and block out the unhelpful noise.
BI Africa: What’s the biggest factor that has helped you be successful?
Imane Dodo: I’m very big on controlling what I can, and I think that has played a significant role in what I have achieved so far. It’s about being resilient, being open to feedback and always making sure I put my best foot forward. I never want to look back and think ‘I could have done better”, ' so I aim for excellence in everything I do, which has served me well to date.