It’s new dawn for female executive - EWN declares

Chair of the Executive Women Network (EWN), Janet Sunkwa-Mills, has intimated that the recently held Executive Women’s Network Conference 2023 could mark a new era for female executives in Ghana. 

She was speaking on a special edition of Springboard, your Virtual University, with host Rev. Albert Ocran, aimed at reviewing the just ended conference.

Mrs Sunkwa-Mills and Mrs Essilfuah Tamakloe, an Executive Member of the Network, launched a 20-point communique capturing the key learnings and highlights of EWN 2023.

The key learnings, which are to serve as a rallying call to female executives, are as follows:

• Define your purpose
Women in leadership need to define our purpose, clarify our “WHYs’’, understand what makes us happy and have the courage to pursue our aspirations.

We need to listen to our inner voices because they are our guiding lights in pursuance of our dreams.

In all this, let us look for the good within us, be kind to and learn to love ourselves.

Becoming our own heroes, celebrating, and taking pride in our daily wins propels us forward.

 It is absolutely fine to just take off the “superwoman cap” and allow ourselves to sit back and relax.

• Learn, re-learn and unlearn

Transformational growth comes in seasons and involves a systematic evolution into the best versions of ourselves.

This involves learning new things, re-learning as well as unlearning old habits.

In pursuance of our transformations, it is imperative to learn to defeat the inner critics within us, fix what needs fixing, acknowledge, and adapt to the shifts/changes as they occur and ask for help when needed. 

The key is to have the courage to start even when the path is not clear and to seek mentors and coaches to help, when needed.  

• Embrace the results of transformation

 Personal transformation requires goal setting and key landmarks.

Sometimes we do achieve our targets, but we are unable to recognise the results of the transformation.

Therefore, it is important not only to know the target, but be willing mentally to embrace the results of the transformation.

Transformation does happen automatically, it starts from the mind.

• Resilience is part of our arsenal 

Resilience is needed to push past the mental roadblocks to help us reach our new targets.

Once we are willing to employ resilience, we will be in a position to push past our potential roadblocks in our path.

• Colour outside the lines. 

If we keep doing what others have done, limiting ourselves to boundaries set by our cultural/social landscapes, or reaching goals that others have set for us, we will not do anything transformative.

We must be willing to colour outside the lines to realise our dreams.

• Sisterhood is powerful

The concept of sisterhood is a powerful tool that we must harness on our journey.

Depending and deepening our interdependence is a powerful tool in our arsenal.

• Tech-savvy is the new normal 
Technology is a prerequisite for accelerating business growth.

Corporate and Entrepreneurial women leaders need to engage more with technology to scale their businesses and grow their prosperity regardless of whether they have a background in technology or not.

• Technological up-skilling and re-tooling is critical

Young women/girls need to be intentionally encouraged to study STEM subjects in school to be active participants and designers of the future of technology that will impact their lives. 

•Reshape technology to serve and not to enslave

It is very important for African women to have a seat at the table when decisions related to climate change, affecting both public and private spheres, are made.

Embracing innovation and reshaping technology to serve, not enslave us, is pivotal to our journey.

• Joint effort

In a world that often emphasises division and discord, unwavering love and hope are truly priceless.

Together with men, we are sowing the seeds for the next generation of African women who will shape a prosperous, eco-conscious future.

• Intentionality

Event organisers, media houses and authors must make a conscious effort to empanel or feature both males and females as resource persons and role models to inspire the young ones to see their future and aspire to excel.

• Respect

A man's behaviour towards his spouse at home significantly influences his conduct towards women in professional settings.

We should nurture a culture of respect and equality within our households to positively impact workplace dynamics.

•  Responsibility

Understand that men participating in raising their children is a fundamental responsibility, not a heroic act.

We should not applaud men for fulfilling their parental duties; rather, we should encourage and expect active involvement from all fathers as a societal norm.

• Value

Recognise the dual roles of women leaders as CEOs of both the home and the office.

We should value and support these multiple responsibilities by considering fair compensation and acknowledging the immense contributions of women in leadership.

• Start at home

Role modelling starts at home: people we trust, people we admire: if we succeed at home, it will transcend other parts of our lives.

We need to raise our sons to love, support and respect women at home, this will translate to the workplace.

If we want to see the type of man or woman you want for your child, model that right from home.

• Display female role models

 Deliberate interventions can and do change the narrative around women and their place in society.

What you see is what you reproduce.

It’s important to paint the right picture for young women to ensure that the desired outcomes in terms of empowerment of women are achieved.

Don't tell a young lady she can be a star if all the stars she sees are men – we need to be intentional about exposing women to women role models.

• Watch what you eat

The foods we eat can create imbalance and unwellness.

• Examine your joy and ascertain if it is real

In attempting to self-diagnose our state of mental health, we need to examine our joy and whether this joy is real, artificial, or induced by the consumption of some substance or another irregular activity.

Trauma creates several negative experiences such as anxiety, depression, and un-wellness.  

• Speak out and seek help

Traumatic experiences can create imaginary secondary personalities in our minds that become our inner critic that constantly haunt us.

We need to speak out and seek support, knowing that it is perfectly okay to do so.

• Forgive

Forgiveness is therapy and necessary for healing, but it doesn’t always mean reconciliation.

Springboard, your Virtual University, is a motivational and personal development broadcast that focuses on leadership, entrepreneurship and career development.