adminwithout a woman or a girl.”
With the drive to empower women in Zimbabwe, it rightly places the average woman in a better position to be in senior management.
One would ask if this trend follows in the business world that women have a good representation in positions of authority — be it in Parliament, in companies that are doing well, or in politics.
Research has it that on average women are rated as slightly better managers than men.
Naturally, women understand the female consumer’s mindset better because women form the bulk of the purchasers.
Sadly, according to a survey compiled by the Institute of Directors of Zimbabwe, male directors outnumber female directors.
I believe a woman can carry out management duties as much as a man can.
If you would ask me if I could hire a woman for a top post within my company, I would say yes, as long as she has the drive.
I am too worried about the bottom line to let judgment on traditional behaviourists cloud my views.
Looking closely at this scenario, the reasoning is that men are more willing to devote time to their career.
Let’s face it, it’s very difficult for most women to sacrifice their family, most women cannot bear spending long days and hours away from their family.
It becomes even more demanding when one is married.
Is there recourse then for the average woman like me who has very strong ambitions to lead a successful organisation?
Some women in senior executive positions believe that what has been crucial to their success is the willingness to work longer hours than other women.
Theresa Metty, senior VP at Motorola, agreed: “Successful people don’t see after-hour ‘demands’ as demands, but as opportunities. The opportunity to surprise, invent, create . . . ”
Very few women are prepared to work 60 hours per week or take their work home or partake intensive professional development activities after work or on weekends.
Take, for instance, strategic planning sessions; these require senior executives to sit in a series of meetings to decide which lines of business to increase or decrease, the amount and breadth of diversification.
It may involve closing out some lines of business (LOBs), adding others, and/or changing emphasis among LOBs or you are at the point where you are initiating actions to boost the combined performance of the businesses the company has diversified into.
At the same time, there is a meeting or prize-giving day at your child’s school, how would you to juggle the two?
The average woman is the primary family caregiver and the woman’s desire to fulfil this position is merely a biological disposition.
Could it be that there are cultural nuances that come into play? I believe women can achieve more if men would take up the roles women do in the home, and roles are changed to give women more time to stay in the office longer and have the opportunity to pursue after work social calls and professional advancement courses.
A suggestion to my fellow career woman is to discuss their intentions to pursue their careers full-time with their partners first before getting married.
They should also clearly spell out that the responsibilities of taking care of the home and children would be divided — but in reality most of us will cease to be marriage material.
I agree that events like maternity leave, attending children activities during office hours or any time you take off for family could have career limiting repercussions — it has the potential of eroding a woman’s touch with professional contacts.
A woman is always in direct competition with the male folks for that senior managerial post.
Is it something that women can settle for, an exchange for a lower level job or the family?
Could there be an end to these woes that bedevil the ambitious, career-driven woman?
On that note, let me also take this opportunity to unite with my fellow women across the world in celebration of the 16 Days of Activism — to all women out there — WE CAN!
Till next week, May God richly bless you!!
Shelter Chieza is an advisor in management issues. She can be contacted on [email protected]
Online Reporter