A woman actively engaged in the workplace should always take time out to replenish her mind and thoughts. Acquiring more knowledge is compulsory as life never stops teaching. Interaction with others and reading are two of the ways this can be done.
Suggested women forums are;
WIMBIZ- WIMBIZ stands for Women in Management, Business and Public Service. It is a non-profit organization formed to be a voice for women in careers and business. It is a volunteer-based organization, funded largely by donations and contributions by members and participants. Over the last 16 years, WIMBIZ has implemented programs that seek to inspire, empower and advocate for greater representation of women in leadership positions both in the public and private sector. A process-driven gender empowerment organization in West Africa, WIMBIZ has a contributory associate pool of over 500 accomplished women in management, business and public service with over 5,000 women on its database. WIMBIZ organises a vast array of programs ranging from roundtables, Master classes, Book Club meetings, Internships and mentoring programs.
She Leads Africa (SLA)- It is a community that helps young African women achieve their professional dreams with engaging online content and a series of events ranging from festivals to master classes where notable celebrities in business, arts, culture, entertainment, health technology, media etc. share their knowledge and expertise. It provides the opportunity for interested young women to become their ambassadors. These ambassadors are privileged as the first set of people to hear about SheHive events and job opportunities.
The She Leads Africa Accelerator is another program from She Leads Africa. It is a 3 month program designed to identify, support and fund the next generation of Africa’s brightest entrepreneurs with businesses from the Agribusiness, Retail & E-Commerce, Technology, Creative and Beauty industries.
African Women Inspire Network (AWIN)– It is a community focused on organizing a sustainable support system for young African business women through collaborations, investments, mentorships, trade exhibitions and charitable work.
Recommended books that will help a woman in her workplace are:
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, by Sheryl Sandberg
Speaking of challenges, Lean In uncovers issues and concerns of the modern day working woman; in addition to some compelling research. Through this book, the author recollects her own struggles, mistakes and choices that have made her in every way the woman that she is. The book also provides practical guidance to negotiation techniques and mentorship. It’s both a witty and an informative read for aspiring women who are willing to bridge the gap between who they are and who they want to be.
Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers by Lois P. Frankel
The book brings forth some of the unconscious mistakes women in business make. It is worth a read for any woman entrepreneur or one in the making. In this book, she mentioned 101 unique set of behaviours that a woman is imbibed with as a child; and how these can later sabotage them as adults. The book also offers invaluable coaching tips which one can easily incorporate into their business.
How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life by Joanna Barsh, Geoffrey Lewis, Susie Cranston
The book is based on proprietary research spanning over 5 years and has an interesting outlook on success. It explores a controversial issue like feminine leadership traits. The book explains five elements of centred leadership, namely, meaning, framing, connecting, engaging, and energizing. With inspiring stories of women leaders from some of the head-turning organizations like Morgan Stanley, Avon and Woolworth’s, this book sure makes a compelling read.
