The XX Factor – Women Building Women in Business

For the XX series, we looked at what we can do to ensure that women continue to actively participate in our workforce in the post-pandemic era. Discussions surrounding better compensation, child care assistance and greater flexibility have been long overdue, but there is so much more women can do by taking matters into their own hands. 

We are our greatest resource
Nothing builds people like community. In ancient African and Native American cultures, the elder women in the tribe were the wards of traditional knowledge and would pass customs and traditions on to future generations through storytelling, song and dance. This would ensure that future generations, building on the tribal gnosis, would use it to thrive and prosper. The same should be applied in supporting the upcoming generations of young female professionals of today. So how can we implement this in a modern day context to ensure that the next generation of working warrior women continue to succeed in the corporate world?

Encourage WERG at WORK– Setting up Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for Women and Mothers (WERG or MERG) could help female employees feel supported by creating a space where they can share and benefit from career and personal development 👩🏽‍💼.  The group can comprise peers but can be even more effective when there is buy-in from female executives and leadership. Even allies can be invited to join the ERG to support their female colleagues.

Passing the Torch– Encourage opportunities for mentorship of junior staff with women in executive leadership roles. Structured mentorship has proven effective in allowing women to feel more empowered in the workplace. There is also the added benefit in having female executives using the fruits of these interactions to help shape more inclusive policies in the workplace.

The future can be so much brighter when Queens collaborate to grow, learn from and promote each other. As the new normal continues to take shape, let’s use the opportunity to create new models that allow our women and all employees to contribute to a more inclusive and progressive work-culture.