Fate in our hands

AS WOMEN in business, we are often thought of as pretty faces with no brains.

We have to tolerate occasional disguised compliments, such as "She doesn't only dress fine, sometimes her head works fine".

For this reason women often work twice as hard for half the pay to prove that they are able to do a job at least as well, but often better than their male counterparts.

The only time being a woman counts in our favour is during job interviews. Because of affirmative action and economic empowerment policies, companies are obliged to give you preference in certain circumstances.

And then the hard work starts. Because after an eight- to nine-hour day, we have to start a second shift at home.

For many of us, the luxury of help eludes us; we have to leave really early to drop kids off at school and be on time for work - often being the last to leave so as not to be considered inferior to men - and then pick our kids up late at school.

We cannot expect any help to come in that early and leave that late. This gives us guilt trips, leaving us in a constant tug of war of  between family and work life.

We smile quietly at an apron in a retailer which reads "the Queen of F..n everything", because we know it's not far from the truth, but wishing it were entirely true.

But there are moments when we are rewarded for our tenacity. Like when our male colleagues get promoted for work we've done, or our managers get praise for our efforts. Of course it is often amusing to see the glee and know that we have played a part in it.

When our degrees are conferred and our daughters look up to us and say: "I know now that anything is possible" we know we have created hope.

The cherry on top is when you sit among MBA candidates writing their entrance exams and there are more women than men attempting the tests.

Or when one William Bird tweets: "Just attended fascinating talk on impact investment.1st time I've ever been at business event In SA where it was dominated by women."

The same sense of pride the nation experienced when Le Clos won the gold medal, and Oscar bravely attempted his race, is experienced by the pack when we see the strides we have made since "Burn the Bra".

In realising that our past does not define us, that we are the creators of our own future, despite hardships, abuse, inequality, we can choose to triumph over that and become all that we are meant to be and perhaps even more.

I am the daughter of a bus driver, yet I am able to apply for an MBA degree. I am not alone. My life dream is one step away. They say good things come to those who wait, but waiting is no good any more.

We have to do something to get what we want. There is no instant gratification. There is no room for entitlement. We have to work harder and cleverer towards the goals we set ourselves.

Are we taken seriously in the boardroom? Sometimes, by the chaps around the table who are serious about business and who want what is best for the business.

The biggest obstacle for women to be taken seriously in the workplace may very well be the way women perceive themselves. If we want to be regarded as equals at the office, why then do women insist on having separate business chambers?

The one or two meetings I have attended for women only added no value to my business knowledge. It was more a feel good, hug and dance getting together that appeared to meet the emotional needs, which could just as well have been done over cappuccino and baked chocolate mousse cake.

I say this with utmost respect - networking with like-minded (in this case business-minded) people takes valuable time off our very busy schedules. Make it count.

If women start taking themselves more seriously without negating from their feminine touch too much, if they strike a balance between family life, have a passion for what they do, educate themselves, do not expect everything to fall into their laps because they are women and manage to balance the guilt trip, Häagen-Dazs ice cream and apply their minds to find solutions and stop making excuses, the road ahead might be a tad easier for our daughters' generation.

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