More power ladies in the month women

Macilyne Chenai Chitepo

Lupita Amondi Nyong’o is a Kenyan-Mexican actress.

OH how so true when they say behind every strong woman is an amazing story. This month we celebrate the month of Women (In Shona the monrh of March means – Kurume). This may scares many weak man! I will trace and share stories of local and international women who have trail blazed and demonstrated that a strong woman stands up for herself. A strong woman stands for everybody else.

Here’s to strong women

This month I am going to make a lot of noise about women who have done well. I want to take advantage of celebrating women in the month of March which of cause ironically, in the Shona language is Kurume — the month of men. I have told my friends they can never win this war on why we celebrate international Women’s month in the month of March and not February. I have noted that women can be capable just like men, and this needs to be the focus of our education that women can be whatever they want to be.

May we know them
Yes, as a woman I have chosen to write more about women who are doing well to advocate for ‘iron’ ladies. We can read books written by women, watch movies made by and about women but is that good enough? I just felt, in this instalment, I should celebrate women who are doing well.
Sylvia Browne in her book End of Days predicted the current Covid-19: in her book she says “In around 2020 a severe pneumonia like illness will spread throughout the globe, attacking the lungs and the bronchial tubes and resisting all treatment….” The book was published in 2008 and now people from all walks of life are hunting for the book. People are now busy trying to find out who Browne is. This is exactly what I am saying, may we get to know all the prophets and all the women who are doing well in their different sectors be it arts, sports, business. Below I am going to mention a few ladies who have recently excelled. I want to say hats-off to them.

Lafarge chief executive, Precious Nyika

Lupita Nyong’o made it to the Forbes list of Africa’s 50 most powerful women, a feat worthy of congratulations to her and to the whole of African ladies. She also won an Oscar award. Locally, Precious Nyika was recently appointed to be CEO Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe. Clara Mlambo is now the Independent Non-Executive Director & Chairperson of ABC Holdings (Zimbabwe) Limited, Eunice Ganyau is now Nestle Zimbabwe, Zambia & Malawi managing director. Special mention also goes to Qetello Zeka, Total Zimbabwe’s new managing director. Distinctive Consultancy Services is now in Zambia and congratulations and shout out to one of my mentors, Rose Nhamo who recently opened office in Zambia. To those who know Nhamo, she is a powerful Human Resources brand and whenever I mention the entire top HR Practitioners, her name comes to mind. Clear examples of how confidence and intelligence are always beautiful in a woman.

May we raise them
The biggest question now is how do we raise future leaders of tomorrow? One of my favourite authors Fungai Mtisi in her book Own Your Image emphasises that we need to nurture our children to be confident, well-mannered and successful adults. Talking of role models we need as women to close ranks around the girl child and protect her from the predatory male dominated world. She must one day stand up and say I am a strong woman because a strong woman raised me. Thus, from this we can all clearly see that to be called an iron lady it starts with us, mothers. The book goes on to touch the way people perceive and respond to you through your image, the way you dress, look, walk and talk. She emphasises that it is your responsibility to own your image.
In the book of Esther, it is written that she went into competition with 600 different women. For 12 months they were being trained to become one thing which is to be the best of the best. To those who have read the book, you will all agree with me that for one to be the best of the best, to become the Pindi Nyandoro, Rachel Kupara, Charity Jinya, Faith Mazani, Sibongile P. Moyo, Hope Sadza, Rebecca Chisamba. These worthy role models have shown us that a woman can be completely unstoppable after she realises how much she is worth. Just like in the book of Esther, the king was supposed to remember all the women he had met by name.
Different may we be then
YES we need to be different, we should be different in the way we dress, the perfume we wear, even the way we walk. Everything about you needs to be different. Some of the women I mentioned above were recently promoted in their different organisations and I strongly feel that there is something that they did different from the rest. Esther was supposed to be recognised, loved and chosen by the king thus, she had to act differently.
Yes we can
Yes this is our month and we are going to make a lot of noise to celebrate each other to uplift each other. In Yehuda Shinar’s book called Think like a winner, he says “winners will not settle for anything less than their best because they know they must be disciplined and conscientious if they want to succeed. Game on my women, we are all not going to settle for anything less. Let’s all surround ourselves with a lot of successful women and these come through positive thinking and us trusting in our power as women that we can change the world. Above all let’s be strong, successful and shine amongst the people who never believed in us!
More power Women in the month of men