{"id":4329,"date":"2021-03-26T10:44:09","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T10:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gracamacheltrust.org\/?p=4329"},"modified":"2021-03-26T10:44:09","modified_gmt":"2021-03-26T10:44:09","slug":"achieving-leadership-and-equality-in-a-covid19-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/uncategorized\/achieving-leadership-and-equality-in-a-covid19-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Achieving leadership and equality in a COVID19 world"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

The global outbreak of COVID-19 continues to create significant challenges for everyone. For leaders operating at different levels of the economy, it has become a double-edged sword. This year, the Gra\u00e7a Machel Trust joined the rest of the world in commemorating International Women’s Day<\/strong> under the theme Women in leadership.\u00a0We asked women in our networks to share their experiences as they continue to thrive and navigate around achieving leadership and equality during the pandemic.\u00a0Here is what they had to say. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Work-life balance plays a significant role in leadership<\/span><\/h4>\n
\"\"

Victoria Msowoya,\u00a0Women in Agribusiness- Malawi<\/p><\/div>\n

COVID-19 came as a surprise to everyone across the globe and has disrupted how many things are done. On the business front, MSMEs have not been spared and leading in these times requires that one is adaptive to change, bold and focused. <\/span>For a leader to succeed in times like now, there is a need to effectively manage time to still come up with intended results for whatever tasks present themselves. We are constantly swamped with different kinds of virtual obligations; sometimes, it is a challenge to identify which is essential.\u00a0<\/span>While managing time, it is critical to know and differentiate urgent and essential tasks, thereby deciding what task to tackle first as deadlines still have to be met. It is results that separate being busy and being productive.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a leader at this time, I have to show results.\u00a0<\/span>Work-life balance plays a significant role in leadership because I divide my time between social activities, business activities and family. I manage procrastination by actually doing those things that were permanently shelved. <\/span>Having empathy is also required while still keeping the eyes on the ball. Being an already challenging time due to deaths, some jobs\/positions will have to be cut. This is not an easy task but has to be done. Maybe instead of completing termination, work out an arrangement where wages and other benefits could be minimised until things get better.\u00a0<\/span>Help those that have lost their loved ones get back through counselling support, among other things.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

Thriving through resilient and\u00a0pragmatic leadership<\/h4>\n
\"\"

Aishatu Debola Aminu-\u00a0New Faces New Voices Country Lead, Nigeria.<\/p><\/div>\n

Nigeria is a double barrel nation; with COVID-19, the economy was affected due to the drop of global oil price, which was our significant foreign exchange earnings. Entrepreneurship and Trade contribute to about 60% of employment, now with a double-barrel situation in Nigeria. It called for pragmatic leadership to foster resiliency, grit and innovation in hard times like these to emerge more vigorous post the pandemic. This is what we use in New Faces New Voices Nigeria Chapter for women entrepreneurs to thrive in a global pandemic such as COVID-19.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I put certain unusual leadership qualities into practice for the Steering Committee, Members including our Youth Impact Team, to thrive in these difficult times. These include love, passion with courage, innovation, perseverance and grit! by God’s Grace. These leadership traits were evident at the peak of the global pandemic in programmes, initiatives and contacts, and foster relationships for empowerment and enhanced networking of our women entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Create positive spaces \u00a0for women to\u00a0eliminate doubt and fear<\/h4>\n
\"\"

Mulalo L Nethanani<\/p><\/div>\n

International Woman\u2019s Day throughout the years has developed a mindset that my voice matters towards inclusive nation-building that is based on Economic, Social, Cultural, Political Achievement. Culture has contributed to inequality through certain traditional practices and norms that stipulate that women are only suitable for managing households and should not get involved in professional work fields and strive for independence. With that said, women’s occupation in executive leadership positions will allow them to make a sustainable change since they understand how to create laws and constitutions that protect females entirely.<\/p>\n

The COVID world has contributed to significant disruption with women violence increasing daily and contributing to physical and emotional abuse, leading to higher death rates. We must, as such, create positive spaces which eliminate doubt and fear as a part of us getting equality for women during Covid-19. We should also encourage girls to get involved in different programs\/volunteering\/internship and discussions to enable change by bringing a solution.<\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

Implement systems to achieve leadership and equality for adolescent girls<\/h4>\n
\"\"

Mina Madlala- GMT Adolescent Network, South Africa.<\/p><\/div>\n

This lived reality is not one I share on my own but by young women globally. With some young women having to even drop-out from school altogether, 20 million more secondary school girls could be out of school following the pandemic, according to the Malala Fund. Added to the weight of domestic duties and care, It’s been estimated by UNICEF that at least 463 million (31%) of schoolchildren worldwide cannot be reached by digital and broadcast remote learning programs enacted to counter school closures. Education directly impacts achieving leadership and equality. More women out of school mean fewer leadership roles upheld by women and the equality gap between men and women widening.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Because adolescent girls experience the most difficulties at home and in their communities, it is, therefore, the perfect place to start implementing systems that will help us achieve leadership and equality for adolescent girls in this COVID-19 world. I would like to see work more accessible to girls and more time invested in mentorship programmes that encourage girls to take up leadership spaces and equip them for that space in a holistic manner, focusing primarily on unshackling limitations built in the mind of the young women.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“The time of change is now! We should be bolder, more strategic, and more practical. We need to change radically to accelerate women leadership in African societies and economies. We are not only victims but we are makers of our own life and our future”- <\/strong>Mrs Gra\u00e7a Machel.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The global outbreak of COVID-19 continues to create significant challenges […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_rtcl_gb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81,6,95],"tags":[658,659,660,661],"class_list":["post-4329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlight","category-uncategorized","category-womens-economic-and-social-advancement-highlight","tag-aishatu-debola-aminu","tag-mina-madlala","tag-mulalo-l-nethanani","tag-victoria-msowoya"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4329\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.gbstudio.co.za\/gmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}