Women Empowerment

Opinion: “I Don’t Think Women Can Have It All”- Indra K. Nooyi.

Published

4 years ago

Oct 2, 2020.

Sixty years ago, our great country gained her independence from colonial rule which liberated her from being governed by a foreign power, laudable, however independence from colonial rule is loaded with more than gaining just the power for self-governance. Deep within the belly of independence lies so much more which has to be explored by the freed: freedom of speech, women empowerment, rights of children, infrastructural development etc.

Women empowerment is one of the offshoots of independence where the change in mindset of what women can do, must do, who they can become is bowdlerized.

As we seek a change in the orientation of the limiting factors that diminishes women’s potentials, we must also be aware that women empowerment must be backed up by governmental policies where opportunities are available to women to pursue their potentials, exploring all they can be per time. It is about women having successful homes and fulfilling careers as well.

However, some of the extreme opponents of female empowerment argue that a woman’s place is at home, taking care and raising the kids so that the home front doesn’t suffer neglect as the man work to provide for the family. To people with this thought flow, one of their arguments is that women working outside of the home, especially at demanding careers, would create inattention in the home. In a matter of speaking, a working woman with a family is a woman who believes she can have it all, which to them, shouldn’t be.

Indra K.Nooyi, the former Chairman and C.E.O of PepsiCo answered in an interview with David Bradley in 2015 that she doesn’t think women can have it all, especially women with demanding careers. She went on further to say that sometimes women pretend that we can have it all which is impossible, because a lot of important factors are in conflict with each other: a demanding, up scaling career and raising of kids.

However, she says that developing a “coping mechanism” which means having a lot of help from trusted, tested and trained associates helped her when she couldn’t be available for her kids because of her demanding career.

As a matter of fact, I don’t think anyone can have it all at once, male or female, but I believe a woman can be all that she desires to be. For anyone to be successful, compromises has to be made: a woman with a demanding career would definitely have to make compromises, choosing what she can do, what she should delegate and what would totally be taken off her to-do list to keep the essential elements in her life functioning effectively.

There should be that independence in our mindset that a woman also has the right to explore her intellectual, career, entrepreneurial prowess to become all that she can and chooses to become, asking for help and assistance where and when needed, in which there is no shame.

A woman, one with a demanding career may not be able to have it all at once and that is no crime, however, with help and support from her spouse or significant other, she can become all that she wants to be as she carries the most important people in her life along with her on her journey of personal fulfillment.

Photo Credit: gettyimages

HAPPY 6OTH INDEPENDENCE EVERYONE!

OLUWABUSAYO MADARIOLA

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