Page 31 - Forbes - Africa (March 2020)

FORBES AFRICA
COVER STORY • POWER WOMEN

To be a powerful woman means to

have the possibility, the right and the

responsibility to make choices that better

oneself and better one’s community.

Power is making a conscious effort in
both your private and public spaces

to tear down the walls of disrespect,

discrimination and disenfranchisement

wherever you meet it. Using your

influence to create impact and better the

lives of others — that is what being a

powerful woman means to me.”

WhatmadeyoustarttheGraçaMachelTrust, whichiscelebrating WhatareyouropinionsoftheAfricanContinentalFreeTradeArea
itstenthyear? agreementcomingintoforcethisyear?
TheTrustcameasanefforttofillagap.Ihavebeeninvolvedwiththe It’sextremelywelcomed.Itcameatatimewhentheconversation
politicalpromotionofwomen’srights,butIfeltintheeconomicsphere, withintheAfricanUnionisabout[launching]anAfricanpassportand
therewerenoorganizationsfocusingonenhancingthecapabilitiesof removingbarriers.It’simportanttocreatethoseinstrumentswhich
womenintheformalsector.So,IdecidedtoestablishtheTrust. materializewhatwehavebeensayingfordecades‘weareone’.Now,
youneedtofacilitatetransport,tradeandborder-crossingforthosein
Whataresomeofthechallengesfacingfemaleentrepreneursin theinformaleconomy.
accessingfunding? Thetradeagreementisalegalframework,butthemostimportant
Therearetoomany.Therearestillcountriesonthiscontinentwhere thingistheattitudeofthosewhohavetoimplementit[tounderstand]
ifawomanhastostartabusiness,shehastohavepermissionfrom weallgainwhenwehavefreemovementofpeopleandgoodsacross
herhusband.Weareworkingtoremovethatkindofbarrier.Women thecontinent.Governmentsneedtobemoreeducated [to remove] the
arenotchildren;theyareadultsthatknowwhattheywanttodo. obstaclestheyarecreatingandthatmakenosense.
Theyshouldberecognizedwiththeirdignityandtostartabusiness
whenevertheyfeellikeit. Howwouldyoudescribeapowerfulwomanin2020?

But,therearemanyotherswhicharestructural,intermsof Istruggletounderstandthisissueofpowerbecause,speakingfor
mentality.Womenstillstruggletoberecognizedandvaluedfortheir myself,Idonotcare[about]beingpowerful.PeoplesayIampowerful
potentialtotransformoureconomies. butIcaremoreaboutbeingimpactful–intheworkIdowithchildren,
[Through] our programs with women, [we] intend to firstly adolescents,women,oreveninstitutions.Thosewhoobservecansay,
encourage [women] to build their self-confidence, that they know that ‘youarepowerful,’butitdoesn’tcomefrommetosayIampowerful.
nothingandnobodycanimpedethemfromdoingwhattheywanttodo. Whatisimportantasahumanbeingandsocialbeingis[toask]:“how
Secondly,toget[women]toworktogetherbecauseifyouhadtoremove doIprovokepositiveimpactwhichwill make life much better for the
the obstacles, you [still] can’t do it individually, you need the power of peopleIworkwithandworkfor?”
the collective. That’s why we chose to work through networks. The
third is to strategize because there are so many issues to deal with so YouhavealsobeenveryimpactfulwhenyouwereFirstLadyof
you need to prioritize those which will have an impact in transforming SouthAfricaandMozambique.WhatadvicewouldyougiveFirst
institutions, transforming structures and would open avenues for many Ladiesintermsofhowtheycanusetheirvoiceforthevoiceless?
[more] women to work. I don’t think I can advise First Ladies because from that point of view, I

FORBESAFRICA.COM MARCH 2020 FORBES AFRICA | 27