Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sibongile Sambo are a couple of names of women leaders who are changing the narrative and doing great things, proving to us all that women leaders are great leaders. They have proved that it is possible for women to achieve whatever they set their minds to regardless of the circumstances. They have negated the age old narrative that women are weak.

People around the world have seen the obvious during the pandemic, women’s leadership does make a
profound difference. The evidence as seen, in country after country, whereby governments led by
women have been more effective in flattening the curve and positioning for economic recovery.
Africa has not been left behind and is we are empowering the girl child. How you may ask?
We are doing away with cultural barriers that vilify ambitious women and we are saying no to early child
marriages. We have witnessed changed lives and societies resulting from education of the girl child. In
the words of Dr. James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey: “if you educate a man you educate an individual but if
you educate a woman you educate a whole nation”. This has been proved true time and time again.

Exposure is key for us because Africa is the future and as such more women need to be empowered.
Exposure is important when it comes to women empowerment; more exposure means all rounded
education not just in academics but also in the school of life. Women need to stand up for themselves
and their beliefs and I am happy that here in Kenya, especially in the travel and tourism industry majority
of the operators are women and they give their all to ensure that they grow the industry both locally and
internationally.

What do we need to do to ensure that women can be all that the can be? Are we empowering them?
Women have been silenced for far too long; this is the time for women to speak their truth. We must
ensure that the resources for self-improvement, education and ultimately success are available for all
women everywhere. This is the only way we will be able to grow economies and also build stronger
future generations.

Women must support other women in the society. The narrative that women are their own worst
enemies is tired and lame. This is a new dawn and as such we are the change that we want to see. This is
why we are supporting each other into positions of power and success all over the world.
We have come a long way in the travel industry, as a country and indeed as a continent when we have
conversations about women. It all starts from the family level, how we treat our wives and mothers, how
we raise our daughters. We must treat both sexes equally and encourage the girl child to grow and be
everything she can be. Each child has the opportunity to succeed and it is up to us to change the
narrative.