Swedfund är stolta över att erbjuda sina portföljbolag talangprogrammet #Women4Growth. Ett program för att ge kvinnor möjlighet att uppnå sin fulla potential i sin yrkesroll och därmed stödja en ökning av kvinnliga ledare i organisationer.
Nyligen deltog sjukvårdsleverantören AAR i Kenya i programmet och en av deltagarna har delat sina reflektioner efter att ha deltagit i sin första workshop. Inspirerande och uppmuntrande att se hur programmet nått kärnan av de barriärer många kvinnor upplever i arbetslivet och potentialen för utvecklingen när de kommer upp till ytan.
My name is Florence Kinyanjui, we had an interaction during the Women4Groth training for AAR in Nairobi, Kenya, in the middle of August. I have worked with AAR Healthcare as a Front Office Manager for four years. Here I give some reflections on the first training session.
“I strut in, head high, four-inch heels, skirt just below the knee, handbag clutched on one hand, an expectant heart and an ear to ear smile. I laughed with my colleagues, some I had not seen in months. I joined in the others for breakfast and took my milk and cookies as provided by the hotel. Being a slow eater, I finished last. By the time I got into the conference room, they had all sat down. In clicks, in how they knew each other, how they felt comfortable, the tables seemed full, they seemed happy with the people they sat next to. There seemed to be no extra room for one more in each table. I was confused. My heart sank. I found a space, right at the back and sat there. I played small, I knew I wasn’t small, but I went on with it. My smile faded.
Then someone looked back and called me out “Hey, you can’t be sitting all alone like that, join us, we have space for one more,” And I smiled and went and joined in, and they all smiled and laughed and pulled a chair for me. From that moment on, I did not know that by the end of the two days training I would know them better than I ever thought I did.
That was my first day experience at the Women4Growth training. I learned that playing small is what we do in our society as women, we want to sit at the back like I did, and look at all the beautiful set tables (all the good jobs, all the possible positions that we could hold, all the laughter we could have), we want to join in, we are qualified to join in (I was invited at the training, I was qualified for it just like everyone else in that room) but we play small. But someone always sees the potential in us.
Another woman in the conference room knew I was qualified, she knew I was at the right place at the right time, and she lifted me up, and moved me to the position where I was supposed to be. After I knew that I was in the right place, learning was easy, I interacted easily, it was easy to give input. I gave my best. All I needed was someone to help me realize that, someone to pull me from my thought, to show me that playing small wasn’t serving me. I was inspired and challenged that if only all of us women did the same in our society, how far grown would we be?
Women4Growth under Swedfund helped me realize my potential. I got to learn about my Talent, my Journey, my Strength as a woman, my Input and how to work on everything that I felt held me back. I learned that I am qualified to be in the Senior Management Team, I am qualified to speak my mind, I am qualified to sit in a table with men and voice my ideas, I am qualified for better opportunities, I am well capable of boosting the society’s economy, I am well able to drive change and create Businesses, to be a leader and now I know what sets my soul on fire! This is what Women4Growth has done for me. Thank you Swedfund!”
– Florence Kinyanjui