In a Room Full of Women

Esther 4:14- For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish.  And who knows but you have come to your royal position for a time such as this?  (NIV)

In the past week I found myself in the company of incredible women like former Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, CEO of Absa Group; Maria Ramos, Aids Ambassador; Hlubi Mboya, an audio version of Facebook COO; Sheryl Sandberg, massai; Kakenye Ntaiya, a few good men and a set of "unknown faces" who carry that same reverent power, inspiring stories and honorable dreams.  I was privileged to be one of the 30 young women who were selected to attend the Absa Capital Pioneering Young Women Conference held this year.  I met young women, like myself, who are standing at a crossroads, one leading to greatness and another to mediocrity.  Each of us face the challenge of deciding which road to take.  

I remember walking into a room full of young women, all with friendly faces, beautifully dressed, hair and make-up done, smelling like bouquets of the best flowers.  I said to myself, "Wow, this must be guy heaven". We all had high expectations for the week, some of us were already exchanging numbers and to some degree we were anxious about the journey we were about to embark.

If there is one thing I took from this experience worthy of sharing, it is that we were born for a time such as this.  In the past, women in this country were not afforded the opportunities we take for granted today.  Like Esther, we have the responsibility to release our full potential to make a difference, because the women we are destined to become will change the world and the fate of nations.  We will not all be doctors who find the cure to HIV/Aids, some of us will not be CEO's of international companies, but there is something unique which each of us can bring to the table.  We just need to discover what it is and then do it.  

We can not continue to live our lives without intention.  You were not built to take the back seat.  You were built to inspire.  We undermine our role in the world and we have become complacent to playing second fiddle to everything because we do not see ourselves in the light of greatness.  Greatness is not reserved for men alone.  We are the ones who make men great.

As women, we have so much value to contribute to the world because we tie our souls to everything we do.  Our emotions and complex over-thinking is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength and valour.  We make better decisions because of those "feelings".  We consider the things others overlook and we live by the principle of stewardship.  Young woman, you can conquer the world.

When Anne Frank wrote in her diary, do you think she did it knowing future generations of millions of people would read it?  Do you think that Malala Yousufzai knew that campaigning for girls to receive education, would lead to her being shot in the head and subsequently the leader of the first youth takeover of the United Nations?  Do you think Ellen Johnson Sirleaf knew that she would be the first elected female president in Africa?  Do you think that becoming a master of what you do best, coupled with your desire to make a difference would change the world?  It may seem ridiculous, but it can happen.

We live in a time where anything is possible, some of us are lucky to live in countries where women are valued and where there are no policies to limit us.  There is nothing stopping you besides yourself.  Dream bigger, think louder and live larger.  The world is crying out for our talent, our wisdom and our leadership.

Women.  We make this world a better place.