Alte FriedmanWe know what it’s like to hit a point in life where you just need a spark of motivation—but thankfully there are plenty of female-penned books that can give you just that. (It’s ok, everyone needs a little prompting sometimes.) Their authors range from journalists to social scientists to doctors, and even Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Peace Prize winners (goals). There’s no lack for inspiring women out there.
Reasons For Women Empowerment
The WMD system is the acronym for the Women’s Marketing Movement which is entirely focused on women. It is the all-female collective based in the US which is a participant in the mentorship program of our company. Founded in 2000, the group is made of extraordinary women who work together in support of one another. Within the group, women promote their businesses, share marketing tips, seek advice and support, and empower one another to succeed.
The WMD believes in actively and continuously educating the market, and through their immense connections across the globe, have garnered numerous articles, resources and educational materials. The WMD’s goal is to create a kinder and gentler business environment for women to thrive in—a fitting reason why we’ve given them and their work with women this year’s Global Women’s History Day.
Steps Needed To Help Women Empower Themselves
1. Groups That Support Women Empowerment
The Women Business Mentoring Initiative is a pioneering Ghanaian initiative designed to mentor women entrepreneurs. The Women Business Mentoring Initiative (WBMI) is a large-scale social impact project helping to deliver a new social dividend in Ghana, by mentoring women business owners across Ghana to become profitable enterprises.
The Initiative is an exciting partnership between Laureate International Universities and NGO, Guiding Star, to create a high impact programme that empowers female entrepreneurs and contributes to prosperity in Ghana.
WBMI is a three year programme, that will reach 500 women entrepreneurs across Ghana. The project is being piloted in two regions – north and south Ghana – with the social enterprises created in the project areas – furniture and fashion – becoming the initial launch products of the WBMI. The programme is supported by Chinese Development Bank, EDGE Impact Investments and Coca Cola Foundation. To promote gender equity in the country, it’s also been initiated in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ashanti Region to institute change for women in the country.
Ghana’s Woman Empowerment Challenge“The social investment agenda of the WBMI is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. It is a truly inter-sectoral programme that focuses on providing women with business training, mentoring and support, financial education, savings and financing opportunities, and community engagement. These interventions are designed to help women combat economic disparities by building capacity to start and run their own enterprises.”
2. Empowerment Tips and Advice for Women
Realistically speaking, you will probably not kick out your ego overnight. We’ve all been raised to believe that we are the centre of the earth, so it’s okay to be a little full of ourselves, sometimes. A major key to entrepreneurial success is empowering yourself: it’s time to let go of any excuses you have about the way you look, what you can / can’t do, what you want / can’t have, etc.
When we encounter negative thoughts about ourselves or our circumstances, we need to be able to recognise them for what they are: negative, discouraging, and untrue. These are the demons you need to try to ‘outrun’ during your run: the negative thoughts and self-doubt that wave their ugly heads in.
There will come a time when your inner voice doesn’t rain on your parade, and that is a great time to celebrate. While the demons never truly go away, they will lose their power over you if you can learn to actively combat them before they can take hold of your thoughts. You have the power to stop them dead in their tracks if you understand what you are truly capable of and, by that, I mean –
1. Who you are, what you want, and how you want to be treated.
2. What you can do / offer to others based on your skill set and experience.
3. Whether or not you’re going to go out there and get what you want or sit back and whine about it.
The WMD believe that empowerment is not limited to ideas that encourage equality, fairness, and justice in the market place—power is a key to reach these noble ends. When you see women empowered, you stand in solidarity with them and their ideas. Whether you are a young girl or a grandmother who is helping to build a better future for the children of the next generation, you have the power to move forward.
Be clear about your objectives, have a language to state them, and walk the talk. Be good to yourself, get what you need, and see yourself as entitled to it.
Don’t be afraid to assert yourself and be more in charge of your own destinies.
3. Empowering Women Worldwide
This is why we love The WMD. Their mission is to empower women in business, in their personal lives, and in their communities. They believe in supporting other women through a group mentorship program that shares marketing tips, cross-promotional opportunities, business advice, and the importance of supporting one another at all times.
The WMD started 15 years ago, when two American women sought to create a safe place for female entrepreneurs to network and learn from one another. Since then, the group has grown to a membership community of a few thousand women in professions ranging from PR to accounting to marketing to wellness. The Women’s Marketing Movement Women continue to meet regularly in the US and beyond. During these meetings, women come together to connect, learn, be inspired, and empower each other to succeed, and they teach each other marketing tips, trends, and information.
For the past two years, the Women’s Marketing Movement has brought their empowering and supportive knowledge and skills from the US markets, to women across the globe. During Women’s History Month in 2017, they hosted the first Women’s Empowerment Forum in Ghana, partnering with Laureate International University. The event was a huge success, reaching over 120,
Pussy By Regena Thomashauer
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Educated by Tara Westover
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Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski
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The Flowering Woman by Q Gibson
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This is a book about love, healing, womanhood, and beautifully written to soothe and tend to the hearts of women.
Tree of Lives by Elizabeth Garden
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Mastering Your Mean Girl by Melissa Ambrosini
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How To Be A Bawse by Lilly Singh
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How to be a Bawse by Lili Singh (a.k.a Superwoman). We all know she has almost 15 million subscribers on youtube and now she has her late-night show. It is the story of her success. She started with just one thought, and that is ‘If her video could be the reason someone’s bad day turns good, then all her effort would be worth it.
Twenty-Two by Allison Trowbridge
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Destined For Greatness by Shantay Carter
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Find Your Fire by Terri Broussard Williams
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Find Your Voice by Sahar Paz
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This book was vital in helping me find my voice in my late 20s when I was going through a major life transition (divorce) and identity crisis. I really appreciated learning the different voices that show up and how to cultivate a healthy, rooted inner voice. It was like learning the language of me. It’s informative and interactive. Highly recommended for your journey to your voice.
In the Company of Women by Grace Bonney
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This is a lovely book which focuses on showcasing the female entrepreneurial experience from the perspective of different women in different industries throughout the world. I find that this book is a perfect guide to empowering women and helping them become strong leaders both professionally and personally.
