This week has been hectic. From nurturing children to house chores to running a social enterprise without enough support. Some superheroes genuinely do not show up in capes, they show up everyday and do what they must do to keep the world going. Over the years, my organization has collaborated with other organizations to help bridge the gender gap in career growth for women. The journey has not been easy. Funding has been a huge challenge but thanks to partners, some of the most difficult jobs have been accomplished.

Funding

Instead of co-creating campaigns that spotlight what women’s leadership has achieved and discussing the critical challenges there is to funding, it is difficult finding women collaborate to share expertise in how funding can be accessed. How can we partner with each other to advocate for policy reforms in institutions which will put women funding at the forefront instead of sabotaging their growth?

Strategic partnership

Partnerships are vital and they are more than just about funding. While funding can accelerate impactful initiatives, the real strength lies in forming strategic partnerships. Simple acts like support systems, donors and partnership are crucial. We can build a sustainable ecosystem where women lead, innovate, and transform communities across Africa when bigger corporations are willing to partner to amplify voices of women leading great initiatives.

Organizational Structure

One of the loop holes I have realized as a founder is that having an organizational structure will enable these alliances to leverage shared resources, networks, and expertise, magnifying our collective voice on issues like child marriage, gender-based violence, and women’s economic empowerment, without relying solely on financial resources. Without systems and structure, it is difficult for investors to find your organization and access to funding becomes nearly impossible.

Women’s Voices

As I reflect on the journey so far, I realize how far women have come as a collective body. Even in Ghana, women organizations and individuals have held forums, podcasts, bookclubs, stage dramas, radio interviews, just to mention a few, all in the bid to allowing their voices to be heard. But is that enough to amplify their voices for funding and shared resources on a global scale?