Want to know how to create sustainable advancement of women, instead of just paying lip service to the women empowerment conversation? Join me for this podcast as I chat to Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage. She has the keys to the vault of what’s really going on in gender mainstreaming in Africa.

This is as far from ‘woe is me, I am a victim of gender bias’ as you can get. Beyond activism, there are some really amazing shifts taking place, particularly in Africa. In fact, Colleen is on a mission to make this content the gender hub for the world. “We have amazing stories to share. Let’s export them rather than import them!”

Raise the volume of the gender mainstreaming conversation by listening to this podcast which covers:

  • Gender mainstreaming(GM) and why we need it?
  • Why GM is not about ‘men out – women in’
  • How to raise the volume of the GM conversation for impact, instead of just ticking a box
  • Why hiring women makes financial sense and is a business imperative
  • The most common obstacles for women empowerment
  • The Gender Mainstreaming Awards and what they showcase
  • How the 30% Club is shifting the conversation
  • Why nothing will change if women don’t show courage and put their hands up

“There’s nothing that fulfills my heart more than doing exactly what we do in terms of the work we do with corporates and individuals, in making sure that women actually get a seat at the table and grow their careers.”

Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage

“You wouldn’t use 50% of the capital available to you, so why do you only use 50% of your talent? It’s not just about men and women, it’s about that diversity of thought that makes business sense. It really is about men and women coming to the table and making a difference.”

Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage

“Corporates aren’t going to do gender diversity just because of women empowerment, so you really need to come up with the reason why they should come along for the ride. And with my financial-services career background, I knew exactly how to approach a CEO and position this. Business Engage is at the forefront of strategic thinking on gender mainstreaming in the private sector.”

Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage

“Unless a chairman, CEO and board buy into women empowerment, you don’t change the DNA of the organization.”

Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage

“Many corporates are doing great things in this space, but they’re not talking about it. This is what has made the Gender Mainstreaming Awards vital.”

Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage

“The mistake we have made is in making gender mainstreaming a women’s issue, not a business issue. So it was August Women’s Month events or International Women’s Day, but it wasn’t a conversation that was driven throughout the year on a consistent basis.”

Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage

“Is it a conversation about men and women or is it a conversation about us as people making that change? And as an organization, we’ve decided not to be an activist organization, but to be a voice of change in the corporate environment. And you can only do that when you understand that you’ve got to have men and women at the table.”

Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage

“The 30% Club is not an organization, it’s an international campaign that was started in the UK. It’s currently in about 39 countries internationally, and it was started to get a chairman and CEOs to put their names behind gender, to change the DNA of the organization –  to make it as strategic as possible for those organizations to change. 30% is the level at which you can start influencing the conversation. And we’ve actually seen that having the chairmen and CEOs running together with our initiatives and buying into what we do, there is a lot of change.”

Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage

“For a business to make an impact in GM, you’ve got to get connected with other corporates who are in this space, who are moving forward. You’ve got to learn and grow together, and you’ve got to understand that you’ve got to have a fundamental change within your organization. It’s not just a quick fix, it’s a journey.”

Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage

“Women like external validation. They are very hesitant to blow their own trumpet because that’s not the way we’ve been socialized (you know when you  talk about how well you’ve done).”

Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage

“Many women are risk averse. To take on a new challenge that you aren’t 100% certain of, you need to take on that risk. My mom used to always say to me, ‘So if you do it or you don’t, what is the worst that can happen?’”

Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage

“So I’ve got two philosophies I live by, and especially for the women that are listening to this conversation. Number one: if you’re going through a challenge, you have the answers. So go look for them and you’ll never be put to a challenge you can’t overcome. Number two: don’t look at those challenges as a risk. Look at them as opportunities.”

Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage

“We want to make Africa the gender hub where we export stories rather than import stories.”

Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage