Leaders in Heels & Sneakers

Introduction

A few years ago, according to a UNICEF report, it could take 99 years for women and girls to achieve gender equality, Covid-19 has set back the progress for women’s rights in a massive way, with the global gender gap not expected to close for another 138 years. The recent pandemic has raised new barriers to build inclusive and prosperous economies and societies Pre-existing gender gaps have amplified the crisis between men and women even as women have been on the frontlines of managing the situation as essential workers

According to the World Economic Forum, it will take 268 years to close the economic gender gap and even though we have made great strides in the educational gap, much more needs to be done.

Presenting Phenomenal Women

That is why we are presenting Phenomenal Women. A platform for girls and young women to come together to CONVERSE CONNECT CREATE A space that brings girls and young women finding themselves despondent from the status quo closer conversation, inspire the younger generation on which footsteps to follow to live a purposeful and economically emancipated life. A supportive environment that allows women in all their diversity to dream and fully express who they are and what they want to achieve.

The Phenomenal Women platform is an environment that stands for girls and young women and assists them in navigating their aspirations. This network of young women is unapologetic about giving each other opportunities to excel in business, corporate, and the NGO sector. This space supports women who are boldly changing the economic status quo, big dreamers, breaking barriers and simply refusing to wait for 136 years before any real change happens.

Phenomenal Women presents: Leaders in Sneakers and Heels.
The Phenomenal Women will host its first gathering since the lifting of Covid -19 as a natural disaster, and the girls and young women refuse to rest on their laurels and waste time. As the country opens up, they want to get involved in different sectors like health by creating digital health tools that help communities thrive; they want to build hotels and schools, not only for employment but also for access to education and skills. Their dreams are significant, and this network is here to support them. Girls and young women want to start and build sustainable NGOs so that they can. bring impact to their communities. On the 4th of June 2022, the Phenomenal Women will host their gathering in Cape Town from 09:00 to 17:00. The day will be power-packed with incredible speakers from the business, private, and public sectors. The foundation is firmly rooted in the saying, “you can never be what you don’t know.” On this day, we bring successful women of colour to passionate, driven, and highly motivated young women. We introduce them to the tenacity and the work ethic it will take for them to reach their dreams. The day is not about theory but about giving them practical ways to build their lives. We have various themes to cover, from personal development to cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset to understanding the importance of building a movement that supports sisterhood to being a part of the coaching auction where mentors and coaches will be “auctioned.” The day will end with a dragon’s den setup where they will get an opportunity to pitch their ideas-closing off with a networking session.

Objectives

• To give young women and girls a safe space to explore and navigate their aspirations
• To support young women and girls as they their purpose into passion their purpose and explore ways of turning
• To provide practical pathways for starting building and growing a business To empower young women entering corporate on how to climb the corporate ladder without
  losing themselves,
• Building a sustainable organisation that can measure impact in communities they operate in
• To provide a platform to pitch and get feedback on their business ideas
• To give a basket of mentors and coaches for girls and young women to be led by To start a network of young women supported and connected to a group of mentors
  across all sectors

Conclusion

One this day, the speakers will inspire girls and young women to stand on the shoulders of giants in their diversity. In one of our beautiful languages, isiXhosa, a saying goes, “indlela (buzwa kwabaphambili,” loosely translated as the “the road is asked from those ahead” which is most important for this group of girls and young women Girls and young women no longer have to wonder if incredible women exist, they will leave that day knowing they exist and believing that they too can be where those leaders are.

This day will be one of many, we are building phenomenal women as a movement, a sisterhood, and a place of love and support.