Women in leadership must possess a sense of mission beyond their personal goals or ambition. That was my prevailing thought as I prepared to speak on a panel discussion by Sisedi Investment Group, at the occasion of their Unit Trust and Mentorship program.
The topic for the panel discussion was Securing the Bag; an idea or concept I had heard many a time. However, I hadn’t heard so much about what it means, but according to Free Dictionary it means to “get the money”, “making money”, “get this bread”.
In my opinion, this presents a rather narrow worldview, an idea fraught with limited ambition.
Now I firmly believe in economic inclusion, I believe that women have agency and must fully participate in all that Namibia has available. I believe too, undergirded by research, that women have enormous impact on an economy when they are financially literate and equipped with opportunities such as productive assets to participate meaningfully. To be pragmatic, which economy or business or family can really rely on the active participation of only 50% of its population.
Which brings me to what I believe ? What does Securing the Bag mean for me? Not someone defined by material success though fully appreciative of my material blessings, my life finds purpose in more than being just financially secure. I have an expressed need to be impactful, to be purposeful, to bring about constructive change to others in a meaningful way but most of all I am committed to build an enduring legacy.
Securing the bag means creating durable and cross generational wealth premised on the Bible which states that “a righteous man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children”.
For my generation of women, I need to ensure that the generation of women who come after us have life easier. And easier means that they would not have to have to jump through all the hoops we had to in order to be deemed capable or worthy of power, influence and impact. Imagine what could be achieved if women were spared from having to prove themselves and could be focused on being their best self, on delivering the goods wherever they were occupied in the workforce.
Which makes me wonder about the role of the legislature towards the enhancement and empowerment of women in Namibia. How are policy makers “Securing the bag” for Namibian women?
Women constitutes almost 50% of Parliament but what impact have these women had on ‘women-friendly’ legislation and how have they enabled the levelling of the playing field ? Also what is their individual and collective share of voice during the last four years ?
When this cohort of almost 50% of women leave Parliament in March 2025, what would their legacy be in terms of securing the bag for their daughters ? Or would they simply have empowered themselves and left others even further behind ? How powerful is the Women Caucus in Parliament, if it even exists and what do they have as an agenda ?
* Hilda is a seasoned broadcast journalist, entrepreneur and television host. Founder of the national brand and organisation Team Namibia, Hilda believes her purpose is to impact the world with kindness, one engagement at a time.
