Today is Women’s Day in South Africa. We will see special sales pitches to women for everything from cosmetics to financial products. There will be invitations to events.
I’d like you to notice how many focus on selling products and services to women to improve an aspect of their lives that is apparently lacking. The inferred message is that you are not enough in your current state. You could be a better wife, mother, sister, daughter, employee, friend or person.
While browsing a cosmetic aisle recently, I was struck by the ever-increasing demands on the modern woman just in cosmetics. We now need to apply everything from hyaluronic acid to contour creams to obtain the elusive goal of a more radiant, sculptured, and youthful appearance. My gran used one jar of cream for everything!
Women are indoctrinated from a young age to believe the lie that we are not enough. I look back at photos of my younger self and wish I had appreciated how healthy and joyful I looked. Imagine if, when we were young, we could have seen ourselves at every life stage – I certainly would have loved myself quite differently. Unfortunately, when I was younger, I was always busy aspiring to be leaner, fitter, and more fashionable, focusing on a future version of me rather than simply being present in the life I was in.
Even in the financial planning world, we often tell women they need to save more, be more disciplined, or become more educated. While these are healthy goals, they can also leave women feeling inadequate, mainly because the ‘more’ that they need to become is often based on the benchmark of men. We are not men. Women have unique challenges, and the industry typically has little understanding of the challenges women face. Instead, it tells them that their financial needs, often centered around their families, are inappropriate. It tells them that the values that motivate their decisions are inappropriate.
Women’s Month is intended to honour women and celebrate the sacrifices and actions of women who have made a difference in our country's history. It should not be abused to make women feel disempowered or not good enough.
Formidable women believe that they are enough. That they are acceptable as they are. That their voice matters. That their actions can make a difference.
Women who are comfortable with who they are can be intimidating. They cannot be manipulated. They can be vulnerable without being abused. They choose to grow and change because they want to, not because they need to fit society's picture. They seek help not because they are incapable but because they rely on astute partners to collaborate for success. They cannot easily be profited from.
On Women's Day, I would like women to know that they are capable and acceptable, have the power to make good decisions for themselves, and can learn to achieve financial security. You have the strength and ability to do all this and more.
You are enough.
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Kind regards,
Sunél