Mrs. Joanna Sharpe

From the 9th to the 10th of October 2024, the Atlantic Council of Freedom and Prosperity Center hosted the inaugural “Women for Prosperity,” Conference at The Venue in Avondale, Harare. This amazing program was spearheaded by the Advisory Council Member Joanna Sharpe, with the aim of empowering emerging female entrepreneurs. The two-day event included capacity development and environmental scanning to cultivate economic growth and foster foreign direct investment. In and amongst industry titans such as Ken Sharpe, the event also featured special remarks and engagement from Honourable Mthuli Ncube, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, and Honourable Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women’s Affairs.

When you empower a woman, you build a nation. Women are cornerstones in their families, workplaces, and industries. With the advent of the 5th Industrial Revolution and the pivot to soft skills as the jewel of the work scape, women are uniquely positioned to not only thrive but excel across the board.

As women, we’re like seeds, bursting at the seams with potential, with our environment as the soil we’re set to be planted in. What more do we need? Well, we need the knowledge of exceptional women who have walked our predestined journey to not only guide us but also encourage us, as we cannot emulate or even dream of levels of success we have not seen.

The Women for Prosperity Conference provided just that: an amazing opportunity to network, learn, and shift our fixed mindsets into growth mindsets. The conference boasted industry titans such as the Honourable Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Tatiana Ellis, Joanna Sharpe, and Rutendo Mudzamiri to name a few. In addition to these homegrown gems, the event also hosted Marsha Parcou from the Seychelles and Annabelle Nakabiri Ssebakijje from Uganda!

This provided a melting pot of industry experts from a myriad of cultural and social contexts, sharing insights to empower one another while simultaneously learning from each other! It was an insightful series that covered topics such as mental health, social media and communication mastery, as well as entrepreneurial ingenuity.

One of the highlights of the conference was the Business Sustainability session hosted by Tatiana Ellis. As women, we struggle with perfectionism. Instead of taking calculated risks in our entrepreneurial journeys, we are driven to stagnation in our pursuit of perfection.

Tatiana’s discussion of VUCA the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous nature of the business environment. She tackled the stagnation state continual preparation creates, encouraging us to accurately assess our environment in all its uncertainties and to take informed and calculated risks as a means to succeed. This was more than freeing and insightful; it inspired adaptability and environment scanning.

Annabelle Nakabiri Ssebakijje’s session was heartfelt yet practical, sharing lived experiences of trials and eventual success. I was humbled by Annabelle’s strength in vulnerability as she discussed issues around gender-based violence, overcoming tribulations, and finding your purpose. As women issues around mental health, gender-based violence and surviving trauma are still considered taboo, so hearing an industry titan not only empowering other women but also releasing women from the shame and stigma of abuse was exceptional! We are survivors, and we are built to thrive despite the hellfires we have gone through.

I could go on and on about the amazing lessons and insights of the conference, but the key takeaway that resonates powerfully from this event is authenticity. Joanna Sharpe and Tatiana Ellis were engaged in two different roles of the event; the former organised and facilitated the event, while the other was a speaker and mentor. Yet they are sisters! This reminded me that charity begins at home. As women, we are sometimes our own worst enemies, dragging each other down instead of pulling each other up. If we could build each other up even in our own circles, how different the world would be!

Additionally, it reiterated the fundamental truth women struggle with: we are all meant to shine as women in business, and another woman’s shine does not diminish my own. Joanna and Tatiana are identical twins, yet they were shining individually in their respective areas of strength. Isn’t it funny how, as women, we are intimidated by our peers, while our male counterparts seek and consolidate their peers? This would likely explain why women aren’t occupying senior roles in industries as we fail to empower one another and support each other in our respective domains of power.

Lastly, I saw the synergy of cross collaboration across industries. Although the event was organised and facilitated by Atlantic Council Freedom and Prosperity Center, WestProp Holdings supported the event, and we additionally heard from Ken Sharpe in line with resilience in the face of uncertainty. On the face of it, it could seem like a husband supporting his wife.

Although this is true, the greater depth that emerged was the consistency of community outreach and empowerment. WestProp Holdings female employees were also present and exposed to the transformative discussions and teachings of the conference.

Most firms state their initiatives go beyond the profit motive, yet they rarely live up to it. It was refreshing to see cross-industry engagement—a property development firm participating in women empowerment in a bid to empower their staff and the community at large!

In essence, I hope this inaugural event will be the first of many editions. I was honoured and humbled to be part of the initial cohort. Ladies, keep your eyes peeled for this event next year; it’s definitely worth attending!

Mrs Joanna Sharpe and Hon. Professor Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance and Economic Development