As the world gathers to celebrate International Women’s Day tomorrow, right here in T&T there are many women who continue to be fearless trailblazers.
From those enterprising entrepreneurs to the smartly-dressed executives at the C-Suite level making tough decisions with ease, women continue to leave their own indelible mark on every aspect of the corporate world and beyond.
The credit union movement is no different.
Dianne Joseph, who is chief operating officer of the Co-operative Credit Union League of T&T, has also been a pioneer in that sphere for over two decades.
She spoke candidly to the Business Guardian about her experience while calling on women to continue to support each other as she also shared nuggets of advice.
Noting that this year’s International Women’s Day theme is Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress, Joseph as she gave her greetings to all women and girls, acknowledged that women have long broken what many call the proverbial glass ceiling.
“We have been leading in all aspects,” she said, adding, “We manage large organisations, achieve significant milestones, we serve as attorneys, doctors, mechanics, engineers, labourers, CEOs, financial controllers, chefs, plumbers, media professionals and more. The areas that were once fully male dominated have been on the decline.”
However, according to Joseph, it’s still not equal pay for equal work.
“In some cases, women who have been performing the same job as a man are paid a lower compensation,” Joseph said.
While this may be daunting, she urged women not to be deterred but to remain focussed on their goals and aspirations.
“We must understand that we may be abased at times. But I implore you to not let that abasement demoralise us to the point that it affects our physical and mental well being. Instead, we must quietly continue to pursue our goals and dreams and success will be the end result,” she emphasised.
Joseph also drew on her own experiences as chief operating officer and as an accomplished leader within the credit union sector, having had the honour to meet and interact with men and women of all walks of life.
Describing the movement by its very nature as a people-centred entity, Joseph explained that apart from her role as COO, she often has to perform the role of an educator to the many credit union members and even outside of the organisation.
“This has allowed me the opportunity to understand, to a greater extent, the challenges faced by some women in this ever-changing world. For example, our single mothers continue to struggle to make ends meet, to send the children to school, take care of the home and in many instances, to do so with very limited financial resources.
“While in reality, not all women will honour and constructively accept this commitment, there are many who do so on a daily basis. The need for inclusion, therefore, is critical. “We must embrace everyone regardless of their status and seek to bring out the best in those who have been genuinely struggling to take the next step,” Joseph said.
Additionally, she emphasised that there must be the recognition of women in the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements and more so, they must be given the opportunity to prove themselves.
“I know women have that inner desire. They have that dream and they have that vision to move up the success ladder. They want to be financially independent and we must support that thrust. The credit union movement and credit unions continue to be that vehicle where women can achieve their goals and dreams. They have established saving accounts and have taken loans to educate themselves and their children. They pursue MBAs and other professional qualification because they want to equally share that professional space. In fact, they make good leaders, they seldom compromise and take risk.
“They perform because they know that they have achieved. In my experience as an educator, the classrooms have been overly populated with the female gender. They are moving barriers and stepping out with confidence in what would have been once considered as a male dominated space. I salute those women and I ask others to emulate you,” she added.
A woman’s journey to success however, can at times be arduous especially if there is seldom or no support even in emotional ways.
“There is the story of jealously in the relationship and the woman may have to struggle to gain her own finances, to educate herself or the take a position to step out and step up into the sphere of excellence and independence. There is a view that a woman’s place is in the home. Sadly, I am not in a position to support such a view. In the past centuries, maybe. But not in this era,” Joseph said.
Even in the midst of their trials and tribulations, women continue to make countless sacrifices to move up the ladder and in doing so they often pave the way for their children’s educational and other advancements.
“Many of the young boys and girls have been successful through the best universities and have been settling down as professionals. This could not have been easily achieved without that gentle but powerful touch, thought and sacrifices of our women,” Joseph said, as she also saluted the men who not only worked with women to achieve their heart’s desire but also continue to assure them that they are valued and respected in the world.
Some men, Joseph noted, also have made their own sacrifices to care for the children, diligently maintain the home and provide financial support while their female partners to pursue their studies.
In instances where opportunities are limited regarding the advancement of women, Joseph, a mother of two professionals, recommended that governments can consider implementing an assessment and work with those through social programmes for instance, to enable them to advance from one level to the next.
“There is a need to seek out and reach out to our women, to include them in multi-faceted roles and to aid their success. It can only redound to the betterment of the future generation and the strengthening of the fabric of our society, a society that, at times, seems to be falling apart. Our leaders may want to design and build infrastructure meeting the needs of women and girls, which may allow the goal of inclusion to flourish to the point at which all women are valued and respected,” Joseph explained.
As she continued to encourage her counterparts to strive towards their goals academic or otherwise, Joseph added, “You have unlocked potential and you must look towards enhancing your skills and competencies with every passing day, strive for excellence and reach for the stars.”
In this vein, Joseph noted that this year’s theme therefore, was not only timely but appropriate.
Reiterating her call for women to support and strengthen each other, Joseph affirmed, “Do not be wavered. Do not be intimated by the pressures that may mount in the workplace, the home, on the streets or social media. These are for a time. As of now, I have never seen a case where honesty and the will power to succeed and to stand up for what you believe have failed. You have the power inside of you, use it to you best and positive advantage. You can do it...Continue to strive for all-round personal development that will allow you to obtain and hold on to your space in this very demanding and aggressive economic environment.”