Profile Mozambique: What does the Be Like a Woman project mean?
Tânia Saranga: Be Like a Woman is an initiative focused on women, especially those in intermediate leadership positions or those who are entrepreneurs in various sectors. The main goal of the initiative is to provide tools that help these women prepare to further boost their careers and expand their businesses.
Through the program, participants have access to a range of resources, such as training, one-on-one mentoring, and the opportunity to interact with national and international experts from various fields. The central purpose is to create an influential network of women with high growth potential, helping them scale their projects to the maximum. In this way, they become not only leaders in their sectors but also sources of inspiration for other women.
PM: Why focus on a program aimed at women?
TS: New Faces New Voices (NFNV), part of the Graça Machel Trust, is a pan-African network focused on women. One of our main objectives is to increase the financial inclusion of women, both as entrepreneurs and professionals, as well as individually. We also seek to promote the growth of these women in terms of leadership, so they become more visible and take on prominent positions.
The Be Like a Woman program, for us, represents the practical application of everything we stand for and would like to see, both in Mozambique and in the region. We believe it is essential to empower women, making them more capable of growing and reaching leadership positions in any field. This program, therefore, is an important step to help them achieve that goal.
PM: With the expansion of Be Like a Woman, what are the main challenges of the project?
TS: The first challenge is in the skills and competencies of women, but also in the opportunities available to them. In Mozambique, the system often prioritizes men, both in the job market and in business environments. Culturally, men are seen as those who should have more growth opportunities, creating an obstacle for women, who are often not encouraged to assume leadership positions. In many cases, women lack the confidence to hold certain roles, and often, they are not even considered for such positions.
Economically, women are present in business, but mostly in the informal sector. Despite their contribution to the economy, especially in the education of children and the development of the country, they are still marginalized. This history of marginalization generates a lack of self-confidence, causing many women not to see themselves as entrepreneurs or to aspire to have larger or formalized businesses.
Another significant challenge is related to knowledge and management tools. Many women, although they have valuable skills, acquire knowledge in an empirical way, “on the streets,” without the opportunity to learn proven tools to manage their businesses more effectively. Additionally, many lack access to professional development plans that help them chart a clear path to ascend in their careers and reach higher management positions. Therefore, the main challenges are: the marginalization of women in terms of opportunities, cultural discrimination that still exists both in the family and professional spheres, and the lack of formal knowledge and appropriate tools to help them grow, both as entrepreneurs and professionals.
PM: What tools and skills do you consider important for empowering women in leadership and entrepreneurship roles?
TS: The Be Like a Woman program offers a range of tools and skills to empower women. Topics covered include corporate leadership, where participants learn to stand out as leaders, and the power of negotiation, so they can effectively defend their positions. The program also focuses on transformative leadership, ethics, and integrity, and includes topics like artificial intelligence, which help women improve processes and systems in their businesses. In addition, masterclasses are offered to enhance business management and career planning.
Another important aspect of the program is mentorship. At the beginning, participants define their personal and professional development goals and are mentored by experienced mentors, both national and international. These mentors help participants structure their plans and reach their goals, with monthly meetings to monitor progress and adjust strategies. In this way, the program provides a combination of practical training and strategic support, with the aim of helping women grow and achieve leadership positions, whether in the corporate world or entrepreneurship.
PM: The Be Like a Woman program is in its second edition. What innovations have been introduced in this edition?
TS: In this second edition, the program introduced some innovations. The first is related to the target group. We opened the program to include members of associations and civil society organizations that have a significant social impact. Another important innovation is the creation of a mentorship network. The program’s mentees, at the end, will be responsible for mentoring younger women, passing on the knowledge and experience acquired.
Lastly, we can mention the nature of the topics covered. In 2024, the program incorporated themes related to ethics and integrity, artificial intelligence, and investments. The latter is particularly relevant to our focus on entrepreneurship and wealth generation, encouraging participants to think beyond their immediate needs and begin to envision long-term goals, such as building a successful business that can lead to prosperity and even wealth.
PM: What are the next plans? Can we expect a third edition of the Be Like a Woman program?
TS: The Be Like a Woman program was not designed to be limited to just two editions. From the beginning, the goal was always to create a continuous impact on the development of women leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals. Therefore, there are indeed plans for a third edition, which will include new innovations.
