Profile Mozambique: EY Behind the Implementation of the ‘Be Like a Woman’ Program. What Motivated the Company to Develop This Initiative?
Glayds Gande: EY’s motivation to implement the Be Like a Woman program is deeply aligned with the company’s values. One of the key principles guiding EY is its commitment to helping “build a better working world.” For EY, this means promoting a more inclusive business environment where everyone, regardless of gender or other variables, has equal opportunities to grow and develop.
On the other hand, we realized that, in the case of Mozambique, despite existing training programs for women, many of them focus on those at the beginning of their careers or in the early stages of their businesses. However, when these women reach a more advanced stage, where they need different tools to go to the next level, we found that there are almost no programs addressing this need. Additionally, we observed that there are very few women in the country occupying top leadership positions, such as Chairpersons or CEOs of large companies, or even women who own large businesses.
The Be Like a Woman program was created with this gap in mind. Our goal is to provide tools and resources to women already in the market, whether in middle-management positions within corporations or as owners of medium-sized businesses, so that they can advance to the next level. We offer tools to help them easily ascend to corporate boards or lead large companies. The aim is to develop a local and international ecosystem that empowers and facilitates women’s participation in the corporate world, so that society sees it as normal for women to reach these levels.
PM: What is EY’s vision regarding the impact of the program?
GG: I think it’s too early to provide specific numbers or results about the program’s impact, especially since the first edition has only recently ended and the second edition is still underway. Also, due to the nature of the program, we believe its impact will become evident in the medium and long term. However, there are already some examples that show the early impact on the beneficiaries’ lives.
For example, we have reports of participants advancing in their careers, such as Winnie Makande, who, after participating in the program, was promoted from Senior Consultant to General Director at the institution she works for. According to her, the tools offered in the program, such as leadership, negotiation, and personal branding, played a key role in this achievement.
Additionally, the program was also designed to help entrepreneurs and professionals expand into new markets outside of Mozambique and think globally. A good example of this is Anna Sousa, a businesswoman whose company, after the program, started operating not only in Mozambique but also in Portugal.
Another significant impact is the strengthening of networking among the participants. Many are establishing partnerships and doing business with each other or with our partners. In the second edition, one of the participants, Euritz Uamusse, was able to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with an institution where another participant works. As a result, employees at that institution can now purchase products from her company at a discount.
PM: What are the main challenges in implementing Be Like a Woman?
GG: The journey has been very interesting and rewarding. However, the main challenge currently lies in the level of acceptance and adherence to the program, which limits the coverage in relation to the demand.
In the first edition, the initial goal was to have 25 participants, but we ended up with a total of 38. In the second edition, we set a maximum limit of 35 participants, but we accepted 57, and even then, some highly qualified women could not be included. This is a challenge because the number of qualified women exceeds the number of available spots, and due to the program’s dedicated and personalized nature, which includes mentorship and individual follow-up.
PM: The limitation of participants was observed in both the first and second editions of the program, and it will likely be repeated in the third edition. Is there any plan to address this issue?
GG: Unfortunately, this limitation may persist in the third edition of the program due to the personalized support offered to participants. Expanding beyond what we did in the second edition is not feasible, as it would compromise the quality of the program, and we do not want to sacrifice quality. However, to mitigate this limitation, we implemented the Be Like a Woman Gives Back initiative, aimed at the communities.
In this initiative, program participants share the knowledge they’ve gained with those around them, both in their professional and social spheres, creating a greater impact within their networks through challenges created by the program to ensure knowledge replication.
Additionally, we have strategic partnerships, such as collaboration with Indico Radio, where participants regularly share various topics covered by the program. This way, it’s no longer just EY and New Faces New Voices, but also the participants themselves who help build a better, more inclusive business world.
Another partnership is with Girl Move, where participants have the opportunity to become mentors for participants in initiatives that support women at the start of their careers. Therefore, the challenge in the third edition will be to continue finding ways to engage the community. In this edition, we also have partnerships with UNWomen and some local NGOs to assist in this area.
Another aspect we are considering for future editions is the creation of a network of former participants, where all past participants can continue to interact, collaborate, and grow together. This network will provide continuous support and the exchange of experiences and knowledge gained, further strengthening the bonds and community built by the program.
We are optimistic that, with these strategies and partnerships, we will continue to provide a positive and lasting impact on the lives of the women who go through Be Like a Woman.
