Once again, the world celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8, a day set aside for the celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. As I reflected on this year’s celebration, I was struck by the exploits of fellow women who looked similar to me and the major milestone they have chalked, particularly Kirsty Coventry, who has risen to become the first female president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
In March 2025, the 41-year-old Zimbabwean former swimmer and sports minister became the first woman and African to lead the 131-year-old organization. Interestingly, she happens to be the youngest person to hold the role. As expected, she assumed her eight-year term with an indication of her priority on focusing on empowering women and promoting African sports development.
Without a doubt, women are increasingly transitioning from being passive beneficiaries of development to active drivers of social and economic progress in recent times. They are thriving through increased education, entrepreneurship, and leadership roles. In spite of the old-long systematic and cultural biases against women, they have surmounted all these challenges through technology to create new pathways for them to break traditional barriers.
Doing my analysis of how women are thriving in recent times, I discovered that in our era, women are most likely to perform some magic when they are supported with education, access to finance and a safe enabling environment. This creates the right atmosphere for them to achieve personal success and go on to drive significant economic and social growth at the national level. Below are some points that have contributed to the growing impact of women in recent times.
- Economic Empowerment
Rising Entrepreneurship: Women are increasingly becoming self-employed, with studies showing significant increases in women-owned businesses over the last two decades. In many areas, women are leveraging digital platforms and social media to launch and scale businesses remotely.
Access to Finance: There is a surge in financial inclusion, with women accessing micro-credit to fund ventures in sectors like poultry, livestock, and services.
Increased Productivity: When women are empowered with education and economic resources, they pay it forward by funding children’s education and health, creating a positive impact on the entire household.
- Leadership and Political Participation
Corporate Leadership: While still underrepresented at the top, companies that prioritize gender diversity have seen a seven-percentage-point rise in women in leadership since 2021. In addition, women are holding more political power, with rising representation in local governance and higher positions in civil administration.
Breaking the “Ambition Gap”: Evidence suggests that when women receive the same support and mentorship as men, they are just as likely to seek promotions, debunking myths about lower ambition.
- Education and Skill Acquisition
Higher Education Rates: Women are graduating at higher rates than men globally, for example the UK is 57% and the US is 58%.
Vocational Training: Programs targeting soft skills, communication, and confidence have proven highly effective in helping young women secure better jobs faster.
Focus on STEM: There is a growing presence of women in non-traditional fields, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
- Changing Social Dynamics
Redefining Gender Roles: Women are increasingly focusing on careers as a core part of their identity and self-fulfillment, moving away from traditional homemaker roles.
Self-Care as Strategy: Female entrepreneurs are recognizing that health and wellness are not luxuries but essential business assets, and are investing more in their own physical and mental wellbeing. In addition, women are flourishing by building strong communities and networks that provide support, mentoring, and shared experiences.
In conclusion, despite these advancements, structural barriers remain. Women still spend significantly more time on housework and childcare than men, which restricts their availability for stable employment. While technology helps, many women in rural areas still face limited access to digital tools and globally, women still earn less than men for similar roles, often due to career breaks for childbearing.
About Author – Gifty A. Botwe
Gifty is an international Trade and Development professional with 7+ years of experience in Trade, Investment and Economic Diplomacy. She is a specialist in Regional Integration and Trade policy and has a proven record in project management, high-level stakeholder engagement, relationship management and building partnerships to achieve strategic objectives.
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