Celebrating women in leadership: Eve Gadzikwa

News
Eve Gadzikwa has a long professional working career in business which spans over 20 years and cuts across many sectors and disciplines, including commerce and industry, standards, corporate governance, ethics and pathology.

Eve Gadzikwa has a long professional working career in business which spans over 20 years and cuts across many sectors and disciplines, including commerce and industry, standards, corporate governance, ethics and pathology.

Woman Excel

Eve Gadzikwa
Eve Gadzikwa

Multiple award-winner, Gadzikwa is a champion of business excellence and has contributed to the advancement of business in Zimbabwe.

In 2008, Gadzikwa was appointed to her present position of director general of the Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ). She is the association’s corporate governance champion. She joined SAZ in September 2008 at the height of Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation. It was a difficult time that required strong and decisive leadership.

As SAZ director general, Gadzikwa continues to be a shining example that, there is room at the top for any woman who wishes to excel in business.

As an active social philanthropist, Eve is passionate about investing in leadership and talent development. Eve mentors young executives, university students and talented women looking to reach their full potential.

As a woman operating in the corporate world, I have faced many challenges. However, I personally believe that self-doubt, insecurity and fear of the unknown are three major issues most women including myself face as they navigate their way up the corporate ladder. Not to say that women are not good enough or not able, but because their full potential has not been fully explored, cultivated and unlocked. Women make up 52% of the entire Zimbabwean population and should strive to enhance their participation in the economy by taking a proactive role in areas they have a comparative advantage to their male counterparts. The issue is not to compete with men but to complement their efforts for optimum impact.

In a patriarchal society, women are frequently perceived as being the weaker sex who make decisions based on emotion. There is yet another prevailing belief that is based purely on the idea of femininity that stereotypes women as vulnerable and fragile individuals incapable of muscling their way to the top in a cut-throat business sphere that has been dominated by the ideology of patriarchy. Personally, I do believe it is possible for any woman to make it to the top in the corporate world even in a male dominated world given a chance.

Contrary to the myth that women are emotionally weak, in most situations women actually have the unfair advantage of being emotionally very strong, naturally analytical, multi-skilled and multi-talented. Women are able to multi-task across various disciplines, much to the admiration of their male counterparts. What is missing are matching opportunities to enable them to show their talents and unlock their full potential.

Being elected president of the African Organisation for Standardisation has been a humbling experience and an incredible honour. This appointment to a continental standards body and organ under African Union not only validated me, but also proved to me that I am good enough and that many other women are able to excel at what they are passionate about.

Spiritually, Jesus Christ has set very high standards to live by. I am also grateful for the great leaders like Hope Sadza and the likes of Grace Muradzikwa who mentor me. These women are such wonderful examples of how far women can go, even in a patriarchal society.

To the next generation, I say the sky is not the limit. Don’t have self-limiting beliefs about what you can and cannot do. You can achieve anything you want if you focus your energy and attention. Set high goals!

I want to be remembered for challenging the stereotypes people often place on women and for believing that there is room for women at the top of the corporate ladder.

Woman Excel is an exciting forum created by women for women with the purpose of empowering women in every sphere of their lives. Gadzikwa is a Platinum member of Woman Excel. Woman Excel embraces women from all walks of life and can help you break out of mediocrity to greatness!

Woman Excel… You have All it Takes.