There are several days that seek to celebrate women in one way or the other. Today is a good example – International Women’s day. Such days exist because everyone agrees women should be celebrated. But they also exist because the world recognizes that, in spite of women being the majority of humans, there are far too many aspects of life in which we are under-represented and discriminated against.

Meanwhile, we women make everything better. Everything - homes, families, churches, armies, sports, agriculture, education, healthcare, businesses… especially businesses! Last year, I read about a study done by the Peterson Institute for International Economics and EY. They studied almost 22, 000 companies across 91 countries and found that companies that had at least 30% female managers earned at least 6% more profit.

Science has proven that employing and promoting more women is actually good for business. So my humble question is, why are employers not taking full advantage of this? Why are women still so under-represented in top management?

Could some of it be cultural? Could it be that we have all become too used to this concept of women being the weaker sex? Maybe there are still people who think women are weak.

My fellow Ghanaian, if you know any such people, kindly pass this message on to them: everydayWomen are strong. In fact, strength is THE defining characteristic of a woman. Birds fly, fish swim, trees are tall, water is wet, and women are strong. That’s how God made us.

And I’m sure He had a good reason for this. The world is unpredictable. Things do not always go according to plan. Strength is not just the energy you exert when you know what’s coming. It’s also that inner steel that keeps your back straight even when unexpected loads are dropped on your shoulders. And that is the strength women demonstrate every day. That is the strength that makes a woman an invaluable asset in every workplace.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “A woman is like a teabag. You can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water”.

That ability to rise to every occasion and not only drag ourselves out of the pit of adversity but bring everyone else with us – that’s the unique way God made women.

So whatever you’re doing, whatever you’re seeking to achieve my Success Tip for you is simple: Just add a competent woman or two. We make everything better. Men have every right to take pride in how far the world has come with them at the helm, but just watch and see how far we will go when women are given an equal opportunity to steer affairs.

As a nation, the task before us is enormous. Mobilizing for Ghana’s Future may seem a daunting mission. So perhaps it’s time we deployed our secret weapon: the Strong Ghanaian Woman.

As Margaret Thatcher so eloquently put it, “It may be the cock that crows, but it’s the hen that lays the eggs”

My name is Samira Bawumia, and I wish you all a Happy International Women’s Day.