From How We Made It In Africa.

African businesswomen and leaders discussed inequality of women in Africa and the role women should be playing in Africa’s future at the inaugural Women, Inspiration and Enterprise symposium in Cape Town last week.

“Many women are running the economy or are the economic drivers in our countries (but don’t receive the benefits of this),” said Elsie Kanza, head of Africa, World Economic Forum, according to a report in How We Made It In Africa. “Unless we are able to figure out how to switch that balance then we are not going to have significant growth.”

In agriculture, most farmers are women, Kanza said.

“The future of Africa’s growth is in the hands of women to a large extent,” said Yvonne Ike, CEO of West Africa, Renaissance Capital, in the report. “We have to step up…we need to take responsibility. We need to ask for a seat at the table.”

“Make sure that hundreds of other faces are at the center stage and you play a role to bring them up,” said Graça Machel, an advocate for women’s and children’s rights, and wife of Nelson Mandela.

“The most important thing for a woman is to have skills,” said Rachel Tladi, founder and owner of Uvuko Civils.

Read more at How We Made It In Africa.