I owe my career journey to female support
On the journey of building a career, one needs people to hold their hand. An individual woman has power; but when we support each other, we have impact.
What you need to know:
- On the journey of building a career, one needs people to hold their hand.
- Studies say women who support other women are more successful.
Today, I am motivated to share my career journey for reasons you will understand at the end of this article. After graduating from Kenyatta University (KU) with a Bachelor of Education (BEd) in the early 1990s, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) posted me to a remote school in Nyanza.
Those days, BEd graduates would be posted to schools within their homes of origin. I had never visited the part of Nyanza where the school is located. I declined the offer. First, I had just had a baby and moved in with my then boyfriend (now late husband). Secondly, I had never lived in the village apart from the trips we made as kids during school holidays.
I preferred a school in Nairobi, but TSC said there was no vacancy. A friend, Alice Onyango, through her husband, connected me to someone at TSC who helped me get posted to a school near Nairobi. I ended up spending 12 years of my teaching career at Alliance Girls High School in Kiambu.
Upon posting, I was excited and scared at the same time. Self-confidence grows with experience; we all have to begin somewhere. When I started out, I, somehow, didn’t always advocate for myself. Fortunately, I had a great boss by the name of Irene Simiyu. She held my hand. I was young and, honestly, teaching at this school is not a mean feat, especially for the rookie teacher I was then.
The next critical moment in my career was making the tough decision to remain in the teaching profession, or leap to a new space and start again. In 2008 after graduating with a master’s in communication, my first friend and roommate in KU, Beatrice Rariewa, alerted me about an opening at Standard Group (SG). I was ready to try something new.
I applied and got the job at the media house. This was a turning point in my career. I learned that asking for help is not a weakness but a sign of strength.
Linet Otieno, who was a sub-editor, dedicated her free time to guide me on subbing and laying out newspaper pages. Njoki Karuoya, who was an editor, held my hand, in a campaign we championed, on women’s and girls’ empowerment. I was successful at SG and was promoted often.
In 2019, Nation Media Group had an opening for a gender editor. Thanks to my boss Pamella Sittoni, who was part of the interviewing panel, I currently hold this position. She believed in me and gave me a chance, thanks to the gender work I had done at SG. I believe I have made her proud, given the number of times she has told me “good job, Dorcas”.
On the journey of building a career, one needs people to hold their hand. Among the many women who have defined and catapulted my career journey, the ones I mention above have stood out. Studies say women who support other women are more successful. Ms Sittoni is one such.
Today, as I reflect on my journey, I congratulate her for being appointed to the Thomson Foundation Board of Trustees – a huge milestone.
An individual woman has power; but when we support each other, we have impact. Hold another woman’s hand today.
Meanwhile, women’s football is gaining traction globally, going by the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup. However, the matter of gender parity still lingers, with women yet to win many matches, including equal pay and training facilities. Find out more on Reflections on Fifa Women’s World Cup and the struggle for gender equality.
Happy Mahujaa Day.
