WOMAN, a journey to empowerment, the Anastasia Mikova & Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s film for BNP Paribas

Summary

The script highlights the transformative power of education, particularly for women, emphasizing its role in opening minds and providing empowerment through options. It touches on the challenges faced by women in the workplace, especially in Kenya, where they excel yet still shoulder domestic responsibilities. The narrative also explores the multifaceted role of mothers, the significance of earning one's own paycheck, and the pressure on women to succeed not just for themselves but as representatives of their gender. Additionally, it covers the journey of starting a business in a male-dominated field and the importance of financial literacy. The script concludes with a call for women to be vigilant and fight for their rights.

Takeaways

• 🎓 **Education Empowerment**: The speaker emphasizes the importance of education as a tool for empowerment, opening up the mind and providing options.
• 💼 **Success in the Workplace**: Kenyan women are succeeding in the workplace, challenging traditional gender roles and causing some men to feel threatened.
• 🏡 **Dual Role of Women**: Women are expected to excel at work and also maintain their domestic roles, highlighting the expectation to be multitaskers.
• 👨‍👩‍👧 **Motherhood Challenges**: The script discusses the constant demands of motherhood and the struggle to maintain a presence in children's lives.
• 🏦 **Financial Independence**: Earning a paycheck and having a bank account under one's own name is a significant milestone for the speaker, symbolizing independence.
• 💳 **First Paycheck Impact**: The feeling of receiving the first paycheck is profound, marking a transition to self-reliance and personal empowerment.
• 🌐 **Global Impact of Success**: The speaker's success as a woman in a leadership role carries implications for other women, reflecting societal expectations.
• 🚀 **Entrepreneurial Spirit**: Despite initial lack of knowledge, the speaker's venture into asset management and financial planning is successful, demonstrating determination and adaptability.
• 📈 **Business Growth**: The business grew to manage $200 million in assets, underscoring the speaker's entrepreneurial success and ability to coach others.
• 💪 **Advocacy for Women's Rights**: The speaker is a firm believer in women's rights and is actively advocating for them, reflecting a broader societal movement.

Q & A

What does the speaker consider education to be?

The speaker considers education to be a powerful tool that opens up the mind, provides freedom, options, and empowerment.

How does the speaker feel about her access to education?

The speaker feels privileged to have access to education, attributing her opportunities to her mother's efforts.

What challenges do Kenyan women face in the workplace according to the script?

Kenyan women face the challenge of outperforming men in the workplace, which can lead to male resentment, yet they still have to cater to men at home.

What roles does the speaker describe as being part of motherhood?

The speaker describes motherhood as involving roles such as being an ATM, a social worker, a lawyer, and sometimes a punching bag, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of the job.

How does the speaker describe the feeling of earning her first paycheck?

The speaker describes earning her first paycheck as a significant and empowering moment that defined her as an independent working woman.

What was the speaker's reaction when she got her first card with her name on it?

The speaker was very happy and remembers the experience vividly, even going to the extent of withdrawing all her money to see it and then depositing it back to confirm it was real.

What was the pressure the speaker faced when assigned to a church in Baltimore?

The speaker was told that if she failed, it would be a long time before another woman would be appointed to a church of that size, implying her failure would reflect on all women.

Why did the speaker decide to start a business in asset management and financial planning?

The speaker decided to start the business to learn how to manage money, even if the business didn't succeed, to better raise her children.

What was the outcome of the speaker's business venture?

The business was successful, growing to manage 200 million in assets before being sold, and the speaker now coaches other financial advisors.

What advice does the speaker give to women about pursuing their goals?

The speaker advises women to have the courage, strength, and determination to pursue their goals, emphasizing that success is achievable even without formal education.

What is the speaker's stance on women fighting for their rights?

The speaker is a firm believer in women fighting for their rights and considers herself to be one of them.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 Music and Foreign Words

The paragraph is primarily composed of musical notations and the word 'foreign' repeated multiple times. It seems to suggest a soundtrack or background music playing with occasional dialogue or lyrics in a foreign language.

05:23

📚 Empowerment Through Education

The speaker expresses gratitude for having access to education, which they believe has been pivotal in opening their mind and providing them with options and empowerment. They discuss the progress of Kenyan women in the workplace, their success, and the societal challenges they face, including the expectations placed on women to be both successful professionals and caretakers at home.

10:51

💼 Independence and First Paycheck

The speaker recounts the significant moment of earning their first paycheck and the sense of independence it brought. They reflect on the importance of financial independence and the pride of having their name on a paycheck and a bank account, emphasizing the personal empowerment that comes with it.

15:53

🏛 Breaking Barriers in Leadership

The speaker discusses the pressure and expectations faced by women in leadership roles, particularly in male-dominated fields. They highlight the unique challenges women face when they fail, as it is often perceived as a reflection on all women, not just the individual. This paragraph touches on the theme of overcoming barriers and the importance of representation.

20:56

💼 Entrepreneurship and Financial Success

The speaker shares their journey into entrepreneurship, starting a business in asset management and financial planning despite having no prior knowledge in the field. They express their belief in the power of determination and learning, which led them to build a successful business and later coach others. The paragraph concludes with a call for women to be aware of their rights and to fight for them.

Keywords

💡Education

Education in the video is portrayed as a powerful tool for personal empowerment. It opens up the mind, provides options, and gives the ability to make informed choices. One speaker highlights how education made her feel free and empowered, showing its role in achieving independence and personal growth.

💡Empowerment

Empowerment is described as the ability to have choices and control over one's life. Through education, women in the video feel empowered to make decisions, work, and improve their lives. It reflects the theme of women gaining independence and agency in a male-dominated society.

💡Patriarchy

Patriarchy refers to the societal system where men hold power and women are largely excluded from it. The video discusses how men benefit from patriarchy, as it allows them to remain in comfortable positions without putting in much effort, especially when women outperform them in the workplace.

💡Workplace Success

The video touches on women's success in the workplace, highlighting how Kenyan women work hard and succeed despite societal pressures. The frustration of men seeing women outperform them is mentioned, as well as the resilience and capability of women when given even a small opportunity.

💡Motherhood

Motherhood is depicted as an all-encompassing role, requiring women to take on many responsibilities, such as being a caregiver, provider, and emotional support. The video discusses how motherhood is a lifetime job, involving constant effort to stay connected to one's children while balancing professional life.

💡Independence

Independence is a major theme, illustrated by women feeling empowered by their achievements, such as earning their first paycheck or opening their own bank accounts. The sense of pride and freedom that comes with financial independence is a defining moment for many women in the video.

💡Gender Inequality

Gender inequality is reflected in how women face different standards in the workplace and society compared to men. The video mentions that when a woman fails, it is seen as a failure for all women, whereas when a man fails, it is viewed as an individual case. This double standard underscores the challenges women face.

💡Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is discussed through the story of a woman who started a business in asset management and financial planning despite knowing little about the field. Her success and later role in coaching others represent the potential for women to thrive in business and finance with determination and courage.

💡Resilience

Resilience refers to the strength and perseverance of women as they face societal barriers and personal challenges. The women in the video exemplify resilience by succeeding in various fields, raising children, and striving for equality in a patriarchal society.

💡Human Rights

Human rights are referenced in the context of women becoming more aware of their rights and fighting for them. The video touches on how women are more informed about gender equality, child rights, and societal issues, leading them to stand up for themselves and seek justice in a historically unequal system.

Highlights

Education opened up my mind, made me free, gave me options, and empowered me.

Empowerment is having options and the ability to choose from those options.

Kenyan women hit the workplace and begin to succeed, causing tension with men.

Even when women outperform men at work, they still cater to them at home.

The African man benefits from patriarchy and resists giving women more space.

Motherhood requires constant presence, multitasking, and a lifelong dedication to children.

Being a mother involves playing multiple roles, from ATM to social worker.

Earning a first paycheck brought a sense of independence and self-validation.

Seeing her name on a paycheck was a defining moment of self-worth.

For some women, earning their own money brings a powerful sense of freedom.

Women's failures in leadership are often seen as failures for all women, unlike men's failures.

Starting a business, even with no prior experience, can lead to success through courage and perseverance.

A woman built a financial business managing $200 million in assets, now coaching others.

Even without formal education, women can succeed through strength, determination, and the will to learn.

Women today are more aware of their rights and are fighting for them.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

it

song

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

foreign

[Music]

foreign

foreign

you know i count myself privileged for

me to have access to education

i wouldn't say i swear for it i think my

mother swear for it

i went to the best schools in this

country and

it took a lot of hard work and for me

education opened up my mind

it made me free and it gave me options

it made me empowered and for me

empowerment

is having options and having the ability

to choose from those options

that's what education did education is

it's a powerful tool for this world yeah

[Music]

you

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

kenyan women hit the workplace and we've

worked forever so we start to succeed in

the workplace because

we know how to work and our men are

upset because we're doing better than

them

and if you give us even a tiny little

opportunity we're gonna do so much with

it

and still they go home and they're

catered to

right we meet them in the office we

whoop their butts

and then we go home and we cook for them

still

and this guy he's just why would he let

go

of a situation in which he's so well

taken care of why would the african man

even give space within patriarchy for a

woman he's so gifted by it

and successful for such little effort

you are around the clock wherever you

are whatever you do

obsessed about what's happening to your

children

and trying to make sure that you keep

the connection

and you keep being present in their life

and there are times when they don't want

you

to be so present in their lives so you

have to fight

to occupy that space and to be in

and to be with them and uh

you can never be done with the work of a

mother

it's one of the jobs that you will have

for the rest of your life you have to be

an

atm you have to be a social worker you

have to be a lawyer

you have to have punching bags sometimes

everything

every role comes with that role of being

of being a mother

and at the same time you have to be the

strong leading person

that's your job demands of you to to to

be again

multitasking

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

foreign

[Music]

[Music]

here

[Music]

earning my first paycheck

all that completely just

i don't think there's a a bigger

feeling than that that having your name

on a paycheck and having my own bank

account

and that that time that's when i felt

i am an independent working woman

that moment i think for me defined me

as the woman i am now because i knew

i could make it not to prove it to my

husband or to anybody

but to me i knew that i could do it

and that really it's yeah i don't

i don't think that i have experienced a

bigger thing that seeing my name

on a paycheck as

you know something that everybody i

guess every

takes it for granted it's something

normal but seeing that first one

it's very it's very free to yourself

yeah the first time i've got a card

with my name on you know yeah

i was really happy i still remember when

i went to withdraw the money

i didn't believe it i had to withdraw

everything look at my money and then

again

go inside the bank and put my money in

back again

s

[Music]

[Music]

you

[Music]

i was assigned to pain memorial amu

church in baltimore city

and the world went crazy and the bishop

said to me

understand that if you are successful

it will never be your success and if you

fail

it'll be a long time for another woman

to be appointed to

a church this size it's sort of like

you know you uh your failure means that

every other woman

fails a man's failure is like he just

wasn't right for the job it wasn't the

right fit

uh it just didn't work out had a poor

start i mean anything

but when a woman fails is like every

other woman fails

with her uh is that unfair i think so

but um that's what the reality we have

to deal with

[Music]

m

[Music]

[Music]

i decided to start a business as in

asset management and financial planning

even though i knew nothing about it i'd

never heard of a mutual fund never owned

a stock at two thousand dollars in a

savings account that was it

but i felt that even if the business

didn't work out

what i would learn would help me to know

how to manage money

so that i could raise my children and

the business did work out i've been in

the industry for 37 years now

and now i coach other financial advisors

i mean i built the business to 200

million in

assets under management before i sold it

and now i coach others on how to do the

same thing

so again i'm a firm believer put your

mind to it

have the strength have the courage don't

be afraid and

you can make it happen if you really

want to even if you have not gone to

school

make sure that women have opened their

eyes

[Music]

they know what is going around

people are talking of women right human

rights

child right people have

i ears they have taken something in

so i think from now

the women will fight for their right

and i am one of them

[Music]

this

[Music]

you