All set for Olivia Gumbo book launch

Edmore Zvinonzwa

All is set for the official launch of Dr Olivia Gumbo’s third book, Voices of Professional Women: Perspectives From the Global South, at Holiday Inn in the capital, Harare, tonight.

The author, who is a social accountability expert told Zim Now in an earlier interview that all proceeds of her books are channelled into the Olivia Gumbo Foundation, which in turn funds her philanthropic activities, including the Chiredzi South-based Research Hub for Children with Disability.

Voices of Professional Women: Perspectives From the Global South seeks to explore exclusion that women suffer at the workplace while at the same time, empowering the young woman who is coming into the professional realm so that they can manoeuvre past the challenges therein.

“The women have to be reminded that they are not alone in this situation, there are many other women who are facing the same predicament. It is also challenging managers at workplaces to respect women and not create problems for them, Dr Gumbo told Zim Now, adding that the book also touches on discrimination.

“There are situations where a woman can go on maternity leave and when she returns, she finds her job is gone and yet another dimension where women actually block advancement of other women.

“In certain workplaces, female employees are treated as mistresses while some bosses can even treat them as their wives. Sometimes you find women being reduced to giving people refreshments in the boardroom instead of contributing ideas for the growth of the company.

The rendition includes Dr Gumbo’s own experiences in her 21 years in the professional world as well as the experiences of other professional women in the public and private sectors, the development world and civil society. Self-employed women are also included in Dr Gumbo’s categorisation of professional women.