Do Women Really Help Each Other?
Recently, I had an encounter with UN Secretary Doreen , and during our conversation, she asked a question that caught everyone’s attention: “Do women help each other?” Without hesitation, the answer from the room was a firm “No.” That one word kept ringing in my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about it — why is this happening? From my point of view, I’ve always believed that women in similar positions or with shared experiences do support one another. But when it comes to young women still trying to rise , the story changes. Many face silent barriers — competition, lack of mentorship, or even discouragement from those already ahead. It becomes harder to climb when the hands that should pull you up are instead watching from a distance. Later, we had a follow-up discussion among the trainees, trying to unpack that answer. Everyone agreed again: women don’t really help each other. But something shifted during a later session when one of the facilitators said something that made sense: “I...
