The first female partner of multinational professional services firm, Ernst and Young, says it is possible for women to survive without relying on the support of men.
Pamela Des Bordes believes that any woman who is hardworking should be able to cater for their needs and those of their children without turning to a man.
“There are some people out there who are genuinely working hard and making ends meet and paying their bills without a man’s support.
“So I don’t think it will be a fair comment to say that generally, that is what women have to do to survive,” she said during a discussion on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show which was sparked by comments made by actress, Moesha Boduong, in an interview.
Ms Boduong told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Ghana’s economy is so bad that women have to depend on men through sexual affairs to survive.
The interview was conducted at a salon in Ghana's capital, Accra. Watch excerpts of the interview here
She said in the video which has caused public outrage, “In Ghana, our economy is such a way that you need someone to take care of you. You can’t make enough money as a woman here. Because even when you want to get an apartment, in Ghana they take two years’ advance and I just started working where will I get money to pay?”
But Mrs Des Bordes who was raised single-handedly by her mother says that cannot be the case.
She believes that women can make it economically and professionally if they get the right support, not necessarily financially.
“I was raised by a woman who had no husband from age 31 and she had four kids and we all went to university…she didn’t have such a great job and she did it.”
She made a point that although on the professional ladder, certain decisions taken by women can draw them back, their survival should not be dependent on a man.
Not all women have the same realities, Mrs Ayoade said
The CEO of Charterhouse Productions, Theresa Ayoade, agrees with this. She said it is possible for women to survive on their own in this country just as it is for men.
“It is more about the will because life will throw so many challenges at you in the course of your life and it is about how you are able to deal with them to rise up and move forward.
“So it is possible, it is definitely possible,” she stressed.
For her, the challenge is the fact that someone’s reality is being portrayed as a generally applicable to all women.
She said “you a speak to your reality and what propels you to live a certain kind of lifestyle but it cannot be imputed to all women in Ghana.
“There are lots of women out there who are working hard to keep their lives going and are not depending on a man per se, to pay their rent and take care of their financial [needs].”
Mrs Ayoade said there are many more women who wake up every day get dressed, show up at work, put in their bit to earn an income to look after themselves and their families and to even go ahead to impact society positively.
“So it is a fallacy to make it a generalization, people are facing different realities,” she stressed
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