This is an interview in the series Women around the world, a mosaic of feminine impressions and inspiration in times of Corona.
Cécile Masson www.cecilemasson.com/en held the interview in English. She is a feminine leadership coach specialised in unfolding potential and author of Rose letters of love to life.
Ingun Bol is founder and president of Female Wave of Change and co-founder of Move in2 The future. https://femalewaveofchange.com
Ingun has background as an engineer and worked in the IT business for twenty years. The very masculine environment never made her really happy. Twenty years ago she started her own business where she mostly helps people to start their own business: she believes small entrepreneurship is the backbone of the economy.
Change is exponential right now and affects us in many ways. Ingun noticed that women really did not pay enough attention to change and were almost hiding and pretending that if they did not look that way it might not affect them.
However we need to take responsibility and be ready. That was one of the reasons Female Wave of Change started 3,5 years ago.
The other reason was that Ingun was very much aware that the world we have created the last fifty years is not something to be really proud of to leave to the next generations. Women need to be the change, we need to use our feminine values and energy, to step into our leadership and create a better world for all; more human, more conscious, more sustainable and more connected.
Ingun wants to leave a legacy to be proud of for the next generations. Female Wave of Change is now active in 45 countries and what they observe is that women and children are affected more by the Corona crisis; and women of colour even more. Her biggest fear is that all goes back to what it was. There will not be a time after Corona. There will be a time with Corona.
To move forward and drive positive change Female Wave of Change has defined a Statement and Call to Action to our global leaders, decision makers and global citizens and invite them to work together on 5 pillars:
Humanity Humanity needs to be the core of our decision making. We are one human race and we need to embrace diversity.
Environment There is no planet B and we need to be aware that we are only the keepers of the planet that belongs to generations to come: We have to act now!
As the wise Iroquois native Americans share, we need to be aware of the impact the decisions we take now, will have on the next seven generations.
Economy We need to redefine what success means. Step away from money and power and think the more feminine way in happiness, wellbeing, joy, safety, connectedness, peace etc. We need to create new opportunities together and give women the knowledge, the skills and the resources to become financially independent.
Education We need to be able to make good education available to each and every child. We need to offer them a safe space to develop into their unique personality instead of trying to make them fit into a system that is all about numbers and standardized testing.
Healthcare We need to move from sick-care to real healthcare and prevention: physically, mentally and spiritually.
Good physical and mental healthcare needs to be available to all those who need it. Women act more from their heart and less from their head. It is more about empathy, trust, compassion and respect and about taking responsibility. It is also about collaboration and human connectedness.
We need more authentic feminine leaders and we need them now! Leadership based on compassion and values. So a change of mind-set, of heart-set and of soul-set is needed: we can change the narrative.
Of course men are invited into the conversation; we are in this together!
According to Ingun we are still trapped in a human pyramid and if you look at the top of the pyramid it is a very small part of the world population. If we really want to drive change, we need to be the catalysts and focus on a better world. We need those authentic feminine leaders at all levels of society: From grass roots level up to the board room.
To grow together is about
· who are you as a person,
· how are you as a leader
· and how we can move on together as women and men.
Her definition of a leader is someone who takes the first step, works together with the group and lifts people up. Not necessarily the one who will follow through all the necessary processes but the one who takes initiative, who thinks out of the box, who has the vision, who inspires others to grow.
The Ubuntu way of thinking is central: ‘I am because we are.’ That is the feminine way.
Ingun believes it is very important for her to be present and conscious.
She practices grounding to be able to live in the moment: Breathing exercises can be done anywhere anytime. This is especially important in a time where there is so much uncertainty.
We need to stay healthy, go for a walk. Ingun needs to fill her cup and moving is important. Nature, be it at the beach or in the forest fills her cup.