Gayle Tzemach Lemmon: Women entrepreneurs, example not exception

Translator: Michelle Poon Reviewer: Yipeng Xie

We do not invest in victims,

我哋唔會投資喺受害者身上

we invest in survivors.

我哋投資喺生還者身上

And in ways both big and small,

無論受害者嘅故事係點

始終影響我哋對女性嘅睇法

the narrative of the victim

shapes the way we see women.

只不過影響可以係大或者細咁解

You can't count what you don't see.

我哋唔會相信未見過嘅嘢

And we don't invest in what's invisible to us.

所以我哋唔會投資喺見唔到嘅嘢

But this is the face

但呢個就係對抗逆境嘅面孔

of resilience.

Six years ago,

六年前，我開始撰寫

I started writing about women entrepreneurs

關於女性企業家 面對逆境時同面對完逆境嘅報導

during and after conflict.

I set out to write a compelling economic story,

我打算寫一個好鼓舞嘅經濟故事

one that had great characters, that no one else was telling,

一個背後有著勁人

但未為人所知 而應該受關注嘅故事

and one that I thought mattered.

And that turned out to be women.

而嗰啲勁人全部都係女性嚟

I had left ABC news and a career I loved at the age of 30

我三十歲時離開 美國廣播公司新聞部我鍾意嘅崗位

for business school,

去咗讀商學院

a path I knew almost nothing about.

一個我冇乜認識嘅方向

None of the women I had grown up with in Maryland

喺馬利蘭州同我一齊成長嘅女性

had graduated from college,

無一個大學畢業

let alone considered business school.

更遑論係商學院畢業

But they had hustled to feed their kids

佢哋為咗子女、屋租張羅 而喺出邊賺錢

and pay their rent.

And I saw from a young age

從小我就睇到 一份可以帶嚟富足收入嘅工

that having a decent job and earning a good living

對經濟上過得非常之艱難嘅家庭嚟講

made the biggest difference

for families who were struggling.

可以帶嚟莫大轉變

So if you're going to talk about jobs,

講起工作

then you have to talk about entrepreneurs.

就先要講企業家

And if you're talking about entrepreneurs

而如果你講緊

逆境之中同經歷逆境之後嘅企業家

in conflict and post-conflict settings,

then you must talk about women,

就不得不提女性

because they are the population you have left.

因為佢哋一向都被忽略

Rwanda in the immediate aftermath of the genocide

盧旺達經歷完種族屠殺之後

was 77 percent female.

有 77% 人口係女性

I want to introduce you

我想介紹我遇過嘅女性企業家

to some of those entrepreneurs I've met

and share with you some of what they've taught me over the years.

以及佢哋過去以嚟教我嘅嘢

I went to Afghanistan in 2005

2005 年我喺阿富汗 為《金融時報》做採訪

to work on a Financial Times piece,

and there I met Kamila,

我喺當地認識咗 Kamila

a young women who told me she had just turned down

一位啱啱拒絕咗

國際組織一份月薪接近二千美元嘅工

a job with the international community

that would have paid her nearly $2,000 a month --

嘅年輕女子

an astronomical sum in that context.

And she had turned it down, she said,

佢拒絕

because she was going to start her next business,

係因為要開展佢嘅事業

an entrepreneurship consultancy

向阿富汗人提供企業顧問服務

that would teach business skills

傳授營商技巧

to men and women all around Afghanistan.

Business, she said,

佢認為商業發展對佢國家嘅前途好重要

was critical to her country's future.

Because long after this round of internationals left,

因為各國撤出阿富汗之後

business would help keep her country

營商可以為國家帶嚟和平同安全

peaceful and secure.

And she said business was even more important for women

而且營商對女性尤為重要

because earning an income earned respect

因為有收入就令佢哋獲得尊重

and money was power for women.

對女性嚟講，金錢就等如權力

So I was amazed.

聽完之後，我非常之驚訝

I mean here was a girl who had never lived in peace time

因為呢位女子從未享受過和平嘅生活

who somehow had come to sound like a candidate from "The Apprentice."

聽落佢好似《飛黃騰達》嘅參加者一樣

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So I asked her, "How in the world do you know this much about business?

我問佢︰「你點解對做生意知咁多？

Why are you so passionate?"

點解咁有熱情？」

She said, "Oh Gayle, this is actually my third business.

佢答我︰「Gayle，

呢個已經係我第三次做生意。

My first business was a dressmaking business

我第一個生意係製衣，

I started under the Taliban.

喺塔利斑管治嗰陣就已經開始。

And that was actually an excellent business,

呢個生意好利害，

because we provided jobs for women all around our neighborhood.

因為我哋為鄰近嘅婦女提供咗工作，

And that's really how I became an entrepreneur."

我就係咁成為企業家。」

Think about this:

試諗下

Here were girls who braved danger

喺嗰度嘅女仔當時連街都出唔到

to become breadwinners

during years in which they couldn't even be on their streets.

但就冒住生命危險創業

And at a time of economic collapse

正當經濟一片蕭條

when people sold baby dolls and shoe laces

其他人只可以賣洋娃娃 鞋帶、窗同門去糊口

and windows and doors

just to survive,

these girls made the difference

呢啲女仔已經喺生存同飢餓之間 為好多人帶嚟改變

between survival and starvation

for so many.

I couldn't leave the story, and I couldn't leave the topic either,

但我唔可以撇低呢啲故事唔寫

because everywhere I went I met more of these women

因為我之後去到邊 都遇到更多呢類型嘅女性

who no one seemed to know about,

但無人知道佢哋

or even wish to.

或者無興趣想知佢哋

I went on to Bosnia,

我之後去波斯尼亞做訪問

and early on in my interviews I met with an IMF official

見到一位國際貨幣基金組織官員

who said, "You know, Gayle,

佢同我講︰「Gayle，

我唔相信波斯尼亞有女性從事商業。

I don't think we actually have women in business in Bosnia,

but there is a lady selling cheese nearby

但路口附近就有位女士賣芝士，

on the side of the road.

So maybe you could interview her."

或者你可以訪問下佢。」

So I went out reporting

於是我繼續做採訪

and within a day I met Narcisa Kavazovic

同一日我認識咗 Narcisa Kavazovic

who at that point was opening a new factory

佢喺昔日薩拉熱窩戰綫上面開咗間工廠

on the war's former front lines in Sarajevo.

She had started her business

佢喺棄置嘅車房開始佢嘅事業

squatting in an abandoned garage,

sewing sheets and pillow cases

織床單同枕頭袋

she would take to markets all around the city

之後拎著製成品攞去全市嘅市場度賣

so that she could support

收入支撐十二、三個屋企人

the 12 or 13 family members

who were counting on her for survival.

By the time we met, she had 20 employees,

當時佢有二十個員工，大部分係女性

most of them women,

who were sending their boys and their girls to school.

員工早就送咗仔女返學

And she was just the start.

而 Narcisa 只係做咗生意冇耐嘅女性

I met women running essential oils businesses,

之後我仲遇見不同嘅女性

wineries

有賣精油，有賣酒

and even the country's largest advertising agency.

甚至有經營全國最大嘅廣告商

So these stories together

所有呢的故事

became the Herald Tribune business cover.

都變成咗《先驅論壇報》嘅頭版

And when this story posted,

當報紙一登出呢啲故事

I ran to my computer to send it to the IMF official.

我即刻發電郵畀 嗰位國際貨幣基金組織官員

And I said, "Just in case you're looking for entrepreneurs

我話︰「如果你要喺下次嘅投資會

to feature at your next investment conference,

做企業家嘅專題，

here are a couple of women."

呢度就有一班女性企業家你可以搵。」

(Applause)

（掌聲）

But think about this.

但再諗下

The IMF official is hardly the only person

嗰位官員未必係唯一睇小女性嘅人

to automatically file women under micro.

The biases, whether intentional or otherwise,

呢種偏見，不論係咪特登 係無處不在嘅

are pervasive,

and so are the misleading mental images.

更加唔好講對兩性錯得好緊要嘅觀念

If you see the word "microfinance,"

例如當你見到「微型金融」呢個詞語

what comes to mind?

你哋有咩聯想？

Most people say women.

好多人諗到女性

And if you see the word "entrepreneur,"

但如果見到「企業家」呢個詞語

most people think men.

大部份人會諗到男性

Why is that?

點解呢？

Because we aim low and we think small

因為一提到女性

我哋就諗起「卑微」、「弱小」

when it comes to women.

Microfinance is an incredibly powerful tool

微型金融係一個強大嘅工具

that leads to self-sufficiency and self-respect,

令女性可以自給自足同識得自我尊重

but we must move beyond micro-hopes

但女性唔要小小嘅希望同抱負

and micro-ambitions for women,

because they have so much greater hopes for themselves.

佢哋要嘅係對自己抱有更大嘅期望

They want to move from micro to medium and beyond.

佢哋唔再係微小，而係越嚟越重要

And in many places,

好多範疇都有女性嘅存在

they're there.

In the U.S., women-owned businesses

喺美國，由女性持有嘅公司

will create five and a half million new jobs by 2018.

去到 2018 年會創造到 550 萬個職位

In South Korea and Indonesia,

喺南韓同印尼

women own nearly half a million firms.

有近 50 萬間公司由女性擁有

China, women run 20 percent

喺中國，有兩成嘅小企業由女性經營

of all small businesses.

And in the developing world overall,

喺發展中國家

That figure is 40 to 50 percent.

女性經營小企業嘅數字 更加達到 40% 至 50%

Nearly everywhere I go,

差不多我去過嘅地方

I meet incredibly interesting entrepreneurs

我都遇到犀利嘅企業家

who are seeking access to finance, access to markets

佢哋尋求融資、開拓市場 建立生意網絡

and established business networks.

They are often ignored

但佢哋經常被人忽視

because they're harder to help.

因為人哋好難協助佢哋

It is much riskier to give a 50,000 dollar loan

借五萬蚊比借五百蚊有更加大風險

than it is to give a 500 dollar loan.

And as the World Bank recently noted,

世界銀行最近指出女性墮入生產力陷阱

women are stuck in a productivity trap.

Those in small businesses

因為經營小企業嘅女性 得唔到資金擴展業務

can't get the capital they need to expand

and those in microbusiness

而經營更小型生意嘅女性 就更加發展唔到

can't grow out of them.

Recently I was at the State Department in Washington

最近我喺美國國務院 遇到一位嚟自加納嘅女企業家

and I met an incredibly passionate entrepreneur from Ghana.

She sells chocolates.

佢係賣朱古力嘅

And she had come to Washington,

佢嚟到

not seeking a handout and not seeking a microloan.

唔係為咗資金援助或者微型貸款

She had come seeking serious investment dollars

而係嚟尋求大筆投資

so that she could build the factory

去起工廠、買機器、生產朱古力

and buy the equipment she needs

to export her chocolates

to Africa, Europe, the Middle East

出口去非洲、歐洲同中東 以至其他地方

and far beyond --

capital that would help her to employ

佢需要資金聘請超過 20 位 已經幫佢打工嘅員工

more than the 20 people

that she already has working for her,

and capital that would fuel her own country's

亦需要資金可以幫助佢嘅國家經濟起飛

economic climb.

The great news is

好消息係我哋知咩嘢係可行

we already know what works.

Theory and empirical evidence

因為理論同數據已經証明咗

Have already taught us.

We don't need to invent solutions because we have them --

我哋唔需要諗度 一個解決辦法出嚟

因為我哋已經有現金流貸款

cash flow loans

現金流貸款係根據收入 而唔係資產而定嘅

based in income rather than assets,

loans that use secure contracts rather than collateral,

貸款採用安全合同而非附屬合同

because women often don't own land.

因為女性通常冇土地做抵押

And Kiva.org, the microlender,

Kiva.org 呢個微型貸款機構

is actually now experimenting with crowdsourcing

就係試行緊小型同中型嘅眾籌貸款

small and medium sized loans.

And that's just to start.

但呢個試驗只係起步

Recently it has become very much in fashion

最近好流行講︰

to call women "the emerging market of the emerging market."

「女性係新興市場中嘅新興市場」

I think that is terrific.

我認為無得頂

You know why?

點解呢？

Because -- and I say this as somebody who worked in finance --

因為以我從事金融業知道

500 billion dollars at least

過去十年有五千億美金注入咗新興市場

has gone into the emerging markets in the past decade.

Because investors saw the potential for return

而因為投資者喺經濟放緩嘅時候

at a time of slowing economic growth,

睇到有回報潛力

and so they created financial products

所以佢哋設計咗

and financial innovation

專為新興市場而設嘅 金融產品同金融創新方案

tailored to the emerging markets.

How wonderful would it be

我哋如果可以唔講浮誇嘅說話

if we were prepared to replace all of our lofty words

with our wallets

而係將五千億用嚟釋放 女性潛在嘅經濟能力

and invest 500 billion dollars

unleashing women's economic potential?

係幾咁好呢？

Just think of the benefits

想像下呢的資金

when it comes to jobs, productivity,

對職位、生產力、就業、兒童嘅營養

employment, child nutrition,

maternal mortality, literacy

產婦死亡率、識字率，以至更加多嘅嘢

and much, much more.

幫助有幾大

Because, as the World Economic Forum noted,

因為世界經濟論壇指出

smaller gender gaps are directly correlated

越小性別差距，越可以提高經濟競爭力

with increased economic competitiveness.

And not one country in all the world

無一個國家可以消除 兩性參與商業活動上嘅不公現象

has eliminated its economic participation gap --

not one.

絕對無

So the great news

於是呢個就係一個大好機會喇

is this is an incredible opportunity.

We have so much room to grow.

我哋仲有好多改善空間

So you see,

所以呢個唔係為咗做好事

this is not about doing good,

this is about global growth

而係為咗全球嘅發展同全球嘅就業

and global employment.

It is about how we invest

所以女性就業問題 在於我哋點投資同點看待女性

and it's about how we see women.

And women can no longer be

女性已經唔只係一半人口同小數

both half the population

and a special interest group.

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Oftentimes I get into very interesting discussions with reporters

我經常同同行討論

who say to me, "Gayle, these are great stories,

佢哋話︰「Gayle，呢啲報導好正，

but you're really writing about the exceptions."

但你只係寫緊啲特殊例子。」

Now that makes me pause for just a couple reasons.

我真係因為佢哋嘅話而停落嚟

First of all, for exceptions,

原因有幾個

首先，所謂特殊例子真係有好多

there are a lot of them

and they're important.

而且每個都好重要

Secondly, when we talk about men who are succeeding,

第二，當我哋講成功男士嘅時候

we rightly consider them

我哋會以佢哋為 偶像、先驅或者搞創新嘅人

icons or pioneers or innovators

to be emulated.

並尊佢哋為學習對象

And when we talk about women,

但一講女性

they are either exceptions to be dismissed

我哋就當佢哋只係例外

or aberrations to be ignored.

或者奇人咁去忽視

And finally,

最終，每一個國家要變嘅話

there is no society anywhere in all the world

that is not changed

都要靠呢班特殊例子嘅人

except by its most exceptional.

So why wouldn't we celebrate and elevate

咁點解我哋唔為呢啲 創造就業、帶嚟改變嘅人鼓掌？

these change makers and job creators

rather than overlook them?

反而對佢哋視而不見呢？

This topic of resilience is very personal to me

韌力對我嚟講係好切身嘅嘢

and in many ways has shaped my life.

韌力改變咗我好多

My mom was a single mom

我屋企係個單親家庭

who worked at the phone company during the day

母親日頭喺電話公司工作

and sold Tupperware at night

夜晚賣廚具用品

so that I could have every opportunity possible.

於是我可以接觸好多嘢

We shopped double coupons

我哋盡量用優惠卷買嘢

and layaway and consignment stores,

選擇分期供款同買二手貨

and when she got sick with stage four breast cancer

當我媽媽患末期乳癌、唔可以再做嘢

and could no longer work,

we even applied for food stamps.

我哋甚至要申請食物卷

And when I would feel sorry for myself

當時我大概九、十歲

as nine or 10 year-old girls do,

我覺得自己好可憐

she would say to me, "My dear, on a scale of major world tragedies,

但媽媽會同我講︰「乖女，

同世界上嘅慘劇相比，你算好好啦！」

yours is not a three."

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And when I was applying to business school

當我準備考商學院嘅時候

and felt certain I couldn't do it

我覺得自己無咩機會

and nobody I knew had done it,

亦無人知我去考

I went to my aunt who survived years of beatings at the hand of her husband

嗰陣我去搵我阿姨

我阿姨佢長期被丈夫虐待

and escaped a marriage of abuse

但最終好彩嘅身心幸存咁離咗婚

with only her dignity intact.

And she told me,

佢同我講︰

「千祈唔好比其他人限制你。」

"Never import other people's limitations."

And when I complained to my grandmother,

我當時又去咗搵婆婆呻

a World War II veteran

佢不但係二戰軍人

who worked in film for 50 years

仲喺電影工業做咗半個世紀

and who supported me from the age of 13,

又由我 13 歲開始就照顧我

that I was terrified

我嗰陣同婆婆講

that if I turned down a plum assignment at ABC

我驚如果去咗外國深造

for a fellowship overseas,

而放棄美國廣播公司呢份荀工

I would never ever, ever find another job,

我以後都唔會再搵嘢做

she said, "Kiddo, I'm going to tell you two things.

但佢講︰「阿妹，我話你知兩樣嘢。

First of all, no one turns down a Fulbright,

第一，唔會有人放棄獎學金；

and secondly, McDonald's is always hiring."

第二，麥記成日都請人㗎。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

"You will find a job. Take the leap."

「你會搵到工嘅，放膽去啦！」

The women in my family

我屋企嘅女性並唔係咩特殊例子

are not exceptions.

The women in this room and watching in L.A.

喺呢個講座同喺洛杉磯睇直播嘅女性

and all around the world

仲有全球各哋嘅女性

are not exceptions.

都唔係咩特殊例子

We are not a special interest group.

我哋唔係小數

We are the majority.

而係大多數

And for far too long,

我哋經常低估自己，亦被人輕視

we have underestimated ourselves

and been undervalued by others.

It is time for us to aim higher

作為女性

when it comes to women,

係時候要望高啲、遠啲 同投資多啲

to invest more and to deploy our dollars

to benefit women all around the world.

令全世界嘅女性受益

We can make a difference,

我哋有能力改變

and make a difference, not just for women,

而且咁樣做唔單止為女性

but for a global economy

仲係為全球經濟

that desperately needs their contributions.

全球經濟極需要女性嘅貢獻

Together we can make certain

我哋一齊就會有能力 去令呢類所謂特殊例子變成主導

that the so-called exceptions

begin to rule.

When we change the way we see ourselves,

當我哋對自己嘅睇法有所改變

others will follow.

其他人都會跟隨

And it is time for all of us

我哋係時候去諗得更遠大

to think bigger.

Thank you very much.

多謝各位

(Applause)

（掌聲）