Gayle Tzemach Lemmon: Women entrepreneurs, example not exception

譯者: Joyce Chou 審譯者: Meg Lee

We do not invest in victims,

我們不投資受害者

we invest in survivors.

我們投資存活下來的人

And in ways both big and small,

不論事件是大或小

the narrative of the victim

受害者的敘述

shapes the way we see women.

塑造了我們看待女性的方式

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

你不能指望你看不見的東西

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

我們也不投資我們看不見的事物

But this is the face

但這才是

of resilience.

韌性的樣貌

Six years ago,

六年前

I started writing about women entrepreneurs

我開始書寫關於在衝突爆發個過程中或衝突發生之後

during and after conflict.

女性創業者的故事

I set out to write a compelling economic story,

我開始寫一則令人注目的經濟故事

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

故事有著偉大的角色，但沒有被人談論過

and one that I thought mattered.

是我覺得重要的故事

And that turned out to be women.

那原來是女性的故事

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

我離開了ABC新聞台，離開了我三十歲時喜歡的職業

for business school,

為了讀商學院

a path I knew almost nothing about.

這條我幾乎不了解的路

None of the women I had grown up with in Maryland

在馬里蘭州，我沒有認識任何一位女性

had graduated from college,

是從大學畢業的

let alone considered business school.

更別說要去念商學院

But they had hustled to feed their kids

但是他們忙於照顧他們的孩子

and pay their rent.

和支付房租

And I saw from a young age

我年輕時就看到

that having a decent job and earning a good living

有一份好工作和良好的生活

made the biggest difference

對那些掙扎著生活的家庭來說

for families who were struggling.

是有很大的不同

So if you're going to talk about jobs,

如果各位要談論工作

then you have to talk about entrepreneurs.

那麼就要談談那些創業者

And if you're talking about entrepreneurs

如果要談論那些

in conflict and post-conflict settings,

在衝突中或衝突環境下的創業者

then you must talk about women,

那一定要談談女性

because they are the population you have left.

因為他們是我們遺忘的族群

Rwanda in the immediate aftermath of the genocide

盧安達在經歷過大屠殺後

was 77 percent female.

有77%的人口是女性

I want to introduce you

我想跟各位介紹

to some of those entrepreneurs I've met

一些我見過的創業者

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

並跟各位分享這些年來他們教導我的事

I went to Afghanistan in 2005

2005年時我去了阿富汗

to work on a Financial Times piece,

為金融時報工作

and there I met Kamila,

在那裡我遇見了Kamila

a young women who told me she had just turned down

她是位年輕女性

a job with the international community

她告訴我她剛拒絕的一個在國際組織工作的機會

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

這份工作可以給她每個月兩千元的薪水

an astronomical sum in that context.

這對她來說是個天文數字

And she had turned it down, she said,

但她說，她拒絕了這個機會

because she was going to start her next business,

因為她要開始經營她另一項事業

an entrepreneurship consultancy

是創業顧問

that would teach business skills

要指導阿富汗的男性和女性

to men and women all around Afghanistan.

商業技能

Business, she said,

她說商業

was critical to her country's future.

是影響她國家未來的關鍵

Because long after this round of internationals left,

因為在這一波國際關注離開之後

business would help keep her country

商業活動能為她的國家

peaceful and secure.

帶來安全和和平

And she said business was even more important for women

她也說了，商業活動對女性更是重要

because earning an income earned respect

因為賺取收入能獲得尊重

and money was power for women.

金錢對女性來說是種力量

So I was amazed.

我對此感到驚奇

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

那是一個從未在和平的時間生活過的女性

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

卻怎麼的聽起來像是實境電視《誰是接班人》中的參賽者

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

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

所以我問她「妳是如何如此了解商業活動的？

Why are you so passionate?"

你為什麼對此如此熱情？」

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

她說「喔，Gayle，這其實是我第三項事業了

My first business was a dressmaking business

我第一份生意是訂製衣服的生意

I started under the Taliban.

我在塔利班政權統治下開始做的

And that was actually an excellent business,

事實上生意挺好的

because we provided jobs for women all around our neighborhood.

因為我們提供了附近的婦女們工作機會

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

那也是我成為創業家的真正原因」

Think about this:

各位想想

Here were girls who braved danger

在這裡，女孩們冒著危險

to become breadwinners

成為家庭的經濟支柱

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

在那些她們甚至無法走上街頭的年代

And at a time of economic collapse

在經濟崩盤的時間

when people sold baby dolls and shoe laces

當人們出售嬰兒玩偶和鞋帶

and windows and doors

還有出售門窗

just to survive,

為了生存的時候

these girls made the difference

這些女孩們

between survival and starvation

在生存和飢餓之間

for so many.

做了許多改變

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

我無法停止寫這個故事，也無法拋開這個題目

because everywhere I went I met more of these women

因為我不管走到哪，我遇見更多這樣的女性

who no one seemed to know about,

她們看似無人認識

or even wish to.

也沒有人想認識

I went on to Bosnia,

我去波斯尼亞

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

在我的採訪初期，我會見了國際貨幣基金組織官員

who said, "You know, Gayle,

他告訴我「Gayle，你知道嗎

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

事實上我不認為在波斯尼亞有女性從事商業活動

but there is a lady selling cheese nearby

但這裡有位小姐在附近販售起司

on the side of the road.

就在路旁

So maybe you could interview her."

所以也許你可以訪問她」

So I went out reporting

所以我外出採訪

and within a day I met Narcisa Kavazovic

不到一天，我遇見了Narcisa Kavazovic

who at that point was opening a new factory

她在當時開了一間新工廠

on the war's former front lines in Sarajevo.

就在薩拉熱窩戰爭的前線之前

She had started her business

她就在一個

squatting in an abandoned garage,

廢棄的車庫裡開始了她的生意

sewing sheets and pillow cases

縫製床單和枕頭套

she would take to markets all around the city

她會到城裡每一個市場去販售

so that she could support

如此她才得以

the 12 or 13 family members

支持12至13為家庭成員的生活

who were counting on her for survival.

他們都仰賴她生活

By the time we met, she had 20 employees,

在我們見面時，她擁有20名員工

most of them women,

大部分都是女性

who were sending their boys and their girls to school.

她們送她們的兒子女兒們到學校

And she was just the start.

她只是一個開始

I met women running essential oils businesses,

我遇過女性經營重要的石油生意

wineries

酒廠

and even the country's largest advertising agency.

甚至是國內最大的廣告公司

So these stories together

這些故事綜合在一起

became the Herald Tribune business cover.

成為先驅論壇報的商業新聞頭版

And when this story posted,

當這則故事被報導出來

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

我奔向我的電腦，立刻寄給了國際貨幣基金總部

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

說「以防萬一，你們要找創業者

to feature at your next investment conference,

作為貴單位下一場投資論壇的主題時，

here are a couple of women."

這裡有很多女性。」

(Applause)

(掌聲)

But think about this.

但是各位想想

The IMF official is hardly the only person

國際貨幣基金的這位代表，並非唯一一個

to automatically file women under micro.

會自動地對女性如此藐視的人

The biases, whether intentional or otherwise,

偏見，不論是有意還無心

are pervasive,

都是普遍的

and so are the misleading mental images.

更別說是誤導的心理印象

If you see the word "microfinance,"

如果你看到「小額信貸」這個詞

what comes to mind?

各位心裡會想到什麼？

Most people say women.

大部分的人會說女性

And if you see the word "entrepreneur,"

但如果各位看到「創業家」這個詞呢？

most people think men.

大部分的人會想到男性

Why is that?

為什麼會如此？

Because we aim low and we think small

因為我們想到女性的時候

when it comes to women.

目標不高也不遠大

Microfinance is an incredibly powerful tool

小額信貸是種不可思議的有力工具

that leads to self-sufficiency and self-respect,

這能帶來自給自足和自我尊重

but we must move beyond micro-hopes

但我們必須讓女性超越那些微小的希望

and micro-ambitions for women,

和那些微小的企圖心

because they have so much greater hopes for themselves.

因為她們給了自己更大的希望

They want to move from micro to medium and beyond.

她們想從圍小提升到中階甚至是更高的位置

And in many places,

在許多地方

they're there.

她們的確在那些高階位子上

In the U.S., women-owned businesses

在美國，女性掌管的商業活動

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

到2018年將創造550萬新的就業機會

In South Korea and Indonesia,

在南韓和印尼

women own nearly half a million firms.

婦女擁有近五十萬家公司

China, women run 20 percent

在中國，女性主導了

of all small businesses.

百分二十的小型企業

And in the developing world overall,

在全世界的開發中國家

That figure is 40 to 50 percent.

數據更達百分之四十至五十

Nearly everywhere I go,

幾乎我所到過的地方

I meet incredibly interesting entrepreneurs

我遇見了非常有趣的創業家

who are seeking access to finance, access to markets

正在尋求獲得資金，進入市場

and established business networks.

建立起商業活動的網絡

They are often ignored

她們常被忽視

because they're harder to help.

因為她們難以被幫助

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

要給予五萬美元的貸款

than it is to give a 500 dollar loan.

遠比給予五百美金的貸款風險要高

And as the World Bank recently noted,

如同世界銀行最近指出

women are stuck in a productivity trap.

婦女被困在生產力的陷阱裡

Those in small businesses

那些小型企業

can't get the capital they need to expand

無法獲取他們所需的擴展資金

and those in microbusiness

那些微型企業

can't grow out of them.

無法成長

Recently I was at the State Department in Washington

最近我在華盛頓國務院

and I met an incredibly passionate entrepreneur from Ghana.

我遇到了一位來自加納極盡熱情的創業家

She sells chocolates.

她是賣巧克力的

And she had come to Washington,

她來到華盛頓

not seeking a handout and not seeking a microloan.

不是來尋求施捨也不是來尋求小額貸款

She had come seeking serious investment dollars

她是來尋找強力的投資資金

so that she could build the factory

讓她能建立工廠

and buy the equipment she needs

購買她所需的設備

to export her chocolates

來出口她的巧克力

to Africa, Europe, the Middle East

到非洲、歐洲和中東地區

and far beyond --

甚至是更遠的地方

capital that would help her to employ

資金也能幫助她

more than the 20 people

再雇用多一點的員工

that she already has working for her,

她現在已經有超過二十名員工為她工作

and capital that would fuel her own country's

資金也能幫助她自己的國家

economic climb.

有大幅的經濟成長

The great news is

好消息是

we already know what works.

我們知道確實是如此

Theory and empirical evidence

理論和經驗證據

Have already taught us.

告訴我們

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

我們不需要發明解決方案

cash flow loans

因為我們有現金流貸款

based in income rather than assets,

那是根據收入而非資產做抵押

loans that use secure contracts rather than collateral,

貸款使用安全合約而非抵押契約

because women often don't own land.

因為女性通常沒有擁有土地

And Kiva.org, the microlender,

Kiva.org，一間微型放款公司

is actually now experimenting with crowdsourcing

其實正在實驗眾包

small and medium sized loans.

一些中小型的貸款的計劃

And that's just to start.

而這只是個開端

Recently it has become very much in fashion

近來流行稱呼女性

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

新興市場中的新興市場

I think that is terrific.

我認為這太讚了

You know why?

各位知道為什麼嗎？

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

因為 - 而我我以一個曾在金融圈打滾的身分這樣說 -

500 billion dollars at least

在過去十年裡新興市場中

has gone into the emerging markets in the past decade.

至少有五百億美元注入

Because investors saw the potential for return

因為投資者看到了潛在的利潤

at a time of slowing economic growth,

在經濟成長緩慢的時期

and so they created financial products

他們針對了新興市場

and financial innovation

創造了金融性商品

tailored to the emerging markets.

和金融創新

How wonderful would it be

如果我們用我們的荷包

if we were prepared to replace all of our lofty words

投資五兆美元

with our wallets

來取代那些高尚稱讚的話語

and invest 500 billion dollars

幫助啟動女性的經濟潛力

unleashing women's economic potential?

這個世界將是多麼美好

Just think of the benefits

想想那些優點

when it comes to jobs, productivity,

那些帶來的工作機會，生產力

employment, child nutrition,

職業，兒童保健

maternal mortality, literacy

產婦死亡率、識字率

and much, much more.

還有很多很多

Because, as the World Economic Forum noted,

因為如同世界經濟論壇指出

smaller gender gaps are directly correlated

性別差距越小

with increased economic competitiveness.

越能提高經濟競爭力

And not one country in all the world

沒有一個國家

has eliminated its economic participation gap --

已經填補兩性參與商業活動上的差距

not one.

一個都沒有

So the great news

所以好消息是

is this is an incredible opportunity.

這就是一個大好機會

We have so much room to grow.

我們有相當多的成長空間

So you see,

所以

this is not about doing good,

這不是只為做好事

this is about global growth

這是為了全球的發展

and global employment.

和就業市場

It is about how we invest

這是關於我們如何投資

and it's about how we see women.

如何看待女性

And women can no longer be

女性已經不只是

both half the population

世界上一半的人口

and a special interest group.

小眾利益族群而已

(Applause)

(掌聲)

Oftentimes I get into very interesting discussions with reporters

我經常都和同行討論

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

他們對我說「Gayle，這些故事真棒

but you're really writing about the exceptions."

但你都寫的是一些例外。」

Now that makes me pause for just a couple reasons.

那讓我停下來，基於幾個原因

First of all, for exceptions,

首先，所謂的例外

there are a lot of them

有好多

and they're important.

而且都是重要的

Secondly, when we talk about men who are succeeding,

第二，當我們談論那些成功的男人

we rightly consider them

我們直接將他們

icons or pioneers or innovators

視為指標、先驅、發明者

to be emulated.

要仿效的對象

And when we talk about women,

但當我們談論女性時

they are either exceptions to be dismissed

就把他們當作是例外

or aberrations to be ignored.

或是被忽略的奇人

And finally,

最後

there is no society anywhere in all the world

這個世界上沒有任何一個國家

that is not changed

沒有被那些

except by its most exceptional.

最傑出的人事務所改變

So why wouldn't we celebrate and elevate

我們為何就不替這些

these change makers and job creators

創造就業的人鼓掌抬轎

rather than overlook them?

反而要忽略她們呢？

This topic of resilience is very personal to me

韌性這對我來說是非常切身的主題

and in many ways has shaped my life.

它從很多方面塑造了我的生活

My mom was a single mom

我母親是一位單親媽媽

who worked at the phone company during the day

她白天在電話公司工作

and sold Tupperware at night

晚上在賣廚具用品

so that I could have every opportunity possible.

因此我有各種可能的機會

We shopped double coupons

我們會盡量使用折價卷買東西

and layaway and consignment stores,

或用分期付款或買二手貨

and when she got sick with stage four breast cancer

當我母親罹患乳癌末期時

and could no longer work,

再也無法工作

we even applied for food stamps.

我們甚至申請了食物卷

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,

媽媽會對我說「乖女兒，跟世界上

yours is not a three."

其他悲慘故事相比，你的算什麼呢？」

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

And when I was applying to business school

當我準備申請商學院

and felt certain I couldn't do it

我覺得自己辦不到

and nobody I knew had done it,

沒有任何一個我認識的人這樣做過

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

我去找我的阿姨，她被她的丈夫家暴多年

and escaped a marriage of abuse

最後只帶著尊嚴

with only her dignity intact.

離開了這段暴力的婚姻

And she told me,

她告訴了我

"Never import other people's limitations."

「不要套用了其他人的限制在自己身上」

And when I complained to my grandmother,

當我跟我的祖母抱怨

a World War II veteran

她經歷過二戰

who worked in film for 50 years

她在電影工業工作了五十年

and who supported me from the age of 13,

從十三歲就開始資助我

that I was terrified

我當時害怕

that if I turned down a plum assignment at ABC

如果我拒絕了ABC給我的優質工作

for a fellowship overseas,

只為了一個海外的獎學金

I would never ever, ever find another job,

我可能永遠永遠都找不到其他工作

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

她告訴我「孩子，我要告訴你兩件事：

First of all, no one turns down a Fulbright,

第一、沒有人會拒絕Fulbright的獎學金

and secondly, McDonald's is always hiring."

第二、麥當勞永遠都在徵人。」

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

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

「你會找到工作的，飛吧。」

The women in my family

我的家庭裡的女性

are not exceptions.

並不是例外

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

在座所有女性和在L.A.收看節目的女性們

and all around the world

和全世界其他的女性們

are not exceptions.

都不是例外

We are not a special interest group.

我們不是小眾利益的族群

We are the majority.

我們是大多數的人

And for far too long,

有太長久的時間

we have underestimated ourselves

我們都低估了自己

and been undervalued by others.

或是被其他人給低估了

It is time for us to aim higher

現在我們該把目標拉高

when it comes to women,

當談論到女性

to invest more and to deploy our dollars

我們該投資更多，讓我們的錢變大

to benefit women all around the world.

幫助全世界所有的女性

We can make a difference,

我們能改變

and make a difference, not just for women,

改變，不只是為了女性

but for a global economy

而是為了全球的經濟

that desperately needs their contributions.

經濟迫切需要她們的貢獻

Together we can make certain

大家一起，我們能使

that the so-called exceptions

某些所謂的例外

begin to rule.

變成一種慣例

When we change the way we see ourselves,

當我們改變我們看待自己的方式

others will follow.

其他的人會跟隨我們

And it is time for all of us

現在對我們大家而言

to think bigger.

正是往大方向思考的時候

Thank you very much.

非常謝謝各位

(Applause)

(掌聲)