What women should know. Four women ‘empowerers’ share their advice.
What does real growth look like for women today? Four women dedicated to empowering others, share the lessons they’ve learned about courage, boundaries, resilience and using your voice… Here’s what they had to say when asked to list three messages they would like to share with women out there.
“Honour your inner voice” - Anna Borg
Prof. Anna Borg is a leading Maltese researcher and lecturer whose work explores how gender shapes work, careers, and everyday life. She focuses on work-life and work-family issues, gendered organisations, and the barriers women face in the labour market. A long-time feminist activist, she chairs the Malta Women’s Lobby and sits on the board of the European Women’s Lobby. She advocates for stronger equality policies, fairer workplaces, and the abolitionist model on prostitution.
Listen to your inner voice and treat it like precious advice. As women we often sense when something is not right. Our inner voice tries to speak to us. To send us a signal: A job that drains more than it gives. A relationship that does not feel right. A restlessness that won’t leave you alone. A tug toward a different path. And yet, to our peril, we often drown or ignore that inner voice. As women, we often stay to keep the peace, to be “reasonable,” to avoid disappointing anyone. But when something feels off, don’t ignore it. Pause. Name it and then try asking yourself: “If I fully trusted myself, what would I do next?” Start with one small move: You don’t have to make a life-changing leap immediately. However, honour your inner voice and take that first step. And if that first step feels hard, don’t do it alone. Reach for supportive people, the ones who steady you rather than those who minimise your concerns or undermine your resolve.
Guilt and worry are useless anchors that bring only harm. Guilt is a form of self-punishment that leads to nowhere except self-harm. Guilt and worry, especially when you care deeply as women often do, have a way of keeping you busy with useless: “what ifs”. When these thoughts show up, shift the question from “Why didn’t I?” to “What will I do differently next time?” Guilt and regret keep you stuck. Free yourself and remember that your decisions are the best you could take in the given circumstances.
Get ruthless about boundaries and energy. As women we over give. We carry the heaviest burdens and do most of the unpaid work in our families, which takes the form of: care and supervision work; housework, logistics and coordination work; the mental and the emotional labour load, among others. We say ‘yes’ too often and assume this heavier load must be borne by us alone. We risk running on depleted batteries. Our well-being and happiness require protected time and rest. As women, we should guard our time ferociously. You can decide what you will do and will no longer do. Protecting your time is not selfish, it is a necessary condition for health, stability, and long-term effectiveness.
“You are allowed to take up space” - Sarah Woods
Sarah Woods is the founder and director of SHE – Social Hub Entrepreneurs, where she creates spaces for women to feel seen, supported and empowered to grow. She is passionate about helping women step into their potential - not by becoming someone new, but by having the courage to fully become themselves.
You are allowed to take up space, even before you feel “qualified.” One of the patterns I’ve seen again and again is women shrinking themselves. Waiting to feel ready, certain, chosen. The truth is, most growth begins in discomfort. You don’t need everyone to understand your vision. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to believe you are worthy of trying. Confidence isn’t a prerequisite for growth, it’s a by-product of showing up anyway.
Don’t try to do it alone. So many women carry silent pressure to be capable, composed, self-sufficient. But real strength often looks like asking for help, seeking mentorship, or walking into a room where you don’t know anyone. Community changes everything. When women gather, share honestly and champion one another, something powerful shifts. Isolation breeds self-doubt, connection builds courage.
Growth requires honesty (especially with yourself). Whether it’s in business, relationships or personal identity, growth begins the moment you stop pretending you’re fine when you’re not. The women I’ve seen evolve the most are those willing to ask hard questions: Is this aligned? Is this serving me? What am I tolerating that I shouldn’t be? Self-awareness can be uncomfortable, but it’s transformative. You cannot grow from a place of denial.
“Define success on your own terms” - Noreen Burroughes Cesareo
Noreen Burroughes Cesareo MBE FRSA is a global business-growth and trade strategist, advisor, and trainer, founder of Market Accents, and president of the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT). She works internationally with SMEs, institutions, and business ecosystems to expand inclusive trade, entrepreneurship, and growth opportunities for women-led enterprises, SMEs and global business communities.
Build confidence by moving, not by waiting. Many women hold back until they feel “fully ready,” but growth and readiness often come after you take the next step. Be present: apply, speak up, launch the idea, test the project, or simply ask for help, then refine as you learn along the way. Progress creates confidence far more quickly than perfect preparation ever will.
Be intentional about the networks you build and the sponsors you engage. Talent and timing open doors, but relationships, visibility, and contribution keep those doors open. Surround yourself with people who challenge you, support you, collaborate with you, and advocate for you - and as you grow, make it a point to actively keep doors open for others as well.
Define success on your own terms - and allow it to evolve. Career stages, family responsibilities, and personal ambitions change, and what success looks like will change with them. We simply cannot do everything at once. Aim for the balance that works for you in each phase of life. Be clear about what matters most, focus your energy there, and revisit that definition regularly rather than measuring yourself against expectations set by others.
“Live life unapologetically” - Rozina Sidhu Koskela
Rozina Sidhu Koskela is the founder and CEO of The Garage - a platform which empowers women through helping build their businesses, through in-person workshops and online programs. She prides herself as the first dedicated Women's Startup Ecosystem builder in Malta. Her experience lies in product management, UX and innovation.
Live life unapologetically. Don't change yourself to fit into someone else's mould. If someone can't accept you for ‘you’ and it means that you have to dim your light, you are ultimately, diminishing your self-worth.
Always know that you can use your voice - to help with injustice and wrongdoing. Don't be afraid of being the first to speak up as silence protects the problem, not people.
Fight until the end, for something you believe in, even if you think all is lost. However, at the same time, don't be afraid of failure, because we have to “fail” to begin, to learn and to grow into the next version of ourselves.
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