By Patricia Muumba
As a daughter of Uganda living in the United States, I sit at the intersection of two worlds that share a singular truth: the potential of a woman is the most undervalued asset on the planet.
This Women’s Day, I want to challenge the “quiet” notion of female giving.
In both the US and Uganda, women are socialized to give until they are empty. We give labor and emotional energy, often at the expense of our own ambition.
I believe in a new paradigm: giving from abundance, earning unapologetically, and using that influence to spark global change. When we give from power rather than sacrifice alone, the gains for humanity are limitless.
The root of global change
Women are the first teachers of their children, a reality spanning from Ugandan villages to American suburbs.
The “giving” that happens in those early years, the transfer of values and resilience, is the foundation of global change.
To be an effective “first teacher,” a woman must have a limitless mindset. If a mother believes her potential is capped by her gender, she inadvertently teaches her children to play small.
When we give women the tools to see themselves as global citizens, the “gain” is a generation that does not see gender as a barrier. Promoting equality starts with ensuring that the first teachers are themselves free.
Unapologetic ambition and the power of high earning
For too long, “ambition” has been a dirty word for women. We are told to be “driven” but “humble.” I say we must be unapologetic.
In the US, high earning is celebrated, yet women still face the “glass ceiling.” In Uganda, women are the backbone of the economy, but often lack the paycheck to match their impact.
Why is high earning vital? Because wealth in the hands of women is a catalyst for philanthropy. When women earn high salaries, they fund movements. Philanthropy is the strategic “giving” of resources to solve systemic problems.
Women and Men Side by Side: Giving to GainWhen a woman in the US earns unapologetically, she can fund scholarships in Uganda. When a Ugandan woman scales a global business, she invests in regional infrastructure. The “gain” of female wealth is the democratization of opportunity.
Bridging the gap: Ubuntu and innovation
The global world faces challenges: climate change, instability, and injustice, which require a shift in thinking. We need the limitless mindset of women to bridge the gap.
In my work between the US and Uganda, I see a beautiful synergy. The US offers technological infrastructure and bold individual ambition. Uganda offers “Ubuntu”, the idea that “I am because we are.”
When we merge limitless ambition with a commitment to the collective, we create a model for global change. Giving is the bridge. When we mentor across oceans, we gain a perspective that makes us better leaders.
A legacy of limitless potential
The theme “When we give, we gain” is a call to action. It reminds us that our earning power is a tool for our giving power.
To the women in Uganda: your ambition is your contribution to the world. To the women in the US: your wealth is a vehicle for global equity.
Let us be the generation that earns high, gives deeply, and leads without permission. Our potential is not a cup to be filled, but a well that overflows.
When we give our best selves to the cause of equality, the gain is a legacy of a more just, prosperous, and limitless world for all.
The writer is an architect by profession and an educator at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, Cambridge, MA, US
