Although putting your hands behind you, be it in the midst of people or talking to someone, shows respect in the Ghanaian society, the case is different globally as a woman who does that at a corporate meeting is seen as one with low self-esteem, Dzigbordi Dosoo, founder/Chief Executive Officer of Allure Africa Group has said.

According to Madam Dosoo, who was speaking at the National Women’s Summit 2017, women should step out in a confident and courageous way so that opportunities would not elude them.

“Actually, wherever you stand, etiquette says that when you put your hands at your back, you are a weak person. We [women] are already seen as a weaker vessel. Putting your hand at your back is cultural but not accepted globally,” she said.

“When you go out, your goal should not be putting your hands at your back but should be putting your hands at your side or in front,” she added.
Madam Dosoo further mentioned that most women do not project their image and confidence even though they are competent – a situation which affects their promotion.

“The only reason why you go into certain offices, you are competent, you have the technical capacity but you are not selected is because you are not projecting that image. I get a lot of people who are going to be promoted. A company will just hire me to get them project the image of a leader. Why? Because they have every sense of competence but they have no confidence,” she stated.

“Research says in this day and age, to be the highest person is not about technical competence any more. Your technical competence counts for 15%. It is 85% that is not technical. The 85% is your body intelligence, emotional intelligence, your ability to have a leadership quality. You can be smart all you want but nobody is going to hear your smartness. They will see it based on what you are wearing, based on how you are packaged,” she noted.

The event was graced by Zanetor Rawlings, Member of Parliament for Korle Klottey and daughter of Ghana's former president Jerry John Rawlings.