"Women need to get back into the kitchen and make cookies!" This retort from my favourite matriarch recently. She was in typical riotous mood upon learning about yet another betrayal of one woman to another.

It wasn't about rolling up sleeves or fighting over a man. No, it was one example too many of in-fights between women for power in the boardroom. In a story too long to recount here, the woman in question had no qualms about throwing daggers deep into her boss' (also a long-time friend) back. This was all in dramatic response to a query from the boss which challenged her below-standard performance.

My matriarch believes that we modern women have lost the plot. As far as she's concerned, we're confused about what true power really is. Instead of taking the lead from our intuitive sense of being and allowing ourselves to make decisions based on our feminine, soul-based reservoir, the new breed of female power brokers are upping the stakes by taking each other out. Probably modelling themselves on who else? Men.

Wrong move

Wrong move, says my matriarch! It's not about being like men, and being driven by ego. She believes that in harnessing our essence we will find the means to manage power relations in ways which build, not destroy. Hence, the matriarchal call to return to the kitchen and take up our duties as nurturers and homemakers. An analogy for going back to the drawing board you could say.

The thought of returning to the kitchen - did we ever leave? After all, what did some of our mothers and other leaders in the female equity rights movement fight for? Surely, this is what we've wanted all along isn't it? Many words come to mind but, ultimately, it's about power!

The power quest for equality and recognition as competent players in the boardroom, worthy of bringing home top-level salaries while managing a home and often a family has upped the stakes for the modern woman.

Statistics reveal dangerously high stress levels among women between ages 30 and 45, no matter what race, background, creed or geographical location. The figures and stress-related diseases consistently illustrate that we're burning it at both ends with risk of total burnout by the time we're 50; the very stage of our lives when we should be in our prime. But, can the 'we-can-do-it-all' BlackBerry generation really stand the heat? Do we want to?

Women's month

August is women's month in South Africa and so, as we clean our lens to focus on all things female, issues of power-broking among women in business are high on the agenda. While we're trading chips on the stock exchange, maybe a few cookie recipes would not go amiss. For the simple but beautiful pleasures of licking the batter from the spoon may be just the reality check we need to get our power perspectives back in balance.

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