In a powerful address at a recent women's conference, luxury real estate advisor and advocate Sarah Stephen challenged the pervasive pressures placed on women, asserting that their fundamental identity comes first. Speaking at Gathering 2025, a network designed for women to encounter God and achieve personal elevation, Stephen highlighted the transformative experience of witnessing successful women up close.
Redefining the Woman of Faith: Strength in Authenticity
Stephen directly confronted the stereotype that women of faith are best when they are gentle, submissive, and solely nurturing. She argued for a broader, more empowering narrative. Women of faith can embody strength, assertiveness, and ambition while still fulfilling a divine purpose, she stated. Their drive, she clarified, flows from a place of genuine love, not pretense. These women do not seek to be superhuman but to be accepted in their full, authentic selves without guilt.
She emphasized that these women see themselves as called to be leaders, wealth creators, innovators, and pioneers in their respective fields. Their commitment to purpose includes a vital component often neglected: serving themselves. This act of self-investment is not selfish but valid and necessary. For Stephen, ambition does not erase compassion; a woman's dedication to her goals is not a sign of being self-absorbed or disobedient.
Breaking the "All or Nothing" Cycle in Supportive Community
The article tackles the exhausting concept of "having it all," which often leaves women feeling they must choose between feast or famine. When this ideal seems unreachable, it can create a debilitating sense of having nothing. Gatherings like Gathering 2025 serve as crucial counterpoints to this mindset. They provide a supportive environment where women can confront limiting beliefs and understand they do not have to navigate life's challenges alone.
Stephen stressed that a woman's current position is not her final destination. She deserves the freedom to evolve within a community that believes in her, recognizes her potential, and actively helps her achieve it. Her dreams should be bold declarations, not mere whispers. Collaboration, when needed, should feel easing, not like an additional pressure that forces her to contradict her core identity.
A Call for Inclusive Growth and Systemic Change
Praising the courage of conference convener Susan Deborah, Stephen commended her determination to empower women of faith. She reminded readers that no woman's journey is linear; it is a flowing, changing process that requires patience. Together, women can rise and strategize in a world that may seek to dim their light for simply wanting more.
Stephen concluded with a poignant question: who decided what "having it all" means for women? Ultimately, she believes it is about having choices—choices that are inclusive of all women, including those of deep faith. Her message aligns with broader calls for action, referencing the need for trauma-informed justice for women and girls and a continent-wide rethink of aid dependency, as Africa reclaims its agency.
