Femininity is magic.
Believe in yourself. Build your self-esteem. Be all that you can be. It is wonderful to be a woman.
My admiration for women comes from knowing my mother. She was my role model, a beautiful, intelligent and courageous woman. She was also a singer and a true entrepreneur. Today, she is 84 years old and she will always be beautiful, energetic and full of life. Her beauty reflects the love she constantly gives, free of charge to those around her.
I was a very spirited and curious child, always wanting to know everything and go everywhere. I was sure that if you wanted something badly enough, it would happen.
When I was six years old, however, I learned that life is not always so simple. It was my first brush with injustice. My brother was a Boy Scout and I used to go with him to the meetings. It was exciting to be an ‘honorary’ Boy Scout and be able to join in the activities. Then one day, the new Scout leader told me that I could no longer participate because I was a girl. What a shock! I was good at the activities and had just received a special new knife to help with the ‘survival’ endeavors. But, none of that mattered to the new leader. I was out of the group and his decision was final.
Even today at 63, when I see injustice of any sort, my blood boils as it did when I was that little girl being turned away by the Scout leader. Perhaps this is why I am a non-conformist and have a rebellious nature. This incident helped shaped my ardent commitment to the notion that women should be treated the same as men.
What I felt in those days was frustration at not being allowed to do what I wanted simply because I was a girl. I felt completely helpless. Even my parents could do nothing to change the situation. As a result I looked for “sisters” with the same passion in life. I began to follow the lives of women, first in my family and then in our small town, always listening to their experiences with interest and often admiration. I voraciously devoured books about strong women. I had an over-riding need to express my energy and my creativity. Even in school, I needed to defend the status of justice and women. One of my teachers used to call me “Don Quixote” because I was always defending one cause or another. True to my ideals, I corrected her by saying that I was indeed “Donna Quixote”.
I was 7 years old when my father passed away. He was only 32. My mother was 28. It was an accident, and he never was able to say “goodbye”. Even at that age, I knew he was proud of me. To live up to his expectations, I was determined to be a very reliable daughter and sister. By the time I had finished mandatory education at the age of 15, I left school to work in my mother’s shop. As the oldest of five children, I also wanted my sisters to have the opportunity to do what they dreamed of in life. My dreams were temporarily put on hold and I admit feeling somewhat discouraged. I had thought that I might become a doctor or an artist, or even a lawyer or a sculptor. There were so many possibilities…
We lived in a delightful small town in Switzerland. My mother’s boutique was filled with jewelry, china and crystal.I undertook my job with a great deal of responsibility. This is where I learned how to run a business and to realize that it is a 7-day, 24-hour a day affair. Whenever there was a seemingly insurmountable problem, my mother would always say, “Don’t worry, we will find a solution.” And, we always did. My self-confidence increased. I learned how to deal with clients and suppliers. I was in charge.
At 22, I married. First came a son, then a daughter. Juggling textbooks and diapers, I studied at home to get my secondary degree so that I could attend the university. I wanted to be a doctor, but with two small children, very little money and no help at home, that dream evaporated. My second passion was art so I studied sculpture, painting and art history. Where were the women? I did find a few, such as Camille Claudel and many more!
With the children on their way to becoming established in their careers, I now had time to pursue a career for myself. I began working for the Swatch Group. Being in this industry I realized that my destiny was calling. I wanted to create a watch for women, a watch that would express our shared values that would represent life, harmony and spirituality. I wanted to create a symbol for the feminine excellence. www.delance.com
It was the DELANCE watch, a timely piece of art representing the hopes and dreams of women. It is a jewel filled with energy, love, and spirituality. It is a kind of TALISWOMAN to remind women everywhere that it is wonderful to be alive and to be a woman!
The road from inspiration to design to reality was not easy. I had to overcome many obstacles, meet many challenges and endure many hardships. During all this, I realized that there is no limit to creativity, no limit to what you can accomplish if you set your heart and mind to it.
I believe that women need recognition. They also need role models. They need esteem as much as love. And, very importantly, women need empowerment. My dream is for DELANCE to become the sign of recognition for all women who want to make the world a better place, a lovely place by creating beauty and promoting harmony.
The empowerment of another woman is a reciprocal gift.
By: Giselle Rufer, President Delance Swiss Watches, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Author, Switzerland
