In a world where boys were given more opportunities to study or do ‘hard tasks’, while girls were sidelined — as she grew up, Julie Mutoni embarked on tasks typically reserved for boys and men, shaping her into the person she is today.

It is that spirit that nurtured her into the business leader she is today, and also prepared her to compete favourably in a male-dominated world. She defied many odds and is now at the helm of a leading freight and logistics company in the region today, serving as the Managing Director of Multilines International Rwanda.

Born 50 years ago in Karamoja, one of the most remote and under-developed parts of Uganda, where her father worked, Mutoni’s ambitions were not deterred.

She returned to Rwanda with her family in 1996, where she continued her studies at what used to be the School of Finance and Banking (SFB), and went on to carve out a business career that positioned her among the top corporate women leaders in Rwanda.

An empowering father

Mutoni partly attributes her growth to the connection she had with her father, who always encouraged her to become whatever she wanted to be, and also granted her the freedom to do so.

"I grew up as a very happy girl. When my dad and I would talk, he used to tell me that I was the kind of girl who knew exactly what she wanted. He gave an example of how one time all my elder sisters knew how to ride a bicycle, and I was told at the age of four to ride the bicycle and also be like my sisters,” she said.

At the age of four, Mutoni informed her father that she had no interest in riding a bicycle or being involved with the two-wheeled vehicle, as she feared getting injured and having scars on her legs. Instead, she expressed her desire to drive a car.

Curious, her father set out to teach her how to drive and that is how she ended up driving at a very young age. In her third year in secondary school, Mutoni got her driving license with the support of her father.

Her father was always in her corner, and he knew her as someone who would fight all the way to get what she desired and played his role in terms of supporting and encouraging her.

That also helped shape her social life and honed her leadership skills and abilities. In primary school, she was the head girl and a prefect throughout secondary school.

"Every group I would belong to, somehow, I would find myself being a leader or taking up a role. That [leadership] started at a very early age,” she said.

"All that was just an indication that at the end of it all, I would end up becoming a leader. It started at an early age when I was a young girl,” Mutoni said, adding that over the years, she was able to grow into different leadership roles.

Hard work meets ambition

Mutoni attributes her growth in business and leadership to being hardworking and ambitious because, without that, a woman is unlikely to break through.

"I was hard-working, I was ambitious. I was focused and I was committed to everything that I was doing. That made me grow into different roles and different departments,” she said, adding that the more experience she gained, the more she scaled the ladder.

She also puts it to being patient, advice she always gives young people because "when you are patient and focus on doing what you are supposed to do and grow into it, people see the capabilities in you and recognise you for it.”

In Mutoni’s view, today, young people prefer becoming job hoppers, jumping from one offer to another, without taking time to hone their skills and capabilities or even earn the experience they need.

People switch jobs before even the organisations or companies they are working for are yet to fully acknowledge their capabilities, she mentioned.

For Mutoni, staying in one organisation for a long time, having started as a customer service agent at the age of 21, helped her to earn the experience needed, and to grow through the ranks.

From customer service, she graduated to sales, which was her passion, and from there she went into administration before moving to management of an international company, where she worked for 17 years as a country manager.

Having served the organisation for more than 20 years, Mutoni decided to get out of her comfort zone, having achieved most of her career aspirations, to set up something of her own, which was her long-term dream.

"It had always been my dream because I had worked for people for many years and I felt it’s high time for me to also have my own company—start small and make it big, make money and leave a legacy,” Mutoni said.

For her, it is not merely a company, but a legacy that her grandchildren will inherit and uphold.

A woman in a man’s world

Mutoni has encountered obstacles as a woman, but not overly severe ones, as Rwanda provides a platform for women to assert their rights and freedoms, including assuming leadership positions — a trend she credits to the present government.

Some of the challenges she faced are mainly linked to societal biases. In male-dominated meetings discussing urgent tasks, doubts are sometimes expressed when a woman is chosen to take on the task.

"They’re not confident that a woman is going to handle certain responsibilities and deliver. You can even see their facial expressions,” she said, adding that in most cases, a woman has to convince them more that she can deliver.

The same applies when it comes to awarding tenders, where some people are biased if a tender is going to be awarded to a company led by a woman, particularly in her industry which is male-dominated.

"Logistics is somehow a masculine kind of job. You’re talking of containers, you’re talking of ports, you’re talking trucks, you’re talking road transportation, you’re talking of airlines and shipments, moving of parcels from one area to another, all that. There is a lot involved.

"So, sometimes before they even award a tender to a company, when they see a woman, they’re like we just want to see the men before the women. But that’s okay we’ve come out and we’ve managed to show the world that women can also be very good leaders,” Mutoni said.

According to her, women have been proven to be better leaders than men because they possess a "third eye” to examine every detail.

"Women have the privilege of being mothers and we’re special. When you are a mother, you attach empathy, which is key. Having empathy does not mean that you are not strong. There’s being strong and there is having empathy, and the two are needed in leadership. A leader is supposed to have empathy and a leader is supposed to be strong. Women have both,” she reiterated.

Most of the time, she ignores such perceptions and focuses on delivering because she is confident she will.

"What I can advise women and young girls, more especially, is to have confidence. How do you build your confidence? By making yourself better every day by improving your knowledge and skills,” she added.

Mutoni stressed that ultimately, the world will remain male-dominated, and one cannot escape these societal biases. However, what truly matters is excelling in one’s field and proving others wrong.

"We just need to work on ourselves, build our confidence, and work hard at every stage, whether it is at school or work,” she said, adding that the way one conducts oneself also matters.

Among other things, she said building a character of integrity and discipline is very important because it is what wins people’s hearts and minds.

Mutoni encourages parents and guardians to talk to their children early, share career aspirations, and offer them the support they need so that this character is built from an early age.

"Be you, do you”

She encourages women and girls to step out, explore, socialise, and build the necessary networks to propel their careers to the next level, rather than holding back and staying in their comfort zones.

"I feel that the world has so many opportunities, especially for women,” she said, adding that with the above attributes, women can take on the world and make a difference. Take your place, speak up,” she said, emphasising the need for women to support and lift each other because there is still a lot more work to be done to make the world a more equitable place.

She insists that women and girls have to be more fearless to go after what they want and take up the leadership mantle. She wouldn’t have made it in the logistics world had she not persisted.

Mutoni has stayed authentic to herself and her character. Even now, she remains the same "fun young girl” from her youth, revelling in music, embodying a free spirit, and cherishing conversation and laughter.

This reaffirms the idea that like a leopard retaining its spots, one need not alter their character to lead or conform to societal norms. "Stay true to yourself, and you will become all you aspire to be.”