By May Ikeora-Amamgbo
It starts with an Instagram bio.
“Founder. Speaker. Global Women Empowerment Advocate.
A few weeks later, photos of a school outreach in rural Africa, a carouselof sanitary pad donations, a caption that says “impact over likes,” and a soft launch of a new initiative with a branded T-shirt line.
On the surface, it is inspiring. A woman doing her part. Changing the world. Being light. But behind the filters, hashtags, and logo reveals lies a growing phenomenon that deserves a closer look: the use of charity and empowerment causes as branding tools rather than authentic expressions of purpose.
In this Find Her Light issue, themed around charity, we cannot avoid this conversation. Because while charity should always be light giving, too many are using it as a spotlight. And when women step into charity work for performance, not purpose, something essential is lost, the soul of the cause and the very light they are meant to find.
Branding as Purpose or Performance?
Let us be clear. Branding is not the villain here. In fact, women reclaiming their narrative and curating an intentional digital presence is a revolutionary act in itself. In a world where women were historically silenced or sidelined, being visible, heard, and celebrated is a bold move.
But here is the rub. Personal branding is meant to reflect who you are, not who you think you need to pretend to be to gain validation, access, or applause. And lately, many women are packaging “empowerment” and “giving back” into a brand identity before they have even figured out what their soul is asking them to do.
It is almost as if there is a script:
- Start an initiative for widows or girls
- Post five photos of yourself leading the cause
- Get a speaking invite on a panel about women in leadership
- Add “social impact leader” to your bio
- Repeat
Somewhere between Canva templates and branded banners, many are mistaking performance for purpose. It is not always malicious. Often, it is the pressure of digital culture. If you are not visible, you are not valuable. But charity should never be theatre. It should be truth.
When Causes Become Costumes
We are watching a generation of women leaderswho are confusing cause based branding with character based living. The repercussions are subtle but dangerous:
1. Authenticity Erodes
When charity becomes a tool rather than a calling, people can feel it. Audiences become skeptical. Communities feel used. Volunteers lose motivation. The light dims because it was never really lit from within.
2. Sustainability Suffers
Causes started for clout rarely last. Once the founder burns out or loses interest, the initiative disappears. That leaves the women and girls you promised to empower in a more vulnerable place than before.
3. Mentorship Gets Muddled
Younger women watching think this is the formula; brand first, impact later. So, we end up with more people trying to build influence without first doing the work, learning the context, or understanding the responsibility.
4. Fatigue Sets In
The repetition of lookalike empowerment brands with no originality or depth creates fatigue in audiences. People begin to scroll past even genuine efforts. It all starts to feel the same, and sameness has never changed the world.
5. Self Betrayal
Most heartbreaking of all, women who could have found their unique light lose it by following a formula that was never meant for them. They trade soul work for social validation and wonder why they still feel empty.
So, What Should We Be Doing?
Finding your light is not about going viral. It is about going inward. Before you launch a charity initiative, ask yourself the real questions:
- What breaks my heart so deeply that I cannot ignore it?
- Is this cause connected to my story or a gap I am called to fill?
- If no one ever clapped or posted about it, would I still do it?
- Am I willing to learn before I lead?
- Am I drawn to this work because it matters or because it is trending?
Your light will not always look glamorous. Sometimes, it will be found in quiet service. Sometimes in years of learning. Sometimes in backing someone else’s cause before launching your own. But the light that comes from within lasts longer than any digital spotlight.
Instead of rushing to start something that looks like everyone else’s “empowerment project,” consider these alternative pathways:
1. Deep Work Over Display
Spend time deeply understanding the issue you feel called to address. Read. Volunteer. Partner with existing organizations. Learn from those on the ground. Do not skip the quiet work.
2. Start Small and Real
Not everything needs to be a foundation. You can be impactful in your corner. Sponsoring one girl.
Mentoring one woman. Funding a course. Start where your heart meets your means.
3. Tell the Truth, Not Just the Story
When sharing your work, focus on real stories, real change, and real accountability. Resist the urge to embellish. Your truth is enough.
5. Unfollow the Formula
Your light will not look like hers. That is the point. Some are called to politics, others to poetry, others to policy. Empowerment is not a brand. It is a lifestyle, and it looks different for everyone.
6. Be Willing to Pivot
Just because you started something does not mean you must continue if it no longer aligns with your soul. Purpose evolves. Let it. Do not force it to fit a brand you outgrew.
The Real Light
We need more women in impactspaces. That is not up for debate. But we also need those women to be rooted, not performative. To be led by purpose, not pressure. To understand that real charity is not always cute. It is hard.
It is long.And often, it is thankless.
But in those unphotographed moments when no one is watching and you are still showing up, that is when you find your true light.
Not the kind that trends. The kind that transforms.
