LocationsEmpowering women in management: Harnessing digital and innovation for gender equality
March 18, 2023
Ms. Cristine Musisi, Resident Representative of UNDP Tanzania, delivering her keynote speech at the 4th Women in Management Africa Summit.
Every year, Women in Management Africa (WIMA) recognizes and honors women in management whose achievements, mentorship, and contributions align with the mission of advancing women in their fields of work, ultimately leading to women’s economic empowerment.
WIMA in collaboration with UNDP and other partners, celebrated Tanzanian women by hosting two events - the Women in Management Summit, with the theme: DigitAll: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality, which culminated in an evening of glamour and celebration.
The summit aimed to empower women to use digital and innovative solutions to advance their careers, emphasised the importance ensuring equal access to resources and opportunities for women through a series of insightful discussions and networking opportunities.
Ms. Christine Musisi, Resident Representative of UNDP Tanzania, Mr. John Ulanga Regional Director for Eastern and Central Africa at Trade Mark Africa, and Ms. Naike Moshi, Founder and CEO of Women in Management Africa, are seated from right to left at the fourth Women in Management Africa Summit.
Ms. Christine Musisi, UNDP Resident Representative, stated at the summit, "Technology empowers women by providing them with access to education, social, and online services." It gives them a voice and allows their ideas to spread beyond their immediate surroundings." She went on to say, "UNDP is already making a significant impact in Tanzania by creating an enabling environment and opportunities for innovation and technology through the UNDP Accelerator lab and Funguo Innovation Programme."
The discussions at the summit involved young women, CSOs, private sector representatives from government and international organizations, with a focus on empowering women economically and closing the gender gap, especially in the workplace to achieve the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Goals. One of the summit panelists, Dr. Linda Davis, Founder, and CEO Giraffe Bioenergy commented, “If you are present and relevant, they will notice you and call you, so make yourself relevant.”
Some key takeaways from the discussions included investing in mentors, having both female and male mentors for career advancement, looking at capacity to empower the women around you, investing in a woman's career growth, and creating an environment in your workplace that allows failure, which breeds growth.
The summit, which aimed to empower women to leverage digital and innovative solutions to accelerate progress in their careers highlighted the need to ensure equal access to resources and opportunities for women through a series of insightful discussions and networking.
Young women, CSOs, private sector, representatives from government and international organisations took part in the discussions, which focused on economically empowering women and closing the gender gap, particularly in the workplace, in order to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Goals. Dr. Linda Davis, Founder and CEO Giraffe Bioenergy commented, one of the summit panelist, stated, “If you are present and relevant, they will notice you and call you, so make yourself relevant”
Investing in mentors was one of the key takeaways from the discussions. It is essential for a person's career advancement to have both female and male mentor. Examine your ability to empower the women around you. What can you invest to empower a woman career's growth and create an environment in your workplace that does not allow failure? This breeds growth.
The Summit’s energy carried over to the Awarding Ceremony, which served as a reminder of the progress made by trailblazing women who are breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes in the corporate environment. It also emphasised the that remains to be done in order to achieve true gender equality in leadership and management roles.
Hon. Mizengo Pinda, Former Prime Minister of URT presenting a Top Women in Management Africa Award to Ms. Warda Kimaro, Head of Brand and Communication at Vodacom at the WIMA 2023 awarding ceremony.
The Summit’s energy carried over to the Awarding Ceremony, which served as a reminder of the progress made by trailblazing women who are breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes in the corporate environment. It also emphasised the that remains to be done in order to achieve true gender equality in leadership and management roles.
The WIMA Awarding Ceremony recognised outstanding achievements in two major categories. The first category, Top 50 Women in Management, honored women in positions of leadership who have made significant contributions to their respective fields. The second category, Gender Equality, recognised companies that have made a commitment to promoting gender equality in the workplace. Both categories emphasised the value of diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.
“Receiving this prestigious award is a great honor for me. Thank you WIMA for the award and the opportunity to speak on Social Capital at the Awarding Ceremony.” Said Oluwatoyin Aralepo, Global Head of Finance and Program FP&A, Mastercard Foundation. She further added, “Social Capital is the network of acquaintances that you have developed over time that you can leverage,” she continued. “Capital is more than just resources; it is also resourcefulness, relationship capital and exponential alliances. Building and maintaining your Social Capital is an action and behavior. It is not too late to review the value-diversity of your social capital and take the necessary steps to increase its net worth,” she concluded.
Representing the UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Sawiche Wamunza, Communications and Partnership Analyst, shared some of UNDP’s work in advancing gender equality - “Greener Fish Farming - the Aquaculture project in Mtwara, using the Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) technology, has impacted 300 women and youth, providing access to the right technology and transforming the economic growth trajectory of the region. This project has not only enhanced productivity but also doubled incomes while conserving the environment"
UNDP Tanzania is committed to promoting gender equality and empowering women, youth, and people with disabilities. UNDP works with policies and legal frameworks to address discriminatory approaches to development, and we invest in women and youth empowerment through direct socioeconomic interventions on the ground to improve their livelihoods and employment opportunities, and we have an active Gender Focal Team in place to ensure gender mainstreaming in all programming, as well as a Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2027.
Overall, the two events emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to promote equal opportunities and resources for women in management and leadership roles, and how we can empower women to create a better future for everyone leveraging digital and innovative solutions.
To learn more about WIMA visit their website: www.wima.co.tz/awards