Judith on why self-confidence and determination matter
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What you need to know:
- She says women should understand that there is strength, intelligence, love and beauty in every woman
Dar es Salaam. Judith Stanley Gowelle has called on women to stop underrating themselves and instead be whatever they want through setting goals, vision, mission and staying focused. She is currently the manager of Human Resources and Administration at Tanzania Geothermal Development Company Ltd, which is a subsidiary company of the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco).
She was employed by Tanesco in 2008 as a Human Resource Officer Trainee, the position which she served for about a year, before being confirmed as an HR Officer dealing with recruitment selection and workforce related issues.
“I served the position for five years before I was appointed the Principal Human Resource Officer dealing with Workforce Planning and later in 2020 I was appointed the manager of Human Resources and Administration and transferred to Tanzania Geothermal Development Company Ltd, which is a subsidiary company of Tanesco,” she said. According to her, she has over 14 years of working experience in the field of HR and Administration and working hard while at the same time taking care of family responsibilities where she is a mother of two.
Explaining, she said there were a combination of factors that pushed her to become what she is today including personal attributes such as hard working, commitment, self-motivation, discipline, determination and positive attitude towards work.
Others include career development done by her employer in work related issues and a good working environment which supports utilisation of knowledge that in the end builds great experience.
“It is a matter of being self motivated and desire to reach higher ranks through professional career growth. Respect and compliance to laws, rules and regulations that guide civil services are among the issues that pushed me to where I am today,” she said. Explaining, she said that when she was studying one of her career inspirations was to be among successful high-level women executives at corporate organization’s like Tanesco.
“To be honest, Tanesco and TGDC have helped me to build my career and meet my desired career goals and l am proud to be part of the TGDC Management Team that means I’m one of the decision-makers for the company, and still I believe that there is a chance to do more and more for the benefit of the employer and Tanzania at large,” she said.
She notes that just as any other job, challenges are always there given the nature, size and complexity of Tanesco and TGDC business. However, with assistance and cooperation from her co-workers (supervisors and subordinates) she is able to manage them.
According to her, the challenges have greatly and positively contributed to her career growth. They made her more confident, strong and more capable of taking higher responsibilities in any organization.
She said that currently Tanzania is being led by a female President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is doing a great job which was never imagined to be done by a woman. Women in Tanzania should believe that everything is possible with efforts on what they want to become, whatever the career path they choose they should put extra efforts and focus on reaching their desired goals.
“This doesn’t have to do with family background (rich or poor) it’s not about schools and colleges you have attended (foreign or local) or even if you did not get a chance to undergo studies at higher level, but still you can be successfully accomplish your goals and plans and become who you want to be,” she said. She notes: “I was raised in a middle-income family and attended public schools and universities as parents could not afford paying fees in private schools.”
According to her, women should understand that there is strength, intelligence, love and beauty God has kept in every woman and currently worldwide people are witnessing many successful women in different aspects of life like political, social and economic and that women should be part and parcel of these successes.
Explaining, she said there are several initiatives that have been implemented by her institution to empower women. They include sending female employees to various programmes intended to empower women to become successful and confident leaders. They are attached to various leadership programs which help them nurture their leadership skills, and all costs pertaining to these programmes are at the expense of the employer.
“We also advocate gender equality through our recruitment policy which encourages women to apply for various positions once advertised,” she said.
She notes that women are incredibly special and it is high time they are recognized and lifted across the world, it is time to take note of women’s contribution to society because women are game changers, forward thinkers and caregivers.
She says all women should understand that they have the ability to overcome constraints and contribute to the betterment of their families, employers, businesses and nations. She adds that women can do better just like men and that they only need to be given opportunities.
She said she has attended various local and international training programs which have helped her to nurture her leadership skills in HR practices including Human Capital Management, Succession Planning, Talent Management and Performance Management for Energy Industries at ACBF Training Centre, Durban South Africa Also she studied Recruitment and Selection, Workforce Planning, Performance Management and Management of Training function for Human Resources Practitioners in Power Utilities at ACBF Training Centre-Durban, South Africa. Advanced Certificate on Human Resources Development at NTTRI Chennai India, and Quality Management at Singapore Civil Service Training Centre.
She initially pursued her secondary education at Kibasila and Zanaki secondary schools, graduated in Bachelor of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Dar es Salaam. She also pursued a postgraduate diploma in Human Resources Management offered by the institute of Finance Management –(IFM) and later on pursued a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management at Mzumbe University (Dar es Salaam campus). She is also a certified HR Business partner (CHRBP).