Rising Woman Forum: Call made for inclusive workplace

Dar es Salaam. The third annual forum of The Citizen Rising Woman Initiative hit a climax yesterday with a call to create an equitable environment and promote diversity and inclusivity at workplaces in Tanzania.

The Citizen Rising Woman Initiative is an annual programme on the calendar of Mwananchi Communications Limited. It is part of the multimedia company’s goal to empower the nation and raise the participation of women in the nation-building agenda.

This year’s edition celebrates women leaders inspiring the next generation with the theme Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Advancing Women in Leadership.

The event was held yesterday in line with celebrations for the International Women’s Day, which also ran with the theme DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality.

Speaking yesterday during a panel discussion, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ms Christine Musisi said strategies to empower women at the workplace require an understanding of what limits them [women] from going up the corporate ladder.

She said professional women have triple barrel roles, which make them reconsider before taking up leadership roles that would, in one way or another, be time demanding for them.

“Create a conducive work environment and work-life balance policies as well as technologies that are required for women to be able to manage these roles,” she said.

Ms Musisi said understanding the patterns of behaviour that can discourage and limit women’s progress was also key, saying that once identified, steps must be taken to re-strategize and create an environment where women get supported, encouraged, and given the opportunity to advance.

“Women should also reach out to mentors, coaches, and sponsors who can provide the guidance they need to ascend to leadership positions,” she said.

The Country Liaison Manager at Barrick Gold Corporation, Ms Georgia Mutagahywa, said micro-sexual advances, old boys’ networks, and the exclusion of women from decision-making are all systemic barriers that stand in the way of female advancement.

This, she said, creates an environment where women are expected to work harder and prove themselves more than their male counterparts in order to receive the same recognition.

To overcome this, Ms Mutaganywa said; “We also need to encourage them (women) to speak up, reach out, and demand because having the confidence to express oneself and take risks is essential for success”.

Group CEO and Managing Director of CRDB Bank Plc, Abdulmajid Nsekela, said it was essential to recognise the disparities that exist for women in organisations and strive for equity. He added that steps should be taken to ensure that all employees, regardless of gender, have equal access to opportunities.

“In embracing equity at workplaces, we need to identify the gaps that surround women in organisations,” he said.

Mr Nsekela said creating equitable workplaces and initiative enablers for women can help ensure that everyone has the chance to reach their full potential.

The managing director of MultiChoice Tanzania, Ms Jacqueline Woiso, on her part, said women leaders should look at ways they can boost inclusivity and also work on recognising talents.

“It’s never easy; it needs personal integrity, accountability, and learning from day-to-day situations. You need to separate yourself from the institution so that whatever you do doesn’t compromise the organisation’s reputation,” she said.

Read: You have to sacrifice to excel, says Jacqueline Woiso

Gracing the event, United Nations Women Representative to Tanzania Ms Hodan Addou said to achieve inclusivity there was a critical need for collective responsibility from the public sector, private sector, and all stakeholders to develop bold gender transformative actions.

“There is a need to widen innovations and ecosystems, to embed transparency and accountability not only in digital technology and the expanding digital economy but also to ensure we are investing in the human capital of this country,” she noted.

Ms Addou also applauded MCL for The Citizen Rising Woman Initiative, saying the media has an essential role to play in raising public awareness and influencing narratives on gender issues.

She further said; “Organisations need to look internally and assess where they want to be in terms of gender equality.”

“Are you providing that environment for women who are brilliant and who have so much potential; are you nurturing them, retaining them, or perhaps your business is not addressing their needs?”

The guest of honour also emphasised the issue of giving back to the communities, emphasising the need for organisations to evaluate their efforts in promoting inclusiveness and gender development.

Mwananchi board member Ms Angela Mndolwa said RWI 2023, with the hashtag “She Can,” further echoes Mwananchi Communications Limited’s slogan of “empowering the nation” through storytelling and other initiatives.

“Gender equality is not just a women’s issue but a human issue, it also requires all of us to work together to create a more inclusive, equitable, and just society,” she said.

Meanwhile organisations were awarded for creating enabling environments gender inclusion and equitable workplaces that that promote women in leadership positions. For the 2023 Woman of the Future Award category the award winners were CRDB Bank Plc, AngloGold Ashanti, Empress Furniture Ltd, NMB Bank Plc, and CocaCola Tanzania.

For the Rising Woman Award category winners were Reni International Co Ltd, Mojafam Organization, Dolson Interiors Limited, ITM Tanzania Ltd, Empower, Legal and Human Rights Center (LHRC), Jubilee Insurance, Davis & Shirtliff, and Ernst & Young.