WIMA awards honorary accolades to 30 women who excelled in various professional fields

DAR ES SALAAM: IN efforts to recognize and celebrate the contribution of women to socio-economic development across Africa, Women in Management Africa (WIMA), has awarded honourary accolades to 30 women who have demonstrated excellence in various professional fields.

The award ceremony held on April 25, 2026, in Dar es Salaam, brought together stakeholders from across the continent. The guest of honor was the Executive Director of the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF), Professor Fortunata Makene.

Speaking at the event, WIMA Founder Dr Naike Moshi stated that the organization’s core objective is to enhance the visibility, recognition, and empowerment of women to attain top leadership positions. She emphasized that the awards are not solely for celebrating achievements, but also for acknowledging the barriers that recipients have overcome and the pathways they have created for other women.

ALSO READ: WIMA summit panel, including GGML, urges parents to educate their girls

She said despite playing active roles in leading businesses and institutions, women’s representation on boards and in senior decision-making positions remains below 30 percent, highlighting persistent inclusion gaps. She stressed the importance of building inclusive systems that ensure equal opportunities for all.

For her part, Professor Makene underscored that women’s empowerment requires robust systems, accountability, and sustained efforts. She commended WIMA for creating platforms that amplify women’s voices and for driving systemic change that addresses structural barriers.

She further pointed out that many women continue to face challenges such as limited access to capital, networks, and supportive social systems. Despite this, they continue to demonstrate strong leadership and innovation. She called on leaders to use their positions to empower others, invest in innovation, and ensure decision-making systems reflect equitable representation.

“Leaders must commit to supporting other women, investing in innovation, and ensuring decision-making systems fairly represent society. Data shows the gaps, but leadership closes them. We will be remembered not for our titles, but for the women we uplifted and the systems we transformed,” said Professor Makene.

Contributing to discussions on leadership challenges facing women, Ambassador John Olanga emphasized the importance of collective success over individual achievement. He noted that true success is realized when individual progress contributes to uplifting others and called for a unified movement to advance women’s leadership.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of Fortis Insurance Brokers Ltd, Mariam Shamo, who was named Best Female Leader, expressed gratitude to WIMA for recognizing her contributions. She said the award has further motivated her to continue empowering women, noting that over 90 percent of her company’s workforce are women.

Recipients of the awards included Latoya Martine (Mozambique), Vanessa Anioti (Tanzania), Lucia Minde (Tanzania), Dr. Upendo Matotola (Tanzania), Sarah Kiteleja (Tanzania), Dr. Aikande Kwayu (Tanzania), Caroline Yumbe (Tanzania), Bahati Minja (Tanzania), Shalot Matula (Botswana), Vida Nasari (Tanzania), Neema Mgimba (Tanzania), Anna Mushi (Tanzania), Dr. Sekela Mwaigomole (Tanzania), Sarah Mohamed (Tanzania), and Pauline Kinjumu (Tanzania).

The awards are viewed as part of broader efforts to strengthen gender equality in leadership, with a strategic focus on increasing women’s representation in top decision-making positions across Africa.