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

DAR ES SALAAM: For the development of the family and society at large, parents and guardians have been urged to support the education of girls to build their confidence and take up high leadership positions.

The call was made by Geita Gold Mining Limited (GGML), a subsidiary of AngloGold Ashanti, represented by Elizabeth Karua, Legal Counsel at GGML, on a panel at the Women in Management Africa (WIMA) Leadership Summit organised to coincide with International Women’s Day.

The summit, held in Dar es Salaam on the eve of International Women’s Day 2024 and sponsored by GGML, covered a range of topics including women’s participation in leadership, business and environmental challenges.

In her contribution to the debate, Elizabeth Karua, Legal Counsel at GGML, said that in order to increase women’s participation in the mining sector, the company gives priority to female candidates and the recruitment process should have a 50/50 gender balance in the pool of shortlisted candidates.

“The working environment at GGML continues to be welcoming to women, especially when you consider that they even get senior positions at GGML while others crossed borders and become managers of the sector in various companies abroad,” she said.

Meanwhile, GGML’s PR and Communications Manager, Stephen Mhando, also said the mine was leading the nation in providing opportunities for women in the country’s mining industry.

He said 13 percent of the mine’s employees are women, most of whom are working in supervisory positions, which is increasingly motivating other women to join the mining sector.

“GGML, which has continued to sponsor women’s empowerment initiatives including WIMA, is proud to show how we care for women and work closely with them. If you compare where we came from and where we are now, it is a big step because while we may have a few women, they are in places where they are leading people,” he said.

The guest of honour during the summit, the Principal of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s Leadership School, Professor Marcellina Mvula Chijoriga, urged parents to invest in the education of a girl child as education is what will enable her to participate in various leadership positions.

“My call to mothers and fathers, teach your daughter to be better… so that she can go far, if you invest in a daughter, you have invested in the family and the community in general,” he said.

She also urged women to learn to work together and take on leadership roles.

“My confidence is what has allowed me to work with four presidents. Your power comes from you. I thank President Samia Suluhu Hassan for appointing me to head the Mwalimu Nyerere School of Leadership,” he said.

According to Naike Moshi, Chief Executive Officer of WIMA, the biggest challenge for women is still the lack of access to education.

With only 32 percent of girls completing secondary school, it is clear that a big push is needed for parents and guardians to educate the girl child.

Women In Management Africa (WIMA) is an initiative that aims at advancing women through leadership training and mentorship, providing a safe space to network and share ideas and concerns.

The initiative also actively promotes gender parity and encourages female participation in the labour force by honouring professional women in their careers and motivates more women to take leadership roles in the workplace.