BREAK TRADITIONS THAT OBSTRUCT WOMENS PROGRESS - ABSA BANK CHALLENGES SOCIETY

President of the Women Group of the Absa Bank Tanzania christened Redskirts, Irene Sengati-Giattas (right), presents a certificate of appreciation to the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Directors Tanzania (IoDT), Said Kambi, who was the Guest of Honour during celebrations to mark the International Women's Day in Dar es Salaam over the weekend, organized by the bank for some of its female customers. Centre is the Managing the Director of Absa Bank, Abdi Mohamed.

The Managing Director of Absa Bank Tanzania, Abdi Mohamed (left), Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Directors in Tanzania, (IoDT), Said Kambi, (fourth left), with some employees of the bank celebrate during commemoration of the International Women's Day in Dar es Salaam over the weekend. The event was organized by the bank for some of its female customers.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Directors in Tanzania (IoDT), Said Kambi, delivers his speech during celebrations to comemorate the International Women's Day in
Dar es Salaam over the weekend, which was organised by the bank for some of its female customers. On his right is the Director of Financial Markets at Absa Bank Tanzania, Esther Maruma, a Financial Development Speialist, Aida Sykes, and a Communications Expert, Sarah Jengo.

The Tanzanian society has been challenged to work on the traditional ways that obstruct women from taking up their careers and business perspectives.

Absa Bank Tanzania’s Managing Director Abdi Mohamed said this during the bank’s Women's Day event celebrating their career and life achievements in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.

Mohamed said women need to look at a big factor in Tanzania of a role model of President Samia Suluhu Hassan and many other women leaders in various ministerial and institutional positions.
“There are a lot of role models in the society, not just for our president but also others in various sectors of the economy that women can look at,” he said, adding however that the society need to do away with traditions that obstruct women's progress and achievements.

He challenged women to be ready to take up cross-border career opportunities despite a recent cross-country presentation that rates them at 30 percent behind men who are rated 70 percent.

According to Mohamed, the idea of women to succeed is not to become a copyright for a man and do all the wrong things…saying a woman can succeed while still being a woman and comfortable with themselves.

He acknowledged the Redskirt leadership at the bank for their outstanding performance on creating awareness, empowerment, leading and mentoring women careers so that they push themselves.

The MD tasked the bank to set targets that are more ambitious in terms of women who get into leadership and not just at the directors and vice presidents levels but also leadership coming from below.

He said there were a lot of opportunities to partner with people doing gender equity work for the benefit of employees and all customers.

On her part, the Absa Bank Tanzania’s Director of Legal and Compliance Irene Giattas, said the bank’s women Redskirt platform is trying to solve issues around women health and economic issues.

Themed around ‘digital and technological inventions,’ the platform, Ms Giattas said ensures that it remains relevant by looking at how women can benefit from it both economically and socially.

She acknowledged the bank for taking an active approach to support women agenda by providing them with technical and professional skills that provides capacity for women at the bank.

“We want to create a social network among women within the bank to be able to share problems, ideas and also socialize at all levels without wearing our corporate hats,” she said.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Directors in Tanzania(IoDT) Said Kambi who was the guest of honor at the Women event, Tanzania need to do away with the digital gender divide if the country is to progress.

“As women celebrate their day, they need to realise that they have come along way,” he said.

Mr Kambi cautioned that if things do not change at the needed speed, it will take 365 years according to him for women to catch up with men, saying this was injustice.

According to him, just as there were human rights, men need to start looking at the gender divide as the rights for women especially on technological divide as their enabler, that helps them to make choices women in Tanzania were at 50 percent behind when it comes to technology connectivity services than men.

“We need to look at women financial dependency, and both include them in digital economy, technology and internet access as these are taken as women enabler,” he said.

He also pointed at issues of culture saying women needed to be promoted in businesses and financial gains and not left to raise children and manage house chores.

He acknowledged the bank’s Managing Director Abdi Mohamed for helping to shape and mentor women in various positions within the bank.