Old Mutual Zimbabwe celebrated Women’s Day by bringing together more that 300 women for the 2020 edition of Old Mutual Limited Women’s Network (OWN) International Women’s Day celebrations in Harare under the theme “Each for Equal.”
Old Mutual Limited Women’s Network is an inclusive network of change agents within the organization whose purpose is to motivate, encourage and inspire women to take ownership of their personal and professional lives through development, learning and growth.
Speaking at the event, guest of honour, TelOne Managing Director, Mrs. Chipo Mtasa implored women to be proactive and take a position on issues.
“Women’s must be visible, and people should feel your presence,” she said.
She added that women must claim their space by being relevant and possess high levels of competency through self-development so as to climb the corporate ladder.
“You must be competent and make yourselves available to grab opportunities that become available, something that men do so well, so we can find our way up,’’ Mrs. Mtasa said.
Mtasa, who celebrated the latest achievements of women in the corporate sector, also said that women should learn to support one another. She mentioned the appointment of women such as Precious Murena-Nyika of Lafarge, Eunice Ganyawu-Magwali from Nestle Zimbabwe, and Total Zimbabwe to the helm of their respective organisations.
OWN aims to bring workplace fulfilment, empower the women of the Old Mutual Limited to connect and make a difference, instilling a sense of compassion, care and community. The belief is that ultimately, an empowered Old Mutual woman will have an impact and add value within the Old Mutual Group first and then in the marketplace and community at large.
Mrs Mtasa further challenged women to help tackle corruption wherever they were by adding the voices against the scourge.
“I implore you women to rise up and do the right thing. We should aim to be the generation of women who made a difference,” she said.
Part of the mandate of OWN is that of providing an environment to appreciate their counterparts and support systems. As part of this, the organisation has embarked on a deliberate programme to uplift women with just over 53% among group executives.
This is a significant growth from the time when Lillian Mbayiwa, the current Head of Group Marketing and Innovation, was the only woman in an executive position.
Through playing a role in winning the war for talent, the group is also working on an initiative for employee to refer talent and get rewarded for it. Other initiatives on the cards that are aimed at empowering women in Old Mutual Zimbabwe is creating more opportunities for exposure and programmes that contribute to their upliftment.
True to the aims of the women’s network, the enrichment, networking and interaction with like-minded women via motivational speakers, will be done more often through mentorship programs, online discussions, and other relevant thought leadership forums.
Old Mutual women also took the opportunity to celebrate individuals who had a positive impact on the uplifting of women in the organisation, among those, the recently retired Chief executive officer, Mr. Jonas Mushosho. The event also celebrated women in the organisation such as Mrs. Elizabeth Muza who has served Old Mutual Zimbabwe continuously for just over 38 years.