Juggling work and family is no obstacle for ambitious female banker

By ANN ZULU

THE notion of being a role model to her three children and to excel in the male-dominated banking field is what drives 34-year-old client analyst Chuma Chabala.

Stanbic Bank client analyst Chuma Chabala receives the best student award at the recent Zambia Institute of Banking and Financial Services (ZIBFS) 16th graduation ceremony.

Mrs Chabala, who works in the Stanbic Bank’s corporate and investment banking unit, says it is important for women to know that they can have a “big goal” career-wise and achieve it while looking after their families.

“I encourage fellow women to strive to constantly improve themselves professionally by exposing themselves to programmes that can help them develop their careers,” she says.

“It becomes easier when you get started with something than when you keep procrastinating because you may never fully know what potential you have.”

Mrs Chabala delicately juggles time as a client analyst in one of the busiest Lusaka banks, which involves client relationship management and research, and looking after her three children aged six, four and one.

Mixing motherhood with a demanding career requires a careful balancing act, and for Chuma this has been helped by her optimistic, problem-solving disposition – an ability to get through things even when they seem impossible.

“You just have to make time for things you deem important in life as time waits for no one, while ensuring your family is not neglected at the same time,” she says.

Recently, she had added studies to her already packed schedule and she excelled with flying colours.

Mrs Chabala was presented with the best student award at the Zambia Institute of Banking and Financial Services (ZIBFS) 16th graduation ceremony held on February18, 2017.

Her new qualifications add to the Bachelor of Science degree in computer science she obtained from the Copperbelt University.

“I had to balance time for work, study and family by being disciplined with the way I managed my time. I had to deliberately set time to be with my family and attend to my school, and stick to the times I had set. This worked for me and that is how I managed to balance it all up,” she says.

In between her busy schedules, she still found spare time for her hobbies of reading, baking and watching movies.

If nothing else, Mrs Chabala’s desire to live her dream of standing out in a sector that has for a long time been dominated by men adds more fuel to her ambition.

“I want to be a woman of excellence hence the need to advance my studies and do my best in my position at work,” says Mrs Chabala who has been with Stanbic Bank since 2006.

“My ambition to become a more valuable employee of the bank is what gave me the drive to embark on the programme I studied and to excel by being the overall best student. I had to make time despite a busy schedule of a demanding job and family life,” she said.

She’s in a good place, too, working for a bank that recognises the achievement of women.

Last year Stanbic Bank set a goal of attaining the 50-50 gender equality, which has seen most of departments in the bank being headed by women.

In October 2016, the bank held its annual Blue Diamond celebration of women bankers that brought together all its women employees from across the country with the aim of mentoring, networking and dealing with the challenges women face within the bank across the country.

Recently, the bank was recognised for supporting women entrepreneurs in Zambia by the African Women's Entrepreneurship Programme (AWEP) Pan-Africa.

Inaugurated in 2011 and registered in June 2016, AWEP Pan-Africa seeks to take advantage of the offerings of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) including enabling a range of duty-free products to enter the US market.

Its central thrust is to enable African women and men to participate in the American market, using regional linkages, policies and strategies.

Young Women at risk ….as HIV/AIDs remains ‘epidemic of females’.

By ANN ZULU

SINCE the start of the global HIV epidemic, women in Zambia have continued to be at a much higher risk of infection than men.

Young women and adolescent girls in particular account for a disproportionate number of new HIV infections among young people living with HIV.

According to Zambia's most recent demographic and health survey, the country’s overall HIV prevalence rate is 14 percent, with women at the forefront.

The survey further indicates that women between 15 and 49 years have an infection rate of 16 percent, while men in that age range have 12 percent.

But why are women particularly at risk of HIV?

Gender activist Gladys Mutukwa said gender inequality was one of the major factors contributing to the higher number of women infected with HIV in the country.

Ms Mutukwa noted that the vice had continued to prevent many women, particularly young women, from protecting themselves against HIV.

She explained that majority of women, whether in marriage or relationships, had no say on sexual related issues because societal norms requires them to be submissive to their partners.

“Our society expects women to be loyal to their partners even if they are in an abusive relationship or their partner is engaged in unprotected extramarital sex,” Ms Mutukwa said.

She adds that low economic and social status also left women more vulnerable to infection than their male counterparts.

“When you look at the economic position of women, it’s very low. Most women find themselves totally dependent on their male partner and that tends to limit their negotiating power in terms of safer sex,” she said.

National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) executive director Aaron Chansa believes that lack of access to education was also contributing to the high risk of HIV infection rate among young women.

He said education attainment was higher among young men than young women; therefore men were more likely to be exposed to HIV education.

“As many girls drop out of school, their male peers are more likely to access comprehensive sex education and this eventually helps them to be aware of HIV and how to negotiate relationships. So it is crucial that access to education is scaled up for women,” he said.

And Coalition of Zambian Women Living with HIV/AIDS (COZWHA) representative Stella Chinkuli cited lack of access to healthcare services as another factor contributing to the high number young women getting infected with HIV in Zambia.

Ms Chinkuli said women face significant barriers to accessing healthcare services.

She observed that youth-friendly Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and HIV services were inadequate in the country.

“Lack of access to comprehensive HIV and SRH services mean that women are less able to look after their sexual health and reduce their risk of HIV infection,” Ms Chinkuli said.

She said stigma and discrimination by some healthcare professionals also created additional barriers.

“Judgmental attitudes of healthcare professionals around youth sexuality can result in the denial of healthcare services, while others are coerced into using them,” she said.

However, there may be light at the end of the tunnel of discrimination and stigma for women and HIV.

Despite the challenges there is new hope for young women in Zambia as efforts are being made by Government and various stakeholders to reduce HIV infection rate among young women.

In 2015, Government enacted the Gender Equality and Equity Bill which has become law aimed at changing the unequal structure of society. The law is intended to stop women being disproportionately affected by HIV.

The Ministry of Gender has taken the lead in ensuring that the law is fully implemented and has come up with various programmes aimed promoting girl child education and gender equality and women empowerment.

“If women are given equal space in society, educated and empowered, their chances of acquiring HIV automatically reduce because they will be able to protect themselves against infection. Government has put in place various programmes to protect women’s rights which include their reproductive health,” says Gender Minister Victoria Kalima.

And Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said Government was aware of the inadequate sexual reproductive health care services in Zambia.

In his recent ministerial statement to Parliament on HIV/AIDS, Dr Chilufya said Government had partnered with other stakeholders in ensuring women’s access to SRH and treatment services.

The response to reducing HIV infections among young women is all-embracing and non-governmental organisations have not been left out.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), Coalition of Zambian Women Living with HIV/AIDS (COZWHA) and Network of the Zambian People living with HIV/AIDS (NZP+) have also teamed up to strengthen HIV health services delivery, education and awareness programmes for women and girls.

AHF national medical director Brigadier General Lawson Simapuka feared that without early interventions to address the challenge of high infection rate among young women, a new window for another HIV epidemic might open.

Brig. Gen Simapuka said his organisation together with the other two organisations were offering financial and other forms of support for various progressive interventions such as information dissemination, HIV testing, sensitization, condom distribution and drama, among others.

“We are targeting to reach adolescent girls aged between 10 and 19, young women between 19 and 24 and other women that are both living with HIV and those that test negative by sensitizing them on HIV testing, treatment and prevention,” he said.

Even though such efforts are being made, HIV unfortunately still remains an epidemic of women and more need to be done to address the situation.

Mulenga: Extraordinary banker Woman with passion to mentor other women

By ANN ZULU

WOMEN have great potential to contribute to Zambia’s economic growth, says Barclays Bank Zambia retail and business banking director, Regina Mulenga.

Ms Mulenga believes that women could make Zambia a better place if they became bold for change and took advantage of every opportunity available.

She told this reporter that women too could make it in any field just as their male counterparts.

“Women have great potential as contributors to our country’s economic growth and as such, they shouldn’t look down on themselves. All that is needed is for them to stay focused on their ambitions,” she said.

Ms Mulenga has over 25 years wide and diverse banking experience, covering both commercial and merchant banking with prime financial institutions in key areas of banking such as finance, credit, transactional, corporate and business locally and internationally.

She started her career at Citibank Zambia in 1990 as financial control assistant and in less than two years moved on to higher responsibilities which eventually saw her take a Southern African regional role at HSBC as marketing manager, overseeing trade finance and investment banking opportunities in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.  

She first joined Barclays Bank Zambia Plc in 2001 where she served as head of trade and cash management, head of operations and SMEs until 2010, and later joined Standard Chartered Bank Zambia as general manager SME. She then re-joined Barclays as business banking director in 2014, a position she held until her appointment as retail and business banking director in 2016.

Ms Mulenga has served on several boards, contributing in a number of national initiatives such as privatisation, Citizens Economic Empowerment Framework, and Amended Agricultural Policy and Act as it relates to easing access to finance for the small scale farmers and the National Scientific and Industrial Research Policy.

Last year, she was appointed as the Diversity and Inclusion champion for Zambia and is passionate about bringing the best out of people.

Barclays Bank Zambia Plc launched the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) initiative during the International Women’s Day celebrations in 2008 as a way of harnessing different cultures and creating a positive working environment which accords all employees an equal opportunity to aspire, attain and excel in leadership positions.

Under the D&I initiative, Barclays has committed to enhancing gender diversity around recruitment, promotion and improving work-life balance for its workforce.  The bank also runs a Local Women in Leadership Programme (LWLP) that aims at providing support and mentorship to upcoming women who aspire to hold top positions.

Ms Mulenga attributed her success to having a positive attitude, maintaining a good work-life balance and being passionate about whatever task was at hand. 

“I believes in being bold for change and as a family woman, I am passionate about developing people through mentorship,” she said.

She said Barclays Bank had made efforts in encouraging female employees to stay focused on their ambitions by offering them the needed support through mentorship and leadership training.

“At Barclays, we believe in creating shared value which ultimately translates into inclusive growth.  The bank’s ambition, through our Diversity and Inclusion platform, is to maintain an environment that will afford all employees regardless of gender an opportunity to grow their potential to excel in leadership positions.

 “We have made strides to ensure that women are included and represented at all employment levels,” she said.

She called on the womenfolk to be bold for change and take advantage of entrepreneurship and career initiatives so that the 2030 gender parity could be attained.

A begging partnership …………………..The harsh reality of life for a little girl on Lusaka streets

By ANN ZULU

TISA Nkhoma, 15, is one of the children living on the streets of Lusaka - who do everything they can to survive - from stealing, carrying loads for a small fee and begging.

They also wipe car windows and make a little more money through the age-old practice of prostitution.

She has been living on the streets for the past two years after she lost her mother, and her father married another woman who allegedly mistreated her.

“I decided to live in the street when my mother died because my father married another woman who used to beat me. One day, she threatened to kill me, so I decided to leave the house,” Tisa said.

She told the Daily Nation that she holds the hand of “Mama Zerosi”, a blind woman in her 50s and begs for money through car windows for survival.

But Tisa is not in any way related to Mama Zerosi, they are just ‘‘business’’ partners.

She poses as the daughter of the blind woman to earn the sympathy of potential donors.

Though Tisa is young, she is an expert at her job as she has been in the begging business for almost a year now.

She said her friend introduced her to Mama Zerosi and they have been in partnership for three months now.

“My friend introduced me to Mama Zerosi and I have been begging with her for the past three months. It is scary moving in traffic but would you rather go hungry? We make more money begging with blind people than we do on our own,” said Tisa.

She said on a good day, they make up to K100 and the money is split between the two, with her getting 40 percent.

“Our agreement is that I get 40 percent of the money made on a particular day. For example, if we make K100, I get K40, while she gets K60,” she said.

And Mama Zerosi said she has had no problems working with Tisa so far and that she trusted her.

She said her family is in Mumbwa and she was motivated to come to Lusaka by her friends, who had good stories to tell about begging in the city.

“Finding a child to beg with me is not difficult, but finding one you can trust because many of them are fond of hiding the money. But so far I have never had any problems working with Tisa,” she said.

The situation of children begging on the streets is much more complicated than most Zambians think.

Though many people are used to seeing them, their situation is a flagrant violation of human rights, as guaranteed under the Children’s Act.

The growing number of children in the streets in Zambia is worrisome and the situation is likely to worsen if no strong measures are taken to address the problem.

Although there is no recent official figure on the number of street children in Zambia, a national survey indicates that the number of street children in Zambia almost doubled in 1991 and 2004.

Some children are pushed onto the streets following the death of their parents while others are running away from violence at home. Others live on the street simply because their families are too poor to look after them.

Others enjoy the freedom of the street where there are no holds barred.

The rains, the cold and the hot sun of the street come and go every year, but the streets remain home to these children and very little has been done to help them improve their quality of life.

This is the harsh reality of Zambia today.

I feel privileged that I get to ask questions and tell stories for a living………..

Name: Annie Zulu

Occupation: Journalist

Favourite Quote: "When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful."

Annie Zulu is Zambian Journalist working with the Zambia Daily Nation where she reports on Politics, Gender and Health.

Her passion lies in telling under-reported stories and going wherever they take her. She’s told stories from across Zambia and beyond.

Apart from writing for the Daily Nation, Annie also writes for a blog ‘The Community Vuvuzela annzulu1.blogspot.com focusing mainly on gender issues and issues affecting people in communities.

She is currently living in Lusaka but originally come from Kitwe and she has a college diploma in Journalism.

Annie loves her job so much and feels privileged that she gets to ask questions and tell stories for a living.