Bankers Association of Malawi (BAM) says putting women in leadership positions should not be an exception but the norm.

BAM chief executive officer Lyness Nkungula said this on Thursday during the third Institute of Bankers Women Conference held virtually under the theme ‘Defining Women in a Dynamic World’.

Former president Joyce Banda

Speaking during conference, whose guest of honour was former president Joyce Banda, she said slowly Malawi is changing the narrative, with many women now holding top leadership positions.

Said Nkungula: “We have our role model here, the former president Joyce Banda, who defied all the odds then to be at the top. We have the BAM vice-president Zandile Shaba who is also the managing director for MyBucks Banking Corporation, a leader in an industry that is characterised by men.

BAM chief executive officer Lyness Nkungula

“We have the Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara, the judges both at High Court and Supreme Court and the endless list of women CEOs and others.”

She said this shows that with determination and perseverance, women are achievers.

“All of this matters and it matters to the quality of our decision-making. It matters to our daughters. 

“It tells them that they can reach the top. It tells them that hard work pays. That they will be judged based on their ideas, their dedication and their talent,” said Nkungula.

Taking her turn, Banda said lack of resources limits a girl’s potential, adding that on her part, she was prepared for leadership at a young age.

“As women leaders, we have yo build the next generations of women leaders even at household level,” she said.

The two-day conference, which has attracted women from diverse backgrounds, provides

a platform for women to interact and share experiences.

Some of the speakers at the conference include MyBuck’s Shaba, Queen Dube, chief of health services in the Ministry of Health, Chikondi Ng’ombe, Bayer Malawi country head, Lorraine Phiri, Nico Group head of marketing and customer experience, Jimmy Lipunga, chief consulting officer at La Vita Nuova Limited and Norah Mpinganjira, an entrepreneur and founder of The Baker, a chain of bakeries and cafes.

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