East and Southern Africa: Unions strengthen women leadership

During the BWI & 3F online Women’s Leadership Development Workshop held on 30-321 October, 22 women trade union leaders, including 9 youth participants, underwent training on diverse leadership styles and principles. The program addressed the significant challenges confronted by women leaders and provided strategies for securing and sustaining leadership positions within trade union organisations.

Through collaborative teamwork sessions, participants from the Southern Africa Construction Network (SACONET) and two BWI affiliates from Kenya (KUPRIPUPA and KBCTFIEU) shared their “leadership journeys," encompassing individual, organisational, and political experiences. Additionally, participants formulated their identities and developed leadership action plans beyond October 2023.

“It is not about young women workers overtaking the seasoned leaders. It is about seasoned leaders mentoring the leaders of tomorrow and capacitating them to transition to strategic positions of leadership for them to take over when we retire”, said Dr. Fozert Mugabe, BWI Africa and Middle East Regional Women’s Committee Chairperson and Deputy General Secretary of ZCATWU, Zimbabwe.  

A noteworthy outcome of the workshop was the inception of the BWI & 3F Women’s Leadership Mentorship Network. The initiative aims to establish mentor/mentee relationships between seasoned and young female leaders in Southern and East Africa. As the initiative progresses, the network is expected to expand its reach to encompass women unionists and leaders in West Africa and the Middle East.