Financial Education for women is one of the vital keys for success to harness the huge potential in women for faster economic development in Tanzania and Africa at large, Equity Bank Tanzania’s executive, Ms Betty Kwoko Mgimba, has said.
She spoke at an event in Dar es Salaam (24th April 2021) to celebrate the Top Women In Management Africa (WIMA) award winners for the year 2020, which was attended by leading women executives in both the private and public sector, among them Hon Dr Joyce Ndalichako, the Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training.
Ms Betty, Equity Bank’s Head of Institutional Banking and Customer Experience, and 34 other women emerged as the leading women in management in Tanzania for the year 2020 initially from about 400 women nominations. The list was vetted down to the top 35 though the initial targeted number was 50 but the criteria and qualifications were of high standards.
Speaking on behalf of the top 35 winners, she thanked the organisers for recognising them and said being a woman is a divine position.
The recognition of women in leadership is vital, as it inspires more women and girls to gun for topmost positions at all economic fronts, noted Ms Betty, a leading crusader of a cashless economy for development and improved management of financial matters at personal, entrepreneurial and institutional levels.
“I am both overwhelmed and very humbled. Yes, a bigger percentage of women in management mostly go beyond the call of duty, we usually have to put in twice and sometimes triple the efforts to even be recognised,” she noted. She said there is huge potential in women that need to be harnessed for improved social-economic transformation and impact. “Women at work, in leadership, in growing other leaders, in entrepreneurship and investments need an enabling environment to actualise their potential. And for this to happen, discovering oneself and financial education are vital keys for success. Influencing and growing other women and youth to understand this drives me,” she said about her being among the top 35 awardees.
“I dedicate my award to all women doing something positive to uplift other women and the society at large in Tanzania and Africa as a whole,” noted the veteran banker with an outstanding record, spanning over two decades at various roles related to customer care and relationship management.
According to Ms Naike Mosha, the Chief Executive Director of WIMA Awards, Ms Betty is “A lady who wears many hats yet never forgets to smile.” Ms Naike says the awards celebrate top women and the companies behind them, honour and applaud outstanding leadership, inspiration, vision and innovation. We need more women to advance at the forefront of the economy, she says, and it was important to recognize the torchbearers so that they can encourage more and more girls to chase their dreams.
WIMA’s purpose in this Initiative is to enhance the importance of actively involving women in senior-level roles. WIMA, according to its website, “promote gender parity and encourage female participation in the labour force by honouring professional women in their careers and motivate more women to take leadership roles in the workplace.” The institution seeks “to enhance the importance of actively involving Women in Senior Level roles.”
More about Ms Betty Kwoko
For Ms Betty Kwoko Mgimba, Creating, cultivating and maintaining fruitful relationships is at the heart of her business and life philosophy, and the key to success. She uses her social media platforms, more so her Instagram account @bettykwoko to inspire the masses, to take responsibility for their lives and be determined, among other things. Betty enjoys attending youth and women meetings in their own environment and abodes, encouraging and inspiring them to have a development focus for their lives.
She is a holder of a Bachelor of Commerce in Business Administration (Honors) from the University of Rajasthan, India, and a Diploma in Computer Programming. She is currently pursuing a Postgraduate in Leadership from the Aalto University Executive Education, through Uongozi Institute. She is also a leading Trainer of Trainers (ToT) – ILD Consulting and a member of the Marketing Africa Forum. Four years ago, The African Graduate University awarded her a Masters and Doctorate Honorarium degrees in Business Administration and Financial Management. This was in recognition of her silent efforts in offering financial education to over 2,000 religious sector and public sector stakeholders believing that these have an influence on the masses and would be easier to financially redeem many if the leaders were enlightened concerning financial education.
She is the Head of Institutional Banking and Customer Experience at the Equity Bank Tanzania where she has held several other positions in her 8 years with the institution. Previously she was Asst. Vice President Institutional Banking- Bank M Tanzania, Corporate Relationship Manager- KCB Bank Tanzania Limited as well as Savings and Finance (now NCBA Bank Tanzania).
Betty joined Equity Bank in 2013 and has been instrumental in overseeing different renowned projects which have contributed to taking the bank to higher levels in Institutional relationships, Equity Brand awareness in Tanzania as well as Customer experience.
Ms Betty, Equity Bank’s Head of Institutional Banking and Customer Experience, and 34 other women emerged as the leading women in management in Tanzania for the year 2020 initially from about 400 women nominations. The list was vetted down to the top 35 though the initial targeted number was 50 but the criteria and qualifications were of high standards.