Staff Writer
HARARE, WOMEN In Insurance Zimbabwe (WIZ) has moved to promote professionalism and support the growing number of women in the insurance industry through a mentorship programme.
The mentorship program launched on Monday was attended by over 60 participants across Africa as it aims to address the lack of accessible mentorship opportunities that many young professionals and university students have faced.
The first session is expected to start next month.
WIZ President Alice Shumba told participants during the virtual meeting the need for structured mentorship within the insurance sector,
‘We are excited to be fulfilling a gap that has been within our industry. The attendance reflects the strong demand from women in insurance who are seeking guidance and support. Today we are doing something that we have promised to do and that is to promote professionalism, ‘she said.
She mentioned that the programme comes as a response to the challenges faced in the market and to emphasise the goal of ensuring equitable access to mentorship opportunities.
Shumba noted that the initiative is also seen as a part of the organisation’s next generation project, which aims to empower young girls from universities as well as early-career insurance professionals.
“We do have the next generation project that we have, where we have our young girls from the universities. We also have young insurance professionals who have joined our industry and they have been asking that they want mentors. Unfortunately sometimes there is a mismatch in knowledge on where to get the mentors, how to get the mentors, what is the mentorship all about, ’she said.
Through the launch of the mentorship program, the organisers hope to provide clarity and distribution of mentorship resources, ultimately empowering women in the insurance industry to achieve greater success and professional development.
Gloria Zvaravanhu speaking during the virtual meeting, emphasised the vital role of mentorship in professional development.
She drew inspiration from Isaac Newton’s famous quote about standing on the shoulders of giants as she encouraged the attendees to seek out experienced mentors who can guide them towards their goals.
‘When we talk about mentorship, we are really talking about that relationship where somebody who is more experienced or more knowledgeable than yourself aspire to work, support ,guide and provides you with their story and experiences so as to develop your skills and help you grow professionally to achieve your goals,’
They can also be professional; they can also be personal. So mentors can cover you on many aspects. But as for the mentorship program for WIZ, we are obviously looking at growing professionally because we are a professional group of women in insurance.
“It is very essential to surround ourselves with individuals who are already where we want to be, who already possess certain things that we want to possess, so that we can be sharpened by them as it is said, ‘iron sharpens iron, ‘she said.
Zvaravanhu mentioned that personal branding and business communication are some of the topics which will be covered during the sessions, among many others.
At the same platform Carol Mbofana encouraged women to view each other as allies rather than competitors.
She shared her own experiences navigating male-dominated industries and the difference that supportive female colleagues had made in her career. She challenged the mentees to actively look for ways to boost each other’s confidence, provide advice and resources, and create opportunities.
