| |
| | | | Ignore the titles. This is who you should meet. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| There is a version of success we are often shown. It is polished. Linear. Certain. It tells us that the people who make it always knew they would, that they walked into every room with confidence, that they never doubted their place. But that version is incomplete.
Because behind many women’s journeys, especially those shaping communities, influencing systems, and redefining leadership, is a quieter, more complex story. One filled with uncertainty, with moments of being overlooked, with internal battles that no one sees. And still, despite all of that, they show up. They lead. They build. They challenge. They stay.
This Women’s Month, we move beyond surface-level celebration and sit with something deeper: the lived experiences of women who are navigating real systems, real barriers, and real expectations and choosing, every day, not to shrink within them.
These are women working in development, governance, community transformation, and global spaces. Women whose impact stretches from rural communities to international platforms. Women who understand that leadership is not just about position, but about influence, responsibility, and the courage to keep going when it would be easier not to.
Engwase Mwale: The long arc of leadership Some careers are built on opportunity. Others are built on decision. Engwase Mwale’s journey reflects the latter. |
|
| In 2005, she made a deliberate choice to leave the private sector and step into a role that would place her at the centre of Zambia’s gender and governance landscape. As Executive Director of NGOCC, she entered a space that demanded not just technical skill, but vision, resilience, and the ability to lead within complex systems.
She was young. She was ambitious. And she was stepping into rooms where many had far more experience, and where many of those voices were male.
The sense of inadequacy she felt at times was real. But so was the support she received. Mentorship became a defining force in her journey. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Women who saw her potential, who guided her, who challenged her, and who reminded her that leadership is not about fitting in, it is about standing firm in who you are.
Over the years, her work has spanned advocacy, public service, and national leadership, culminating in her appointment as a Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission in Zambia. But beyond titles, what stands out most is the consistency of her values - Integrity. Accountability. Responsibility. Hard work.
For her, leadership is not about where you start. It is about how you show up, and what you choose to stand for.
Her message to the younger girl out there “In life we are never defined by our background and indeed circumstances - we become what we aspire to be. We must always remember that our childhood and adolescence is but a part of our story of life. My advice to the younger girl aspiring for leadership: stand up and be counted for what you want to be, work hard, resolve to move forward and pave a path for your strong winning self with the confidence and assertiveness to take bold steps to conquer and thrive. Being female comes with societal perceptions of being caring, loyal and nurturing. However, one needs to transition to a level of consciousness where self must matter most - without denying oneself for others.”
Tania Cheung: Redefining what achievement looks like There is a pressure, especially for high-performing women, to be able to point to a single defining achievement. to summarise success into one neat, impressive moment. Tania Cheung resists that idea. For her, success is not a single peak. It is a series of beginnings. The first time she saw her name in print. The first time she authored a research report. The first time she led a campaign, shaped a narrative, or drove a programme that shifted power to local actors. Each of these moments mattered, not because they were grand, but because they marked growth. Because they represented movement. Because they showed her, in real time, what she was capable of becoming. |
|
|
Working within the humanitarian and development sector, Tania operates in a space that is often described as “female-dominated.” And yet, leadership structures within that same space tell a different story, one where decision-making power is still disproportionately held by men. It is within this contradiction that she has had to define her voice.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| One of the strategies that has stayed with her is “amplification” - a deliberate, collective act where women ensure that each other’s contributions are acknowledged, repeated and credited. It is subtle, but it disrupts patterns that have long gone unquestioned.
But beyond strategies, Tania’s journey has been deeply internal. Navigating imposter syndrome. Learning to recognise her own value. Practicing self-kindness in a world that often demands constant proof. Because without that internal work, external success can feel fragile.
With it, however, comes something far more powerful: conviction. The ability to speak. not just to be heard, but to stand firmly in what you believe.
Her message to a younger girl: “I don’t shine if you don’t shine. Let’s not see another woman’s success as competition. Instead, supporting other incredible women helps us shine. There isn’t a finite amount of achievement in the world. At the same time, living by this mantra is hard if you don’t truly know yourself and your worth. If we don’t see our own value, it’s hard to expect others to - or even to believe it when they do. Over the years I’ve worked on being kinder to myself, overcoming recurring bouts of imposter syndrome and finding real strength in my own opinions and thoughts. And in doing so, I find I can speak louder, with more strength of conviction, in order to stand up for what I truly believe.”
Ayesha Farah: Learning to Claim Space For Ayesha Farah, the journey to one of her most defining moments did not begin with certainty. It began with a dream.
For years, the idea of working within global systems, particularly spaces like the United Nations, felt distant. Not impossible, but undefined. She did not know what role she would play, only that she wanted to contribute to something bigger than herself. That vision became real when she was shortlisted for an international development challenge in New York.
At the United Nations headquarters, surrounded by high-performing peers and presenting to senior officials, she came face to face with a reality many high-achieving women experience but rarely talk about openly: the feeling of not being enough. |
|
| “I often felt like the least qualified person in the room.”
That feeling could have silenced her. It could have made her step back, shrink, or disengage.
But it didn’t. Instead, she leaned into something quieter but more powerful than confidence, belief.
Belief that she had something to say. Belief that her perspective mattered. Belief that she belonged, even before she fully felt it. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Standing at that podium was not just about delivering a presentation. It was about rewriting an internal narrative. Her experience in professional spaces has only reinforced how necessary that internal shift is. In rooms where women are still interrupted, overlooked, or misrepresented, Ayesha has seen how easily voices can be diminished.
But she has also seen what happens when women refuse to let that stand. Through allyship, through intentional support, through something as simple—and powerful—as ensuring another woman’s idea is heard and credited, the dynamic begins to shift.
For her, leadership is not just about personal advancement. It is about responsibility and about leaving every space more open, more aware, and more equitable than you found it.
Her message to a younger girl: “Be bold and be unapologetically yourself. Authenticity is powerful and contagious. When you show up as your true self, you give others permission to do the same. Don’t wait for someone to tell you that you belong in the room—trust that your voice, your ideas, and your perspective matter. And as you move forward, remember that success is rarely a solo journey. The strongest leaders are those who build communities around them and bring others along. So as you climb, leave the door wide open for other women. Support them, celebrate them, and stand beside them. Because the truth is, behind every successful woman is a tribe of other women who believed in her, encouraged her, and had her back.”
Racheal Mwila: When impact outlives you In development work, it is easy to measure success in outputs. That usually comes in form of projects completed, funds disbursed and targets met. But for Racheal Mwila, the real measure of impact is far less immediate, and far more meaningful. It is what happens after you leave.
Her work with the Namanongo community began with a clear, practical need: access to a hammer mill. But what followed was not just the delivery of a solution, it was the activation of a community. People came together, they build, contributed and took ownership. |
|
| | Years later, when she returned, she did not find a static intervention. She found growth. Expansion. Initiative.
A grocery shop had been added. A borehole had been sunk. The community had continued, independently, to invest in itself.
That is the kind of impact that cannot be forced. It has to be built with people, not for them.
And it is this same philosophy that Racheal carries into professional spaces where she is often one of few women at the table.
Rather than waiting to be recognised, she claims her place. Not arrogantly. Not defensively. But with clarity.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| “The world will not create space for you - you have to make that space for yourself. Believe in who you are, step into every room with confidence, and remember that you have earned your place. The world needs you to make a difference, but that impact will only happen when you believe in your ability to create it. And remember, you are enough!”
Sarah Haloba: Becoming, one day at a time For Sarah Haloba, impact is both deeply personal and broadly systemic.
Her contribution to Zambia’s national biodiversity conservation targets placed her at the intersection of local realities and global commitments, ensuring that community voices were not just included, but embedded in decision-making processes that shape the future of natural resource management.
It was a moment that affirmed something she already believed: that grassroots work matters. That communities are not passive beneficiaries but active agents of change. But her journey, like many others, has not been without internal battles. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Entering male-dominated spaces brought intimidation. Doubt. The quiet question of whether she was enough.
And each day, she made a choice. To rise anyway. To speak anyway. To show up anyway. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | As a mother, that choice carries added weight. Because leadership, for her, is not just about personal achievement, it is about example.
It is about what the next generation sees and believes is possible. Her message to a younger girl: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Her message to a younger girl “Choose yourself, love yourself, and be kind to yourself. Wake up every day determined to keep going. Work hard and never be afraid to speak up, because your voice matters.
Wear confidence every day - even when you do not feel it. Walk with it until it becomes part of you. Most importantly, live your life knowing that you are doing your best. If you fall, that is okay. Rise again, because tomorrow is another opportunity to try. And remember, it is always okay to ask for help.”
Catherine Soneni Daka: Building More Than Numbers For Catherine Soneni Daka, leadership has not been defined by a single moment, but by a steady, deliberate progression.
She began her career at the most foundational level, as a finance assistant. Over more than a decade, she has grown through middle management into her current role as Head of Finance at the Zambian Governance Foundation.
But for her, the real achievement lies beyond progression.
“My proudest accomplishment is not just career progression, but the ability to use finance as a tool to drive progressive organisation-wide financial management practices,” she explains. “The defining achievement in this journey has been building finance functions not just focused on bookkeeping and reporting, but as trusted partners to staff, management and the board.” |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | In redefining finance in this way, she has positioned it as a function that shapes decisions, strengthens accountability, and contributes to organisational direction.
Her work reflects a deeper understanding that leadership in finance is not only technical, but also strategic and relational.
Her journey into leadership spaces has required her to navigate assumptions about what finance is and who it belongs to.
“Early in my career, I focused on mastering the technical fundamentals, ensuring my work was accurate, timely, and defensible,” she says. “But what truly helped me grow was going beyond the numbers, translating financial data into insights and telling the story behind the figures.” |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| That shift allowed her to find her voice. By challenging the idea that finance is purely technical or inherently male-dominated, she reshaped how she approached her role and how others perceived her. Over time, consistency became her strongest form of influence. Results spoke, and trust followed.
Importantly, she has done this without compromising her identity or leadership style. “I don’t feel the need to adopt a more aggressive or traditionally dominant style to fit in,” she notes. Beyond her own growth, Catherine places equal value on the growth of others. Mentoring and developing her team has been central to her leadership approach, creating a culture grounded in accountability, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
Her message to the next generation is both practical and empowering “You don’t have to fit a mould to succeed. Define your own path. What matters most is curiosity, discipline, and the willingness to keep learning,” she says. She encourages young women to embrace both technical and soft skills, to understand not just the numbers, but the meaning behind them, and to remain consistent even in moments of doubt.
“Confidence doesn’t always come first. Often, it comes after you’ve shown up consistently,” she adds. “And remember, your presence in these spaces matters, not just for your own success, but for every other young girl who will one day look at you and think, ‘If she did it, so can I.’” Her journey reflects something deeper than success. It reflects becoming.
The thread that connects them If you look closely, the connection between these women is not just what they have achieved. But how they have achieved it.
Through doubt - but not defeat. Through barriers - but not limitation. Through systems - but not silence.
They do not present a perfect picture of success. They present a real one. One where confidence is built over time. Where belonging is sometimes claimed before it is felt. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | | | As Zambia Pushes New Mining, a Legacy of Pollution Looms
|
|
|
Zambia is expanding development of its rich deposits of critical minerals, which are needed for the global shift to renewables. But poisoning from past mining and a huge toxic spill at a mine site are raising fears that new wealth will come at a high cost for people and the environment. David Mwape has spent 24 years working as a teacher in Kabwe, in central Zambia, where his students grow up in one of the planet’s most polluted cities, exposed to a neurotoxin that can permanently damage their mental development and physical health.
On the playground, children in bright red uniforms shout, hula-hoop, and climb on a rusted slide less than half a mile from what was once one of the world’s largest lead and zinc mines. The Broken Hill mine and smelter opened in 1906 and shut down in 1994, but the site was never properly cleaned up. Its estimated 6.4 million tons of lead-bearing waste continues to pollute the city today.
From his classroom, Mwape sees firsthand how this contamination continues to shape the lives of Kabwe’s youngest residents, 95 percent of whom have been documented to have blood lead levels far above what the World Health Organization says is safe. “We have children who are sick [with lead poisoning],” he said. Sometimes students “forget what the teacher is teaching,” he added. “Sometimes they even sleep in class. Concentration is not good.” Read more here (Credit: (YaleE360) |
|
| | | | | 2026 Shifting the Power Zambia Debates The Zambian Governance Foundation (ZGF), Star-Ghana Foundation, and Tilitonse Foundation are pleased to announce Shifting the Power Pan-African Debates Grand Finale. where the country’s young people will go head-to-head, tackling some of the continent’s most pressing conversations - decolonising aid, power and local leadership.
Competing Universities: - Copperbelt University -Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources - University of Ghana
Venue: Accra, Ghana |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | | |
|
|
|
|
U.S. considers withholding H.I.V. Aid unless Zambia expands minerals access. Read more here (New York Times )
Zambia’s draft memorandum of understanding with the U.S. government: What do we know? . Read more here (Health Gap)
Aspiring female Zambian politicians were asked for sexual favours, official says. Read more here (BBC)
Zambia moves to enshrine free education policy in law. Read more here (APA News)
Delimitation consensus must be gender -inclusive- - ECZ. Read more here (Diamond TV )
Muchinga stakeholders call for inclusive delimitation. Read more here (ZNBC Today)
Govt approves 24-hour economy, urges the media to prep citizens for fuel price increase. Read more here (News Diggers)
Hichilema holds talks with oil companies to address impact of Middle East crisis on economy. Read more here (Zambia Monitor)
21 suspected illegal immigrants found confined in Lusaka house. Read more here (Prime Television)
Aid, minerals and sovereignty: Zambia must choose partnership, not pressure. Read more here (Lusaka Times )
Women’s absence at Muchinga sitting irks Zaloumis. Read more here (Zambia Daily Mail)
Northern province proposes 13 new constituencies. Read more here (News Diggers)
Kasune urges citizens to demand accountability. Read more here (ZNBC Today)
Kabesha outlines constitution amendment process. Read more here (Lusaka Times)
UK to focus reduced aid budget on conflict-hit countries, cuts funding for Africa. Read more here (Reuters)
The global winners and losers of the war in Iran. Read more here (BBC)
Health profession regulators agree on education quality standards in Africa. Read more here (WHO)
UK reveals aid priorities after major cuts to budget. Read more here (News on Air)
Philanthropic responsibility at a time of social emergency. Read more here (Times of Israel) |
|
| |
News from Civil Society
Sex for adoption vice irks NGOCC
Non- Governmental Gender Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) is concerned about the recent revelation that some female aspiring candidate are being asked for sexual favours in exchange for the adoption ahead of the August 13 general elections. Read more here (Zambia Dialy Mail, 20 March 2026) |
|
| |
Climate Change & Environment
Africa’s health systems must confront climate change as a critical health crisis. Read more here (Health Policy watch)
EU must stop banned chemicals being sold to Africa, judge urges MEPs. Read more here (EU observer)
UK cuts support for climate action abroad to fund military instead. Read more here (Climate Home News) |
|
| | | |
Copperbelt University emerges as winner in STP Debate
Copperbelt University (CBU) has emerged as the winner of the Shifting the Power (STP) Debates, demonstrating outstanding critical thinking, teamwork and powerful arguments on community-led development. By winning the national debate, Copperbelt University will now proudly represent Zambia at the Pan-African STP Grand Finale in Ghana, where they will face off against the debate champions from Malawi and Ghana for the title of Grand STP Debate Champions. We wish the team the very best as they take Zambia’s voice to the continental stage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | | Grant Youth Empowerment Fund (YEF), a partnership between the European Union (EU) and the Global Youth Mobilization (GYM), an initiative of the Big Six Youth Organisations (Big Six), provides direct financial support for youth-led initiatives focusing on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at the local level.. Read more here
Programme
The Africa Research Excellence Fund is requesting applications for its Essential Grant-Writing Skills Programme to strengthen the health research capacity of scientists in Africa who are engaged in tackling the sub-region’s significant health challenges.. Read more here |
|
| | | | | Beyond Irrigation: Turning Sunlight into Supper for Kenya’s Women and Farmers n 2026, Africa stands at a defining moment. A convergence of global and domestic forces has placed the region’s economic trajectory at a crossroads. The continent is poised to experience the world’s fastest labor force expansion: a net increase of roughly 740 million working-age people by 2050, with 12 million young Africans entering the labor market each year—compared with only 3 million new formal wage jobs. At the same time, foreign aid, historically the region’s primary source of concessional finance, is undergoing an unprecedented contraction. This decline comes just as Africa’s capital Read more here |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
