KCB Bank Rwanda hosted a dinner at Park Inn by Radisson Hotel for its entire female staff in honor of International Women’s Day after a week-long Hear-Her-Roar’ campaign on gender balance and women empowerment.
Dressed elegantly, all the female staff based in Kigali and from different KCB branches in Rwanda came together to celebrate International Women’s Day and were treated to music from renowned artist Andy Bumuntu.
The event began with a role playing exercise where different staff members in groups of ten discussed different roles that influence positive change at their place of work.
Later a few staff members were chosen to be on the panel to share their career experiences in their different roles. The panelists also attempted to answer various questions posed to them from the female staff present regarding their influence in policy change and how it affects gender.
KCB Board Director, Antonia Mutoro, who was among the panelists, called upon the female staff to always be an example to the people they lead and to always build trust at their places of work.
"To me the most important thing that we can do as women is to build trust in order to inspire others and to be an example and a role model. If you want the people you lead to have integrity, you must have the moral authority to ask that of them and be an example as someone with integrity,” said Mutoro.
Other panelists like Laura Uwase, Corporate Relations Manager, said it is natural that women have to work hard because of the way the world is. "As women we have so many responsibilities that we have to take care of in spite of our work. It is expected of us to make sure things are going well back home and still carry out our duties with no excuse whatsoever.”
KCBR Head of Human Resources, Katherine Turinawe, shared her experience of having an all women team in her department at the bank. "Having an all-female team makes me better as a female leader because the team is very strong and assertive and in order to lead them, you have to be stronger and nothing less. Sometimes, people look at women with a lower expectation of what they can achieve so in my team I have to make sure that nobody feels like they can get away with not doing their best,” she explained.
The ‘Hear-Her-Roar’ campaign which was rolled out in all KCB Group subsidiaries highlighted the Bank’s commitment towards gender equality and inclusion. KCB Group PLC is keen to deepen its focus towards the women agenda in the coming years for a gender balanced world.
The highlight of the ‘Hear Her Roar’ campaign has seen the Bank temporarily refresh its corporate logo from a Lion to a Lioness, marking a significant turning point in the advocacy for more gender inclusion in the region’s financial services sector.
During the week, staff from KCB Bank Rwanda shared women empowering quotes on their social media to kick start the campaign. "It is everyone’s responsibility to create a gender-balanced community. Give women equal opportunity and everybody wins’ KCBR MD, George Odhiambo, commented on social media.
"My voice is powerful, it enables me to effect change both for myself and those around me. That keeps me roaring, sometimes silently, most times loudly!” the Bank’s Head of Human Resources, Katherine Sempebwa Turinawe, shared on social media under the ‘Hear Her Roar’ theme.
The bank concluded the week-long campaign with a dinner where all the female staff gathered and discussed career plans and how to overcome obstacles in the corporate world. The ladies shared light moments and encouraged one another in becoming bold and fierce in achieving their goals.