Alumnae celebrate International Women’s Day with a workshop in Zambia

On March 7, 2025, just ahead of International Women’s Day, eighteen alumnae from Zambia participated in a Women in Leadership (WIL) workshop in Lusaka. The event, themed “Female Leadership in Demanding Times,” was organised by the Australian High Commission to Zambia in collaboration with Australia Awards Africa. The workshop concluded with an alumni reception at the Latitude 15 Degrees Hotel where the chairperson of the Zambian Alumni Association, Ms. Alice Liswaniso, and other members of the association were in attendance.

Dr. Tiza Chipungu, the Australian Honorary Consul to Zambia, opened the workshop and highlighted the recent launch of Australia’s International Gender Equality Strategy. She mentioned the foreword in the strategy by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong: “It is about accelerating progress for everyone — because we know that greater political and economic participation by women makes societies wealthier and more peaceful. Any country that wants to develop fully must encourage the full participation of all its people.” Dr. Chipungu urged the WIL Chapter Zambia to take decisive action and make tangible commitments during the workshop to promote the Chapters objectives.

Ms. Mulenga Kapwepwe, co-founder of The Women’s History Museum, Zambia, and an award-winning playwright and author, spoke about the theme by sharing inspiring stories of female leaders from Zambia’s past who made significant impacts. Ms. Kapwepwe has been a prominent figure in Zambia’s creative industries for over two decades and has served on numerous local and international boards, advisory councils, and committees.

Another speaker, Ms. Norena Chiteba, also known as Lady Norena, founder of KUPES Young Women’s Network, shared her expertise on effective leadership communication. KUPES, a nonprofit organisation, empowers young women from diverse backgrounds by nurturing their leadership potential. Since its inception in 2015 with just nine members, KUPES has grown to serve over 4,000 members. Lady Norena, a specialist in personal branding and leadership, has held several leadership positions in marketing and public relations at prominent private companies.

The second half of the workshop focused on strategies for self-leadership, including Dr. David Rock’s SCARF Model, and the characteristics and best practices of successful nonprofit organisations.

During the final session, the WIL Chapter discussed their plans for 2025, including expanding their involvement with a local school of over 600 learners. They aim to raise funds for a booster water pump, develop a safe boarding facility for female learners, and build additional classrooms to address the school’s current shortage. The delegates committed to all join the existing WhatsApp platform, encourage their peers to join the chapter and mentor young female members of their local communities.

Both the WIL Chapter and the Zambian Alumni Association used the reception to recruit new members among the more than 55 alumni attendees.

Some of the delegates who attended the workshop on 7 March 2025.