The second annual LadiesFirst Summit for Women in Leadership will be held on January 19th at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel. The event is presented by the Miss Uganda North America Leadership Program and features motivational speakers, special guests, panels, and fun learning activities. The 2019 edition of LadiesFirst! will be a full day event, starting at 9 am and ending at 7 pm, in response to the overwhelming demand for more space and more time at the 2018 edition.
Prof. Maggie Kigozi delivering the keynote speech at LadiesFirst!2018
Currently confirmed speakers and panelists at the event include: Deedan Muyira (event host), Reach A Hand CEO Humphrey Nabimanya, South African Airways Country MD Yogi Biriggwa, Malengo Foundation founder Michelle Omamteker, Clear Your Mind CEO Elizabeth Kasujja and Miss Uganda North America President Tibba Murungi Kabugu among other new and returning speakers. There will also be some entertainment, featuring Uganda’s rising star Kenneth Mugabi.
The LadiesFirst! Summit for Women in Leadership is the last event on 2019 Miss Uganda North America’s Cares Tour of Uganda calendar. It is a one-of-a-kind space for Ugandan society to have constructive dialogue on important issues affecting women on their leadership journey – at home, at work and in business. This year’s summit is inspired by the 2018 World Bank Report on Women, Business and the Law, which finds that East African women have essentially zero legal barriers to business and employment but still lag hugely behind men in entrepreneurship and C-level executive jobs due to social barriers – including cultural mindsets, inadequate mentorships and lack of access to credit – and inadequate proactive legal protection for equal rights. The conversations at LadiesFirst!2019 will cut across various areas, including entrepreneurship, employment, wealth management, family and relationships, and will explore existing and potential solutions to the above barriers.
There are a number of improvements from LadiesFirst!2018. All attendees will receive a two-year membership in the Diaspora African Women’s Network (DAWN) – which will be launched at the event. DAWN is a new mentorship and collaboration network between African women living in various parts of the world. The panel discussions will be longer to foster more complete conversations. The event will also feature a buffet lunch and an evening networking social.
50 women attended the invitation-only launch of LadiesFirst!2019 on November 3rd, 2018, where Zziwa Hair Studio awarded gift bags with beauty products. 300 women are expected for the 2019 event as we aim to turn a page on the way society talks – or fails to talk – about women and leadership. The program has been boosted by sponsorships from NTV and Capital FM as media partners, and Sheraton Kampala Hotel as official host. These developments position LadiesFirst! to expand to other East African cities by 2020.
