Juggling a career and the home
Despite the potential career gains for the working woman, for some, balancing roles has been quite a challenge to their success. With the emancipation of women, many in Uganda have tried to forge careers that provided opportunities for meeting personal, professional and some interpersonal goals.
By Flavia Nakagwa
Despite the potential career gains for the working woman, for some, balancing roles has been quite a challenge to their success. With the emancipation of women, many in Uganda have tried to forge careers that provided opportunities for meeting personal, professional and some interpersonal goals.
While some of the working mothers have sought balance and control of their lives, others have achieved it by working within the organisational systems in which they find themselves in.
Beatrice Opio, 55, an accountant says: “After completing university in 1979, I was very eager to start work. But a few years down the road, when I got married and had children, it became quite hard for me to balance motherhood and work.
“I actually had to leave work for almost two years just to take care of my children, after which I had to look for a job all over again,†she says.
Although it may not be easy for all working women to negotiate the terms and conditions of their job, a few are said to be able to confer about the terms.
With the new trends in technology and competition, many working mothers have been forced to go back to school in order to up grade. “I have found my self repeating the same cycle of struggling to balance, school, family and work,†Opio says.
Unlike the working mothers, Florah Kirinya, Shell Uganda’s professional records manager says: “I enjoy doing my work. Even if I were to get into motherhood, I would be able to pick up the pieces after maternity leave.â€
Kirinya, a young career lady, points out that it is always important to recognise early in life what you are good at and be good at it.
“I believe if you have identified what you want to do from the beginning, you need to do it and be the best at it. You can have many other talents, but you can’t be a jack of all trades, because you will be a master of none.â€
She further says that it’s very vital for a young career woman to be patient. “As a young woman, I discovered that I need not to rush to make decisions which may seemingly appear lucrative and then turn out disastrous to my future.â€
A number of women have had to learn the hard way that identity and self esteem do not necessarily come from attaching oneself to a prestigious company and some have dropped out or even failed to find employment along the way.
Mary Lwanga, 66, a retired professional banker says retirement does not take away one’s responsibilities. “I have been a single mother since 1992 when I separated with my husband. At my age I have to keep moving about looking for money. It’s appaling! I should be somewhere on vacation, but because our economy is still terrible, even if you work for 30 years, you just can’t save enough money for your retirement.â€
Lwanga says values like honesty, effectiveness and being courteous should be maintained. “In my days, it was very prestigious to work in a bank. We were required to train ourselves to be principled and not to be tempted to steal the huge chunks of money we handled.â€
She also warns working women to avoid becoming complacent and boastfull about their jobs and thinking that they have reached the peak of their career.
A career is not something you do for eight plus hours everyday till retirement. Women need to have patience and confidence to design satisfying professional lives for them selves.
Florence Ssewanyana, who retired in 2006 as the former commissioner monitoring and inspection, directorate of information in the Office of the President, says: “In addition to my duties as commissioner, I was assigned to act as the director of broadcasting, where I spearheaded the formation of Uganda Broadcasting Corporation from Uganda Television and Radio Uganda.
“There were so many things I wanted changed at the corporation but I was faced with limited resources.†She says this was particularly challenging because the company would make a lot of money, but it was all taken by the consolidated fund which she had no control over. “I am happy now that UBC is independent and it’s able to generate and use its own money,†she says.
Ssewanyana says during the years when she worked, people were very edgy. The future was always uncertain and she had to skillfully keep them calm. “I am very passionate about ensuring that women are promoted in the media. Women need to be boosted. And I always made certain that I advocated for women’s career,†she says.
Working women should remember that their success totally depends on them. As an individual, one needs to be able to set goals and to achieve them.
It’s paramount for young career women to gain knowledge and be smart both intellectually and outwardly. “I doubt whether there is any employer who would want to hire disorganised people,†Ssewanyana says.
Despite the potential career gains for the working woman, for some, balancing roles has been quite a challenge to their success. With the emancipation of women, many in Uganda have tried to forge careers that provided opportunities for meeting personal, professional and some interpersonal goals.
While some of the working mothers have sought balance and control of their lives, others have achieved it by working within the organisational systems in which they find themselves in.
Beatrice Opio, 55, an accountant says: “After completing university in 1979, I was very eager to start work. But a few years down the road, when I got married and had children, it became quite hard for me to balance motherhood and work.
“I actually had to leave work for almost two years just to take care of my children, after which I had to look for a job all over again,†she says.
Although it may not be easy for all working women to negotiate the terms and conditions of their job, a few are said to be able to confer about the terms.
With the new trends in technology and competition, many working mothers have been forced to go back to school in order to up grade. “I have found my self repeating the same cycle of struggling to balance, school, family and work,†Opio says.
Unlike the working mothers, Florah Kirinya, Shell Uganda’s professional records manager says: “I enjoy doing my work. Even if I were to get into motherhood, I would be able to pick up the pieces after maternity leave.â€
Kirinya, a young career lady, points out that it is always important to recognise early in life what you are good at and be good at it.
“I believe if you have identified what you want to do from the beginning, you need to do it and be the best at it. You can have many other talents, but you can’t be a jack of all trades, because you will be a master of none.â€
She further says that it’s very vital for a young career woman to be patient. “As a young woman, I discovered that I need not to rush to make decisions which may seemingly appear lucrative and then turn out disastrous to my future.â€
A number of women have had to learn the hard way that identity and self esteem do not necessarily come from attaching oneself to a prestigious company and some have dropped out or even failed to find employment along the way.
Mary Lwanga, 66, a retired professional banker says retirement does not take away one’s responsibilities. “I have been a single mother since 1992 when I separated with my husband. At my age I have to keep moving about looking for money. It’s appaling! I should be somewhere on vacation, but because our economy is still terrible, even if you work for 30 years, you just can’t save enough money for your retirement.â€
Lwanga says values like honesty, effectiveness and being courteous should be maintained. “In my days, it was very prestigious to work in a bank. We were required to train ourselves to be principled and not to be tempted to steal the huge chunks of money we handled.â€
She also warns working women to avoid becoming complacent and boastfull about their jobs and thinking that they have reached the peak of their career.
A career is not something you do for eight plus hours everyday till retirement. Women need to have patience and confidence to design satisfying professional lives for them selves.
Florence Ssewanyana, who retired in 2006 as the former commissioner monitoring and inspection, directorate of information in the Office of the President, says: “In addition to my duties as commissioner, I was assigned to act as the director of broadcasting, where I spearheaded the formation of Uganda Broadcasting Corporation from Uganda Television and Radio Uganda.
“There were so many things I wanted changed at the corporation but I was faced with limited resources.†She says this was particularly challenging because the company would make a lot of money, but it was all taken by the consolidated fund which she had no control over. “I am happy now that UBC is independent and it’s able to generate and use its own money,†she says.
Ssewanyana says during the years when she worked, people were very edgy. The future was always uncertain and she had to skillfully keep them calm. “I am very passionate about ensuring that women are promoted in the media. Women need to be boosted. And I always made certain that I advocated for women’s career,†she says.
Working women should remember that their success totally depends on them. As an individual, one needs to be able to set goals and to achieve them.
It’s paramount for young career women to gain knowledge and be smart both intellectually and outwardly. “I doubt whether there is any employer who would want to hire disorganised people,†Ssewanyana says.