Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 World.

Today's international women's day is the second one being celebrated since the outbreak of the global pandemic – COVID-19. To address the challenges posed by this pandemic requires amalgamated efforts from both women and men. Therefore, this year's theme is timely as it focuses on the call for women to take up leadership roles in a bid to achieve an equal future in a COVID-19 ravaged world. At Kwame Nkrumah University, we are convinced that women should be given the latitude to pursue careers of their choice and meet their professional aspirations including leadership.

Even in the wake of the current pandemic, it is a basic human right for women to enjoy full legal equality and equity of opportunity, and for a girl born today, in our nation, to have the same life prospectus as any boy. This can only be realized if we remove the obstacles which so often prevent women from aspiring to leadership positions in political systems and the corporate world. We as KNU believe that investing in girl-child education is the genesis of building a cadre of women who can take leadership positions in our country. As Helen Clark (2012) adds "Failing to make investments, and failing to boost the status of women and girls, thwarts the potential not only of individuals, but also of families, communities, and nations. There can be no meaningful development if more than half of the population (women) are excluded from participation and leadership." We are therefore convinced that as many women take their rightful place in the ranks of decision-making, more such issues as health, water crises and many more will come to the top of political, legislative, and budgetary priorities. When women are "out of sight, out of mind", meeting their needs does not get prioritized. Hence the need for a critical mass of women decision-makers to ensure that issues that previously went unaddressed can become priorities.

Today's activity donating to Ranchod Community services and Hospice is a clear demonstration of what women are capable of doing if given equal opportunities. This donation today arises from our firm commitment to the third pillar of our University and the fourth face of corporate citizenship – philanthropic giving. As a good corporate citizen, we as a university are imbued with this sense of charity – this sense of improving life for others while at the same time improving the lives of our institution. KNU has a unique position to effect positive social change and today's activity is a testimony to that. As a university operating in this host community, we have social, cultural, and environmental responsibilities to the community of Kabwe. Our success as a university depends on the host community and therefore corporate citizenship is a necessary brand to us. Finally, we as women today make a clarion call to mother Zambia to invest in women's well-being, potential, empowerment, participation, and leadership across the board. This is cardinal because educated, healthy, and empowered women do drive development.