As Malawi prepares to commemorate Mother’s Day, attention often turns to the sacrifices mothers make for their families. But for women building careers while raising children, the celebration also presents an opportunity to examine their growth and opportunities in the workplace.
For working mothers, professional development can mean more than acquiring new skills. It can also mean securing promotions, accessing leadership positions and balancing workplace expectations with responsibilities at home.
Airtel Malawi says its employees completed 3,241 certified courses in the past year, recording 3,924 learning hours through its development programmes.
The training covers areas including artificial intelligence, digital skills, leadership and professional development, which the company says are intended to prepare employees for future opportunities.
However, the figures provided do not indicate how many women participated in the courses or whether the training has translated into career advancement for female employees.
Airtel Malawi’s Aashish Dutt said the company recognises the influence mothers have beyond their families, highlighting their role in shaping people’s lives and confidence.
“A mother is often our first teacher, our first champion, and the person who believes in us before we know how to believe in ourselves,” said Dutt.
He said the company provides female employees with opportunities to continue learning, develop their careers and have their performance recognised within the organisation.
Airtel Malawi also reports that 16 employees were promoted in the past year, while nine others moved into different roles within the organisation.
The company has not provided a gender breakdown of these figures, leaving unanswered questions about how many women benefited from the opportunities.
The figures raise an important issue as Mother’s Day approaches: whether women are gaining the skills they need and getting opportunities to turn those skills into professional growth.
For mothers, career advancement may involve navigating workplace demands alongside childcare and other family responsibilities. Access to training is important, but the opportunities to progress after training also matter.
Airtel Malawi has highlighted women who have advanced into senior positions, including Thokozani Kamkondo-Sande, managing director of Airtel Money, and Ellen Pensulo, acting marketing director at Airtel Malawi.
Their positions demonstrate that women can reach leadership roles within the organisation. However, more information is needed to establish how widely such opportunities are accessible to women across different levels of employment.
The company also says 50 employees are enrolled in its Thriversity Leadership Programme, while 211 employees are using its Airtel Academy digital learning platform.
It further reports investing more than K40 million every quarter in employee recognition and rewards, with 40 employees recognised through its Atsogo Awards Programme in the most recent quarter.
While these initiatives highlight investment in employee development and recognition, the available figures do not show how many women, particularly mothers, have benefited or progressed as a result.
As Malawi celebrates Mother’s Day, recognising women’s contributions also means examining the conditions that allow them to pursue their ambitions.
The number of courses completed offers one measure of employee development, but understanding women’s career progress requires looking beyond training figures to determine who is being promoted, who is reaching leadership positions and what support is available to mothers balancing careers and family life.