At the helm of the Training & Recruitment department at Old Mutual Life Assurance Uganda sits a prudent woman of valour who has been instrumental in developing the company’s team which has over the years left a mark on lives of many Ugandans.
Lindah Mago Naluyinda, a Learning and Development specialist, with experience in Training, Coaching, Mentorship, Capacity building, Development and Human Behaviour has headed UAP Old Mutual’s Training and Recruitment department for 13 years now.
Her over 8 years’ experience in the Insurance industry have been as exciting and challenging as they have been rewarding.
In her words, “Having a career at an insurance company means you can help make a difference in people’s lives every day.”
While she is super passionate about leadership and impact within the industry, she is also a wife and a mother. She is eager to make her mark in championing women through empowerment and equity.
As part of the activities this website is undertaking to celebrate the Women’s month and indiciduals making a mark in lives of Ugandans, we caught up with Ms. Naluyinda to understand how she goes about her work.
In this interview with The Tower Post, Ms Naluyinda shares on women, insurance, life as a mother and what needs to be done to promote inclusion not only in the Insurance sector but across the board.
From your perspective, what are some of the key opportunities and challenges for women in Uganda’s insurance industry, and how can these be addressed to promote greater inclusion?
Women represent both customers and employees.
As customers, women are key influencers in the purchasing decisions of many households in our society. They therefore hold a lot of power and are an untapped market for insurance products. Their ambitions and aspirations for the wellness of the family as a unit means they are a great market in waiting to be serviced.
When it comes to employment, the insurance industry has opened up many doors for women to thrive, especially in the sales career development. Statistics show that women are the top Insurance Agents in Uganda. They are taking up innovation awards, best Agent of the year awards, etc. This is a sign that opportunities have opened up for women to become financially free.
Key Challenges
Work – life balance
Many of the employed women struggle with balancing work and their personal lives. It is very challenging to run a home and excel at work, especially when children come into the picture. We have seen many women resign from their jobs to raise their children, others letting go of their family obligations, to concentrate on their careers. Whatever the case may be, women are struggling to have it all together.
Having a hybrid set-up gives women an easier way to accomplish both. It is the responsibility of every organization to enable their female staff to work effectively, without them losing their minds. Think about working remotely, allowing female employees to go to work a little later or leave early, if need be.
Companies shouldn’t be rewarding people for working around the clock, rather rewarding results.
Organisations can also provide daycare services, lactation rooms and mental wellness classes for their female employees.
What steps can the insurance industry take to ensure equal access to coverage and financial protection for women from all walks of life?
Insurance companies can develop some affordable solutions for women within different income brackets. Think of a woman who sells bananas to feed her family; how can she be helped to cover her medical bills, school fees, etc.
Solutions that allow a woman to save from as low as UGX 500, will go a long way to meet the financial needs of women in all walks of life. We need to be mindful of the wealth at the bottom of the pyramid. When insurance companies aggregate and on-board low-income earners, then their products are made cheap enough to be accessible.
How can insurance companies better tailor their products and services to meet the unique needs of women in today’s society?
Affordable medical insurance covers. Think of medical insurance covers that cost as low as ugx200,000 a year. Whereas it is very low premium, it can enable a woman meet medical costs as high as ugx5,000,000, which she would not have otherwise afforded.
Think of the number of women who die while giving birth because they cannot afford an emergency C-section or access blood transfusion. Whereas childbirth is a major risk in insurance, think of a world where a woman can buy a childbirth insurance medical cover in order to overcome such incidents. This would go a long way to save women’s lives.
Education: Every woman’s dream is to attend the graduation ceremony of their child and pride in having provided that basic need. Unfortunately, the cost of education is still unimaginably high for many. Insurance companies can design products that take advantage of women’s consistent saving habits to cater to their ambitions.
How do you envision the role of women in shaping the future landscape of insurance and financial services in Uganda, and what steps can be taken to empower them to seize these opportunities?
Globally, the socioeconomic status of women, their decision-making ability, and their power to influence household spending is increasing. Women now tend to earn more and have better control of their assets, helping their families and communities prosper—while contributing to the overall economic growth.
As an industry, it’s important to lower barriers to entry specifically based on the social roles. To increase women’s participation, I would advise that the recruitment process allow more women to be onboarded and skilled in work life balancing. Empowering them to take up opportunities in insurance and financial services will go a long way to build the economic strength of the industry.
In what ways can insurance companies promote financial literacy and empowerment among women, especially those in underserved communities, and how can these efforts be sustained for long-term impact?
Insurance companies can partner with women empowerment groups and community leaders to assess the knowledge gaps and offer free awareness trainings to women in different communities.
For sustainability, UAP Old Mutual insurance carries out ‘train the trainer’ sessions in different communities, groups, where these trainers become financial literacy ambassadors.
How can we inspire more women to pursue careers in insurance and financial services, and what benefits does diversity bring to the industry?
Women have always been a vital part of the insurance industry, but they have often been relegated to supportive roles. One of the most important things we can create is a level playing field. That means ensuring that women have the same opportunities as men to enter the insurance industry and advance their careers.
It also means creating an industry culture that values diversity and inclusion, e.g. increased representation at all levels, helping insurers to establish an inclusive work culture, etc.
Initiatives that allow insurance companies to attract, develop, and retain female employees should also be implemented.
We also need to provide women with the resources and support to succeed. That includes educational opportunities and mentorship programs.
What innovative approaches can insurance companies implement to reach and serve a wider demographic of women, including those in remote or marginalized communities?
Provide insurance solutions that meet the financial needs of women in remote and marginalized communities.
Most of the women in remote communities are farmers, traders, small business owners, etc. Their greatest financial need is to see those businesses grow sustainably, without making major losses or incurring huge or unmanageable debt.
Providing solutions / services that mitigate major losses will go a long way to serve the needs of such women.
How can insurance providers contribute to breaking down barriers and promoting inclusion for women in traditionally male-dominated industries?
They say, “A hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world”.
They also say, “Women hold up half the sky”.
I am always amazed at how women hold it all up together. From cooking, to cleaning, to getting kids to and from school, to teaching, to disciplining, to managing workers, to planning and budgeting, to saving and investment, to being a wife, to excelling at work, to being a great daughter and daughter-in-law… Jesus! That is total madness. And yet still, she holds it all up together.
The best decision any organisation can make, is to include women into top positions, especially those that require high end decision making. Whereas women can be emotional, they do genuinely care about the wellbeing of people and systems.
Let us have more women leaders in IRA, UIA, ITC, IBAU, Insurance players, etc. The results will be noticeable.
What role do women play in driving innovation and shaping the future of the insurance sector, and how can companies amplify their voices and contributions?
Women are naturally innovators. We create solutions on a daily basis. E,g, what will the family eat today? How can I make my bedroom look better? This bathroom needs a revamp. What can I add to my living room to make it look attractive? The kids do not want to eat their vegetables, how can I make them more attractive for them to eat?
It is these daily small innovations that make women unique at creating unique solutions.
Having more women in the marketing and innovation departments can help reshape the future of the insurance industry by providing unique perspectives and insights into every day challenges.
How can insurance companies foster a culture of mentorship and professional development to support the advancement of women in leadership positions?
Career facilitation
Business leaders should cultivate and support female staff from the beginning of their careers to influence equal representation. This requires empowering graduates and entry-level candidates to take on more responsibility to allow them to progress as female leaders. And to also enable middle level management women to pursue further studies for greater roles.
Creating mentorship initiatives where successful women in the industry are able to mentor and provide guidance to other women is key at UAP Old Mutual insurance. Women in the insurance industry need to show mutual support to each other.
Looking ahead, what do you see as the most promising opportunities for women’s advancement and inclusion within Uganda’s insurance industry, and how can we collectively work towards realizing this vision?
The future is female. And we must embrace it.
The president of Uganda has set a very good example by including women into the top leadership positions. The Vice president, Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament (to mention but a few) are all women.
Gone are the days when women relied on men for everything.
I see a future with more financially stable women. I see girls taking up spaces that were previously perceived to be the reserve of men.
To get there, women will need to lead with their strengths, not be afraid to do things they are not confident about and get their ego out of the way.
As women, we often feel that we are expected to stay quiet, not rock the boat, not take big risks. The fear of not being perfect can hold us back if we let it.
Instead of listening to those voices, we need to lean into the idea of progress, not perfection. I’ve learned that being a lifetime learner is a huge strength. Even if I fail spectacularly, I will gain the opportunity to learn something new, and usually that something new is about myself.
While we cannot erase the challenges of being female in our industry overnight, we can celebrate who we are, what our strengths are and build strategies to help empower ourselves and other women. I encourage everyone to look at how they can make space for themselves or others at the ‘table of men’.
