Facilitator
Zed Xaba – Conflict Coach and Facilitator
Ms NtombiZandile (Zed) Xaba is a highly experienced trainer, facilitator and independent consultant with over 35 years’ experience. Zed is a WomenLift Health facilitator, as well as an independent consultant in the arears of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Conflict Transformation and Personal Leadership. Learn more
Akhona Tshangela – Director, Southern Africa
Ms. Akhona Tshangela is a public health professional with over 15 years of experience, including as a pioneer at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, where she co-chaired the science, regulations, and standards technical working group during the COVID-19 response. She holds a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Pretoria and a Bachelor’s in Human Genetics from the University of Cape Town. As the Southern Africa Director for WomenLift Health, Akhona is dedicated to promoting inclusivity and the vital role of female leadership in public health decision-making. Learn more
Building Your Power and Battling Imposter Syndrome
We envision a world where diverse, accomplished leaders collectively transform health outcomes. To realize that vision, we seek to expand the power and influence of talented mid-career women in health and engage with senior institutional and societal leaders to catalyze systemic change for gender equality in health leadership. We work in East Africa, India, Nigeria, North America, and Southern Africa and continue to explore outreach to other regions.
PowerUp Workshop Series
The Southern Africa PowerUp Workshop series is free and open to mid-career women in public health globally, including all regions where we operate
The workshops are hosted virtually, focus on developing leadership skills, and fostering meaningful connections between Women Leaders in health within a regional context. The topics rotate with each workshop. We encourage Women Leaders in Public Health to join us, and use these workshops as an opportunity to learn, engage with other Women Leaders, and build a community.
Building Your Power and Battling Imposter Syndrome
29 January 2025 – 14:00–16:30 CAT
The global health workforce is facing a leadership crisis; women are estimated to hold between 70 and 75% of global health positions worldwide yet, they occupy only 25% of the senior leadership positions.
WomenLift Health research found various structural barriers behind the gender gap in leadership including a lack of mentorship, the demands of balancing work and family life, and traditionally patriarchal work cultures, which reinforce a systemic lack of self-confidence among women.
Imposter syndrome was identified in 1978 by two Psychologists, Pauline Clance and Suzanne Innes. In a study of women academics, they found that many women felt that they were not deserving of their accomplishments. This manifests as a lack of confidence, and a fear of being ‘found out’. The WomenLift Health research conducted among mid-career women working in health found that women often wait for others to see their potential and tend to undersell their achievements and contributions relative to their male counterparts.
Imposter syndrome however is not an innate feeling that women are born with, it is often the result of facing repeated exclusion and systemic barriers. While there is a
need to collectively hold systems accountable, those who experience imposter syndrome also need strategies to counter it.
PowerUp Objectives:
In this workshop you will:
- Recognise imposter syndrome and identify ways to overcome it
- Focus on learning from the specific experiences that are highly relevant
- Identify experiences that will prepare you to lead more effectively within the context of your job, role and organization
Registration Details
Please note that to enroll in the session, you need to complete all sections of the registration form.
You are eligible for the workshop if you identify as a woman.
This virtual workshop is free and will be conducted in the English language.
WomenLift Health PowerUp Workshops are interactive. By signing up, participants agree to participate in the full session, which includes plenary discussions and breakout group activities.
Enrollment will be on a first-come-first-served basis, as spots are limited.
*Although women at all career stages are welcome to register, we believe participants who are at the mid-career stage will benefit most, as the content of the workshop has been designed with mid-career women health professionals in mind (10–25 years of experience working in the public health sector). If the number of registrants exceeds our capacity, women who are within the preferred experience range will be given priority.
Registrants should await an email confirming their spot in the workshop. Please check your spam folders if you did not receive an email.
Facilitator
Zed Xaba – Conflict Coach and Facilitator
Ms NtombiZandile (Zed) Xaba is a highly experienced trainer, facilitator and independent consultant with over 35 years’ experience. Zed is a WomenLift Health facilitator, as well as an independent consultant in the arears of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Conflict Transformation and Personal Leadership. Learn more
Akhona Tshangela – Director, Southern Africa
Ms. Akhona Tshangela is a public health professional with over 15 years of experience, including as a pioneer at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, where she co-chaired the science, regulations, and standards technical working group during the COVID-19 response. She holds a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Pretoria and a Bachelor’s in Human Genetics from the University of Cape Town. As the Southern Africa Director for WomenLift Health, Akhona is dedicated to promoting inclusivity and the vital role of female leadership in public health decision-making. Learn more
We envision a world where diverse, accomplished leaders collectively transform health outcomes. To realize that vision, we seek to expand the power and influence of talented mid-career women in health and engage with senior institutional and societal leaders to catalyze systemic change for gender equality in health leadership. We work in East Africa, India, Nigeria, North America, and Southern Africa and continue to explore outreach to other regions.
PowerUp Workshop Series
The Southern Africa PowerUp Workshop series is free and open to mid-career women in public health globally, including all regions where we operate
The workshops are hosted virtually, focus on developing leadership skills, and fostering meaningful connections between Women Leaders in health within a regional context. The topics rotate with each workshop. We encourage Women Leaders in Public Health to join us, and use these workshops as an opportunity to learn, engage with other Women Leaders, and build a community.
Building Your Power and Battling Imposter Syndrome
29 January 2025 – 14:00–16:30 CAT
The global health workforce is facing a leadership crisis; women are estimated to hold between 70 and 75% of global health positions worldwide yet, they occupy only 25% of the senior leadership positions.
WomenLift Health research found various structural barriers behind the gender gap in leadership including a lack of mentorship, the demands of balancing work and family life, and traditionally patriarchal work cultures, which reinforce a systemic lack of self-confidence among women.
Imposter syndrome was identified in 1978 by two Psychologists, Pauline Clance and Suzanne Innes. In a study of women academics, they found that many women felt that they were not deserving of their accomplishments. This manifests as a lack of confidence, and a fear of being ‘found out’. The WomenLift Health research conducted among mid-career women working in health found that women often wait for others to see their potential and tend to undersell their achievements and contributions relative to their male counterparts.
Imposter syndrome however is not an innate feeling that women are born with, it is often the result of facing repeated exclusion and systemic barriers. While there is a
need to collectively hold systems accountable, those who experience imposter syndrome also need strategies to counter it.
PowerUp Objectives:
In this workshop you will:
- Recognise imposter syndrome and identify ways to overcome it
- Focus on learning from the specific experiences that are highly relevant
- Identify experiences that will prepare you to lead more effectively within the context of your job, role and organization
Registration Details
Please note that to enroll in the session, you need to complete all sections of the registration form.
You are eligible for the workshop if you identify as a woman.
This virtual workshop is free and will be conducted in the English language.
WomenLift Health PowerUp Workshops are interactive. By signing up, participants agree to participate in the full session, which includes plenary discussions and breakout group activities.
Enrollment will be on a first-come-first-served basis, as spots are limited.
*Although women at all career stages are welcome to register, we believe participants who are at the mid-career stage will benefit most, as the content of the workshop has been designed with mid-career women health professionals in mind (10–25 years of experience working in the public health sector). If the number of registrants exceeds our capacity, women who are within the preferred experience range will be given priority.
Registrants should await an email confirming their spot in the workshop. Please check your spam folders if you did not receive an email.
