Women Peer-to-Peer Story Highlight - Elizabeth Kokwaro 

Elizabeth’s Story:  

Elizabeth’s story demonstrates resilience and a journey of learning and relearning through her career and personal development. Her story touched on themes such as balancing family and career development, overcoming career barriers for women, and the challenges women face in leadership. 

Elizabeth shared her experiences balancing family responsibilities with education and career development. She started her family while she was a student at the University and pursued specialized training internationally. Balancing both at the same time was not easy for her. She emphasized the importance of seeking support, as carrying the burden alone can be too heavy, especially when raising a family and pursuing a career. Elizabeth emphasized the importance of being honest about our limits, highlighting that we should also prioritize our well-being as women. In addition, Elizabeth shared her personal experiences of overcoming fear and taking small steps in her career, emphasizing how women often delay taking risks and seek validation before advancing. She added that she made conscious efforts to speak in meetings, including preparing in advance to contribute and overcome her fears about presenting herself and speaking up. Elizabeth highlighted the challenges women face in advancing to leadership positions, noting that a lack of confidence can limit our ability to move forward. She advised taking achievable steps toward personal goals, emphasizing that confidence can grow through small actions. 

Final Remarks: Elizabeth concluded that women need to support each other’s journeys to overcome career barriers and other challenges we face as women.