Caleb M Fundanga: Equal rights, equal opportunities – progress for all Opening remarks by Dr Caleb M Fundanga, Governor of the Bank of Zambia, at the Official Launch of the Financial Institutions’ Exhibition and Workshop in commemoration of International Women’s Day 2010, Lusaka, 5 March 2010. *  *  *  The Deputy Permanent Secretary, Gender and Women in Development, Ms Christine Kalamwina; The International Labour Organisation Country Director, Mr Gerry Finnegan; The Deputy Governor – Administration, Bank of Zambia, Dr Tukiya Kankasa-Mabula; Chief Executives and Representatives of Exhibiting Institutions; Heads of Non Governmental Organisations; Distinguished Invited Guests; Members of the Press; Ladies and Gentlemen It is my honour and privilege to participate in the launch of this important exhibition by financial institutions in commemoration of the International Women’s Day for 2010 under the global theme “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All.” Ladies and Gentlemen, as you may be aware, the International Year for Women was declared by the United Nations in 1975. Since then many countries world over celebrate International Women’s Day to recognise the achievements of women without regard to national, ethnic, cultural, economic or political divisions. International Women’s Day is an occasion to look back on past struggles and accomplishments but even more importantly a time to look ahead to untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women. Each year on this special day, hundreds of International Women’s Day events occur all around the world.

This will require the approach to be comprehensive, meeting the highest standards and in close collaboration with the industry so that the learning solutions will continue to remain relevant. The breadth of talent development solution Human capital development needs to be comprehensive and holistic in meeting the requirements for all levels. The horizon of talent development solutions has to be widened towards attracting, developing and retaining talents with required skills and expertise for the industry. It must also meet the specific requirements of the workforce career progression, from the pre-employment stage, during employment and up to the leadership positions. Talent development solutions must also be for beyond the circle of the financial services community, to include other business communities, such as legal fraternity, Government officials and IT solution providers. The advancement of the industry is also dependent on these parts of the private and public sector. Their training needs must also be met through structured training programmes to facilitate their understanding of the specificities of Islamic finance and its value propositions. Raising standards of training and education programmes The education and training programmes in Islamic finance also needs to achieve the highest quality, be credible and globally recognised. The qualifications developed need to fulfill the expectations of the industry. To ensure the standards, the required infrastructure for standard setting and accreditation for Islamic finance training and education has now been put in place.