Rise and rise of accounting queens

ACCA currently attracts more women than men than it did over a decade ago. According to Joyce Tamale, ACCA Uganda Network Panel Chairperson, women gave the course a wide berth before because it was deemed to be very demanding. “It is a certification course; it is never easy to acquire any certificate. ACCA is designed to not only produce accountants that are outstanding performers but also people who add great value to their societies,” says Beatrice Isagayite, the head of ACCA Uganda. “But it is doable,” she quickly adds.
“We have noticed that in the past few years, more women are taking up the course. Statistics show that for the past decade the women outnumber men (52 per cent) worldwide and they perform commendably too. Leila Angela Uwase (2013), Kadir Muhamad (2015), Sophie Namulema (2016), all came on top of their classes. There is no significant change that has taken place at ACCA that I can think of that could have inspired more women to join the accounting profession but it is happening, we are seeing an impressively increasing number of female certified accountants every year. Many expect that during the next decade female accountants will rise to ‘numerical dominance’ in the global profession,” says Isagayite.
What is ACCA?
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is the global body for professional accountants.
“ACCA offers three qualification levels, for which a number of units must be completed. These include the Diploma in Accounting and Business, the Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business, and the Professional Level Certificate. To reach the highest level of qualification, you will need to complete 14 exams,” says Isagayite.
You don’t need an accounting background to pursue this course. Isagayate says it’s an equal opportunity course.
“All you need is discipline and determination and there is no doubt of excelling. Take an example of Enid Hilda Mugabi, who came from a civil engineering background and was ranked in the 67th position of global excellence,” she adds.
Those with A’Levels can start from the basics with the Fundamentals units, while those with accounting experience and qualifications, or even a degree, often go straight ahead with the Professional papers. Tuition fees start from Shs 530,000 a paper and above. Apart from studying online there are several partners where one can access the course in Kampala, Mbarara, Jinja and Gulu.

Lillian Katiso, the blogging accountant
She is known as the blogging accountant. The award winning (awarded for outstanding contribution to the accountancy and finance profession) affiliate and mother of one explains why she took up accounting. “I took up accounting because I am passionate about numbers, I love figures but most importantly I love order. As an accountant looking for a certification course, my most obvious choice was ACCA. It was not an easy feat, having a fulltime job and being a wife and other responsibilities that come with a member of any community/society. It required a lot of sacrifice and discipline in time management. God blessed me with a very loving, understanding and supportive husband who sacrificed equally as much to see me complete successfully. Above all, it took God’s gracious and loving hand to hold me especially in the times when I was so overwhelmed and I felt like throwing in the towel. It is God who saw me through each single paper.
ACCA is the perfect course for anyone interested in accessing global employment opportunities. With its emphasis on professional values and ethics it gives its members a reasonable advantage in the employment field. As a member you can use the ACCA designation after your name which is a symbol of excellence recognisable to employers all around the world. Having worked in a management consultancy firm, the clients valued my qualifications so much that
I had to list all of them on my business cards. If you want to venture into consultancy, ACCA is a recognised global brand that you can use to be a part of your personal ID just as Doctors or Engineers do.
“I have sat on several interview panels sourcing for accountants and I can proudly tell you that the ACCA brand comes highly recommended,” says Katiso who has since worked in all the East African countries, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and even Southern Sudan since becoming a member.

Changing trends
Currently, 52 per cent of ACCA affiliates and members are female. PricewaterhouseCoopers, the second largest professional services firm in the world employs over 140 professionals in Uganda. Over 95 per cent of them are either affiliates, fellows or currently enrolled with the ACCA institute or members of CPA and over 50 per cent of this group are females. “The accounting industry has generally been perceived as male dominated but here at PwC the women agenda is very much alive and thriving really well. We believe that the success is connected and that for us to work effectively we must cut across gender lines, we understand that a diverse range of talent is critical to our success so diversity and inclusion is key, we build and support individual and team effectiveness through inclusiveness. We have initiatives to specifically support our women excel in their respective roles here,” says Doreen Mugisha Clients and Markets Development Manager PwC Uganda.
Many employers now understand that diversity can add real value to businesses and having a better representation of women on the board is seen as a key part of this.
“We have more female associate directors and senior managers than men not only at our firm but also compared to other firms in a similar industry in Uganda. We have flexible working policy for returning mothers to ease the return after having children in addition this - we have mother care facilities specifically for returning mothers to continue some motherly duties,” Mugisha adds.

How do they do it?
Isagayete explains that “Because we are aware of how rigorous the course is, we are very flexible with how long one can take to complete it. Most people do it between three and four years, but you can take it at your own pace, and have up to 10 years to complete it. While Tamale says the course took her four years to finish others like Sophie Namulema, Grace Namara and Enid Hilda Mugabi did it in one and a half years. This shows that though rigorous, ACCA is doable.
Leila Angela Uwase (2013), Kadir Muhamad (2015), Sophie Namulema (2016), who all topped their classes all say that they passed by constantly updating their revision strategy, reading widely, practicing while at work but most importantly by the power of prayer.

Joyce Tamale
Joyce Tamale is the Managing Director at Uganda Health Marketing Group Ltd (UHMG) and ACCA Uganda Network Panel Chairperson. Tamale earned her first degree in Commerce and focused more in Marketing but went straight to practice auditing and accounting for over five years at regional level and international levels. She recounts her ACCA journey and the importance of the certification.
“ACCA exposes one to all forms of discipline with wide scope of understanding to Financial management, Strategic business planning, business operations, IT, International Accounting standards, and Risk management. An ACCA qualification opens doors to a broad range of roles, whether you want to work specifically in accounting, finance or management. One becomes an all-rounder and can do many things. In regards to the ACCA brand, it sells and provides an opportunity for women to join the board room where decisions are made.
It took me four years to complete ACCA as I was working, married and reading ACCA. I remember I was the best student in Uganda in one of the papers which made me gain a lot of confidence to complete the course. Doing ACCA came with a lot of sacrifice especially on my social life. I was in my early 20s and newly married so I managed because of two main reasons; one, because my husband was very patient and supportive and two because I had to put in extra time to read in the evening in order not to compromise on my job demands. At the end of the day, all one needs to know is that ACCA is a doable and worthy course. Just be focused, have a supportive system at work and home then within a short time you will have the title ACCA against your name.”

The top 10 ACCA affiliates for the
December 2016 Exam Sitting were;
1.Sophie Namulema: Global Position - 13th
2.Christina Fiona Lunkuse: Global Position – 56th
3.Grace Namara: Global Position - 57th
4.Enid Hilda Mugabi: Global Position - 67th
5.Sharifah Chemisto: Global Position - 74th
6.Sharon Nangonzi; Global Position - 77th
7.Emmy Okene; Global Position - 78th
8.Teopister Nabulime; Global Position - 84th
9.Yogi A. Ahamya; Global Position 90th
10.Derick Musiime; Global Position – 92nd