NAIROBI, Kenya, March 8 -As the world marks International Women’s Day (IWD) whose theme is Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow ,Kenya has not been left behind as it boasts of successful Chief Executive Officers, Managing directors who have steered good leadership in their respective workplaces.
Despite the existence of gender gap in various sectors of the economy, business stakeholders have taken the lead to forge gender parity with the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) joining global campaign pushing for gender diversity in boards and senior management within listed firms.
Of all the listed companies in the bourse, 37.5 percent have women on their board.
Capital FM Business spoke to a couple of senior women in business in Kenya and Africa who shared their words of encouragement, messages, commitments and advices to other women and to the world at large.
Here are some of the responses.
Rebecca Miano-Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, KENGEN
International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate progress towards Gender mainstreaming, Equality and Women’s Empowerment and a time to reflect on women’s outstanding achievements made either individually, at the family level, at the workplace, nationally or even globally. Empowering women is a big responsibility and vital for achieving gender equality.
In line with the IWD theme for 2022, #BreakTheBias, we must step up and be aware of the significant impact that bias has on overall gender mainstreaming and more so women, both conscious and unconscious bias. We need to recognize it and work towards calling it out.
Let us continue to forge the gender agenda and make positive gains for women and girls in our society. As we also celebrate women’s outstanding achievements, let us unite, both men and women, as a force to advance gender equality throughout the world.
Phyllis Wakiaga, CEO, Kenya Association of Manufacturers
The resilience of women in society does not go unnoticed. It is their agility to overcome archaic beliefs and tough situations that have proven their worth in establishing a stronger and more sustainable impact on societal progress.
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I look forward to a time when roles are not gendered, unpaid care work is recognized and valued, and more men are involved in bridging the gender inequality.
Let’s #BreakTheBias!
Jane Karuku -Group MD and CEO, East African Breweries Limited(EABL)
At EABL, we celebrate diversity and strive to create an inclusive culture that enables every individual in the organisation to contribute and grow in an environment where everyone is valued for who they uniquely are
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is core to our business purpose and strategy and as such we have set ourselves ambitious plans to ensure that our teams reflect the diversity of our consumers, customers and communities in which we operate.
People are part of the intellectual capital of the company and their passion, commitment and specialist skills make the difference and enable the company to deliver superior performance. We have long realized that only when we champion inclusion and diversity can we achieve the best possible outcomes.
Carole Kariuki- CEO, Kenya Private Sector Alliance
To the young women , the bushes and thorns have been cut by the women before you. You now have a voice and opportunities , go and create more and for the next generation of women.
KEPSA recognises that the private sector is a powerful partner, distinguished catalyst, and role model for change, provides a compelling business case for the businesses to investment in interventions that seek to promote gender equality.
Among the benefits of gender mainstreaming in the private sector includes enhanced performance and productivity of the workforce that contributes to increased growth and sustainability for companies and the economy at large.
Seshni Gafoor, Acronis Channel Manager- Sub Saharan Africa
There is progress in gender equality in the workplace. Thanks to women’s resilience and a go-getter attitude, women are constantly and consistently demystifying the myths that they don’t deserve to be in leadership positions in an organization. In my personal experience, being in a room filled with my male counterparts, I would always try and stand out or create a long-lasting impression so that I can be taken seriously. However, today I no longer find myself having to do that. With time, my colleagues have come to value my contribution and expertise. Despite the underlying loopholes, which include a few male workers that are a bit conservative and still think women cannot make good leaders, I believe we are making good progress.
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