According to a new report by IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) and Chief, Kenyan women are outpacing their global counterparts in junior professional and specialist roles. With women accounting for 41% of these positions, Kenya surpasses the global average of 40%, indicating that the country is making significant strides in bridging the gender gap in the workplace.
The report also noted that women’s representation in junior professional and specialist roles has been on an upward trend, demonstrating the impact of initiatives aimed at addressing the gender imbalance in the workforce. However, the study highlighted the need for companies to prioritise advancing women into leadership positions to address the low representation of women in C-suite and board positions.
Lindsay Kaplan, Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Chief, emphasised the importance of companies in filling the pipeline that leads to an increase in C-suite and board-level positions by promoting the participation of women in junior and specialist roles. Caroline Mukiira, General Manager at IBM East Africa, further highlighted the need for organisations to prioritise advancing women and challenge structural barriers and unconscious bias that hinder their advancement.
The Kenyan government has been implementing policies aimed at promoting gender equality, including the Gender Equality Act, which seeks to eliminate discrimination based on gender in the workplace. With sustained efforts, Kenya can continue to make significant progress in achieving gender diversity in the workplace and ultimately improve the country’s economic growth and development.
In an interview with top-performing Kenyan women in junior professional and specialist roles, it was evident that they were motivated, ambitious, and hardworking, with a drive to advance to leadership positions. However, they also noted that there were still challenges that needed to be addressed, including gender stereotypes and cultural barriers that limit their progression in male-dominated fields.
The study’s findings underscore the importance of promoting gender diversity in the workplace and ensuring women are given equal opportunities to advance into leadership positions. As Kenya prioritises gender equality initiatives, it is well-positioned to become a leading example of gender diversity in the African business landscape.
