Fikre Debela
10/03/08
Companies today are seeking diversity of all types in their boardrooms. In order to gain the best strategies and to be successful, diversity is key. However, some boardrooms are having gender issues with women being involved. In Kenya this happens to be a major problem among companies.
Stereotypes and misconceptions play into the reasons why many women aren’t getting the jobs they should. People think women would be to gentile or they wont take actions quickly enough in the work force. Also, the stereotype of the domestic women really comes out in non-western societies. In the Nairobi Stock Exchange less then 30 board members are women out of 200. The Norwegian government decided that didn’t want to have this issue among their companies. In 2004 thier government developed legislation for a mandatory 40 percent representation of each gender within four years. This improved the women represented in their companies. Kenya however, there seems to be only a hint of gradual change. The first women in the Nairobi Stock Exchange is Jennifer Riria, who is now the chief executive of the Kenya Women Finance Trust. She has become a role model and a representative to women in organizations.
I believe more women should be included in boardrooms and should participated in decision making. A labor researcher Mr Jacob Omllo said, women account for only a third of top positions but many of them do not participate in the decision-making. What is the point of having women there if they cannot participate in the decision-making. I also believe that more steps should be taken to allow of legislation like that of the Norwegian government. If they get involved it would become much easier for women to be in this workforce.
www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=veiw&id=10322&Itemid=5843
1 comment:
Gender Inequality is a big problem in all parts of the world, as your article seemed to highlight. I agree that if the government set to do more about gender inequalities in different countries, especially in one's were women's "expected roles" are still highly taken into consideration,there would be a greater amount of women in the workforce, as well as getting the needed education to allow them to succeed in life.
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