Kenya has the highest percentage of women board directors this, according to a newly released report by the Africa development bank highlighting women’s inclusivity in boardrooms across Africa. Kenya leads the pack at 19.8 percent followed by South Africa, Botswana and Zambia follow with Tanzania, Uganda and Nigeria are said to have average representation of women seating in boardrooms compared to Kenya.
The continental bank said a fifth of Kenya’s blue-chip firms have female board members, which placed it ahead of South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Ghana.Several studies have showed that female representation in Kenyan boardrooms is below global standards, standing at less than 15 per cent, despite proof that a representative mix is beneficial to companies.
The study, which was released at the World Economic Forum Africa, found that the sectors with the highest number of female board members are the financial services, basic materials and construction, and automotive industries.
Kenya was ranked top with 19.8 per cent representation mark followed by Ghana (17.7 per cent), South Africa (17.4 per cent) and Botswana (16.9 per cent) while Zambia (16.9 per cent) completed the top-five list.
