MORE SHOULD BE DONE FOR GENDER DIVERSITY
The analysis conducted by PWR Advisory in partnership with Women in Management Africa pertaining to gender representation on company boards of 28 of the listed firms at the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) paints a less than ideal picture and is a cause for concern.
Whereas men are well represented on boards of all the listed companies, for women the case is different, according to the released report. Female presence on the board of directors on the 28 companies accounted for only 21.6 percent, out of which no single woman serves as a board chair.
What this data reveals is a condoned state of affairs in the corporate world where women are not given equal opportunities to thrive in the workspace. As such, their confidence and esteem as leaders is put in doubt leaving them to settle for second best. This should not be the case, as raised by Tanzania Gender Network Programme (TGNP) executive director Lilian Liundi, gender imbalance in management levels of many top Tanzanian companies is a big issue that needs to be addressed.
It is thanks to such reports as The 2021 PWR Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange Gender Diversity Scorecard that we are able to have a clear picture of where we stand in this scale of gender diversity and equal representation. Only through such analyses are we able to dissect the many facets that impede our progress in this endeavor and be able to come up with lasting solutions.
The issue of gender and the many shortcomings that are often highlighted whenever we put it under a microscope is a reflection of our commitment as a society to get rid of patriarchal ways of doing things and embrace an equal space for all. It starts with self-assessment and innate understanding of the values attached with gender balance.
We have seen how the imbalance affects mostly women beyond the workplace. At home women are made to feel inferior to their male counterparts because somehow society has chosen to see it that way, but it doesn’t mean that that is the way it should be.
A cause for concern
With the released research we get a clear picture of how wide and deeply spread the issue of gender imbalance is. All of the companies on the list are some of Tanzania’s biggest and most profitable firms. It is baffling to think that such inequality exists amidst a great set of powerful minds.
But, not all hope is lost. There is still a way to remedy the situation. However, it first has to start with the people closely connected to the matter at hand. In this case, the companies that have been pinpointed in this gender imbalance concern ought to review their policies and start giving capable women an equal chance at leadership.
With the current regime we are witnessing firsthand how women have been entrusted to lead very crucial sectors in the government. It is from such confidence in women that we need to promote equal opportunities for all.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has shown the way and so others need to follow by acknowledging that women are just as capable as men in executing various tasks of the same nature beyond the confines of their home.
