Only four out of 61 companies listed on NSE have women as chairperson: survey

A recent survey of 57 out of 61 companies listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) indicates that of a total 467 directors, only 54, or 12 per cent, are women and of these, only four occupy the position of chairperson.

It found that 23 firms do not have a single woman on their boards despite availability of a huge pool of professional women.

On the list of firms that have met the gender threshold on their respective board of directors is Barclays Bank of Kenya, which recently announced the appointment of three women to their board of directors.

The appointment brings to five the total number of women on the 10-member board. The 50 per cent gender representation makes Barclays board the most gender diverse of any listed firm in Kenya.

Women heading boards include Isabella Ochola-Wilson, the non-executive chair of the Unga Limited board, Anne Mutahi who chairs of the Standard Chartered Bank board, Nelius Kariuki of Kenya-Re and Khadija Mire of Uchumi Supermarkets.

Standard Chartered Bank has only one other woman director, Chemutai Murgor.

Against this background, NSE yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with Barclays Bank and the Graca Machel-led "New Faces, New Voices" to mark the launch of the Leadership and Diversity Dialogue Series. The event was held at the Exchange building, 55 Westlands Road, Nairobi.

The exchange will co-ordinate a series of events for listed companies during the course of 2014 and 2015.