About 300 women have convened in Mombasa for the 5th annual ladies leadership and accountability conference under the theme, Women blazing trails, exploring an enabled world.
The Chairperson Association of Women Accountants in Kenya (AWAK), Georgina Malombe said the conference has attracted women from all walks of life from the region and beyond, where they will be re-energized in order to remain effective and efficient in their social, corporate and professional lives.
The 3 day conference being held at the White Sands Hotel in Mombasa marks a series of events to underpin the role of women in leadership, during the international women’s week and prepare them across the board to take up leadership challenges, even as they champion for accountability in both corporate and political spheres.
In her opening remarks on Wednesday, Malombe said while women represent over 50 percent of the population worldwide, they represent only 39 percent in the global labour force, thus contributing only 37 percent of the global GDP.
She said narrowing or even closing the global gender gap in work place could have significant economic impact.
The Chairperson said it is projected that if all the countries were to match the progress towards gender parity in their work force, the global GDP could increase by 11 percent by the year 2025.
Malombe observed that research has shown that there was a strong correlation between better financial results in a company that has women in top management.
AWAK is a non-political and non-profit professional organization for women accountants founded in 1992 and registered under the societies ACT 1994. It was launched by the then US Ambassador to Kenya, Aurelia Brazeal in 1995.
The rationale behind its formation was to create a forum for women in accountancy to network, grow and develop their careers, professions as well as businesses and in the long run contribute to the country’s social economic development.
The organization champions for women empowerment in the society through capacity building and training in governance, leadership, entrepreneurship and all functions of business management.
By Joseph Kamolo
