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Only 24% of women in banking sector are bosses
Customers in a banking hall. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- Deputy Bank of Uganda governor Dr Michael Atingi-Ego has called for more efforts to promote women into leadership positions in all sectors.
Uganda Bankers’ Association (UBA) has said 24 per cent women employed in the banking industry are at the level of at least a chief executive officer or executive director, a trend that needs to be reversed to close the gender gap in top leadership across the country’s financial sector.
Citibank managing director and Uganda Bankers’ association chairperson Sarah Arapta said emale staff constitute 52 per cent of the 19,362 employees in the banking sector but the gender’s make up percentage reduces up the leadership ladder with 54 per cent at officer and entry level.
“The current situation indicates that 49 per cent are at junior management level, 41 per cent at senior management, 34% at executive management and only 24 per cent or (16/50) at the Chief Executive/Executive Director level,” she noted during the inaugural women economic empowerment forum in partnership with VISA at in Kampala on Thursday.
Arapta highlighted that the above under representation is not only at the professional women in banking and finance level, but also in terms of female bank customers as well as the number of products and services that speak to the needs of women.
“Several of our member financial institutions have however introduced various interventions, programs, products, services for women in business targeting both urban and rural women and these continue to be churned out at the different levels and scale by the individual members. We salute our membership for this,” she remarked.
Arapta highlighted that there has been a gap at the apex level, by way of absence of an industry wide approach and response coordinated in a manner that delivers the much-needed bigger impact.
Speaking at the same gathering, deputy Bank of Uganda governor Dr Michael Atingi-Ego held that it is widely accepted that women leaders make a positive difference in the financial industry.
“More and more women are being appointed to leadership positions in banks and other financial institutions… but women remain underrepresented in the financial industry at the highest levels. We must do more to promote women into leadership positions in all sectors,” he urged.
UBA communications chief Patricia Amito Lutwama used the event to tout Women Economic Empowerment is (WEE) establishment as the association's pioneer social impact initiative aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 of achieving gender equity and empowering all women and girls.
“The overall goal is to create an enabling environment within the banking and financial service industry, which promotes the growth of professional women, women leaders and ultimately women entrepreneurs, ensuring their participation in equal opportunities within the economy,” she added.
