Global consulting firm McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) said in its “Women Matter” report, the first looking at the importance of gender in Africa’s elites that the continent still has a lot to do in terms of gender equality. “Gender equality is still far ahead,” Lohini Moodley and Tania Holt, two associates of the firm in South Africa, told French Newspaper Jeune Afrique.  

According to the study, there are more women on boards of large African companies than anywhere else in the world. Also their status in public administrations and national parliaments has improved.

The report shows the following proportions: 36% of promotions to important positions are attributed to women who presently represent 29% of senior officers, 24% of parliamentarians, 22% of members of ministerial cabinets and 5% of Director Generals.

Compared to other parts of the world, Africa is ahead of Asia and South America in terms of executive directors and positions within administrative boards. Over the 210 African firms surveyed, 5% of DGs and 15% of board members are women. In Asia, 4% of DGs and 10% of board members are women; in South America, 2% and 6% for DGs and boards members respectively. Europe however did better than these two regions with 18% of board members being women but had 3% for DGs ; the USA are on the same ground as Africa with 5% of women DGs and 17% women board members.

Also, parliamentarian women are growing in number on the continent. They constitute 24% of national chambers, a rate that puts Africa above the global average, 21%.

Alain Okpeitcha