ACCA wants increased female presence in finance
The
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants has canvassed the
appointment of more females to top positions in the financial sector as a
means of promoting gender equality in the profession.
The Chief Executive Officer of the
association, Helen Brand, said this in Lagos on Tuesday at a conference
with the theme, ‘Women in finance.’
Brand, who argued that females were the
future of finance, explained that appointing women to senior finance
posts would enhance diversity and potential development in the
profession.
She said, “On the gender issue, 45 per
cent of our members and half of the intake are females. Given the rate
at which the proportion of students is changing – many have said that
the future of finance is women – and yet, women account for only 20 per
cent of the most senior posts held in finance.
“So, there is a great deal of work to
enable the thousands of young women entering the accountancy profession
to fulfil their potential and meet their aspirations.
“We believe that diversity is not simply
about gender – diverse organisations need to ensure that they address
equal opportunities in all areas – there is a diversity of cultures,
skills, experience, ideas and business perspectives that help to create
and drive great finance functions and deliver enhanced business
performance.”
She noted that a research conducted by
the ACCA showed that companies with more women on their boards
outperformed rivals with a 42 per cent high return in sales, 66 per cent
higher return on capital and 53 per cent return on equity.
She said, “We have put diversity on top
of our agenda. It is one of the main pillars of our research and insight
programme, which represents our thought leadership on key issues of the
day and of the near future. We have carried out research projects on
various aspects of diversity and the finance function.
“ACCA research report showed that
proportionally, women appear more successful in attaining executive
roles where they have financial background. 45 per cent of female
executive directors are financially qualified and 65 per cent in total
have a financial background, while 26 per cent of their male colleagues
are financially qualified and 44 per cent have a financial background.”
August 28, 2013 by Sodiq Oyeleke
http://www.punchng.com/business/appointments-management/acca-wants-increased-female-presence-in-finance/
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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