The number of female employees in regulated Saccos in the country has been steadily rising, surpassing that of male employees, SASRA’s Sacco Supervision Report 2022 has revealed.
According to the Report, female employees in regulated Saccos account for 50.61% of the total employees with males accounting for 49.39%.
It also reveals that within the DT-SACCOs segment, out of 9,876 employees, 50.84% were female, indicating a rise compared to 2020 when female employees constituted 49.79% of total employees.
In contrast, male employees constituted 49.16% in 2021, a decline from 50.21% in 2020. In 2019, the ratio of female employees was 48.18%, which experienced a minor increase in 2020. On the other hand, the ratio of male employees declined marginally from 51.82% in 2019 to 51.82% in 2020.
However, within the NWDT-SACCOs segment, the situation was reversed. Male employees accounted for 51.14% of the total employees, while female employees accounted for 48.86%.
Equality is a fundamental value in cooperatives which is rooted in their Principles. The Principle is also enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya, in Article 27, which guarantees the right to equality and freedom from discrimination.
Ports Sacco CEO Dedan Ondieki acknowledges that there has been a significant shift in the employment landscape, with more women actively seeking job opportunities that were previously dominated by men. This change is attributed to their commendable performance, which has led to deliberate efforts to provide them with employment positions.
“In my SACCO, out of 42 workers, 22 are female and 20 are male, indicating a more balanced gender representation,” he says.
Kwetu SACCO CEO Stanley Kyelenzi affirms that the bias against women, which was prevalent in the past, is gradually diminishing.
“The leadership positions in SACCOs, particularly directorship roles, used to be dominated by men. However, there has been a positive shift towards integrating women into leadership positions, giving them a voice,” he says.
Kyelenzi further highlights that women are currently more trustworthy than men especially in sensitive positions, amid the rise of financial fraud in the industry.
“In recent years, there have been instances of financial fraud within our banks and sectors and men have been associated with these conspiracies. To ensure the safety of our resources, female employees are now being trusted more than their male counterparts,” he states.
However, the Global Gender Gap Report for 2022 raised concerns about the state of gender equality in the labour market. It reported that not only is women’s participation declining worldwide, but there are also significant disparities between men and women in terms of economic opportunities.
Between 2019 and 2020, the global women’s labour force participation rate decreased by 3.4%, compared to 2.4% for men.
By Amos Kerich
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