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SACCO INDUSTRY WATCH
UTAFITI SACCO PROMOTING
WOMEN LEADERSHIP
Utafiti SACCO CEO Jane Mbogo presence in the economy and representation in leadership
roles remains unbalanced. They therefore deserve legitimate
The SACCO Star magazine is running a series of shots at leadership roles. To realize those gains, however, they
interviews with Women leaders in Co-operatives need more support from their employers/male counterparts.
on the subject of women empowerment. In this Women seem slightly more likely to use authoritarian styles,
issue, Utafiti SACCO Chief Executive Officer Jane but they also perceive themselves as having less power and
Mbogo sheds light on the SACCO’s vibrancy. influence than men.
As a woman how have you benefited from being a What is the relationship between the services/ benefits
leader of your SACCO? in your SACCO and women empowerment?
Female-led SACCOs are relatively more conservative from a
risk-management perspective than male-led SACCOs. Women
report feeling more able to motivate others than men.
My exposure to the SACCO leadership helped me gain Many of the reasons women have stalled in the SACCO industry
experience in SACCO operations, increase my self-confidence are consistent with the corporate world. Women sometimes
and gave me fresh energy to manage the SACCO and let have different experiences at work than men. As a result,
members trust the SACCO more than before. Today, I appreciate women are opting out or choosing not to advance more so than
that women leaders can effectively run SACCOs and I can now their male counterparts.
speak and express my thoughts and opinions freely without
fear of being intimidated. What role can SACCOs play in reducing gender
inequality and attaining an overall goal of reducing
One of the most celebrated aspects of the constitution poverty?
is the recognition of gender equality and the
achievement of gender parity in government. How has If SACCOs are to have any hope of closing the gender gap, it will
the Co-operative movement adopted these proposals? require bold moves. It will take effort, initiative, resources and
commitment. The SACCO movement by nature has a philosophy
Barriers to progress remain frustratingly solid. The Government very much aligned with promoting and allowing women to
has continued to introduce initiatives to get more women thrive in the industry. Perhaps more so than any other industry,
to the top, yet the progress remains slower than it should SACCOs are well positioned to affect change in this area, and
be. Misperceptions and siloed gender roles, not natural we would be imprudent not to.
incompetence, steer women away from male dominant fields
and into more traditionally female fields. How have the Co-operative principles, through
democratic control and economic participation,
The Co-operative movement empowers women to not only enhanced women empowerment in your SACCO?
become SACCO members but also to serve in SACCO leadership
roles. A number of SACCOs have adopted the gender balance SACCOs were founded on the inherently more likely to be
within the Board by appointing a virtually 1:1 ratio as well as receptive to ideas surrounding gender equality.
having confidence in women CEOs.
The board of directors are elected by the SACCO membership
Briefly tell us about your SACCO’s corporate policy on and works on a volunteer basis. Unlike banks, SACCO members
women empowerment? have a direct say in who’s elected to run the SACCO.
Utafiti provides women leaders and professionals with tangible What measures do you propose to improve women
skills, tools and resources they need to lead, actionable steps empowerment in your SACCO?
to follow, delivered through training programs and other
platforms. The time is right to consider how to systematically develop a
strong pipeline of female leaders that are ready to move into
What role do women play in your SACCO? those open SACCO roles, as well as backfill other leadership
positions.
The SACCO provides women with the opportunity and
resources to make a measurable difference in their lives, those Through development of programs, we can work with financial
of SACCO members and in their communities. Women generate institutions to design financial products specifically tailored
a higher percent of consumer unrestricted spending, but their towards women
23| SACCO Star Magazine
