COVER STORY
COVER STORY
Catherine Musakali
Chairman - The Women on Boards Network , an initiative aimed at promoting and encouraging women into Board leadership
The Women on Boards Network was officially launched on 9th April , 2014 . It is an initiative aimed at promoting and encouraging women into Board leadership . The Network therefore provides a platform that brings together women from diverse fields and ranks ; facilitate those already sitting on Boards to effectively carry out their roles and responsibilities , and up skill and prepare for the boardroom those women who are already in senior leadership roles , but are not yet sitting on any boards . It therefore seeks to support the enhancement of leadership skills in women so as to increase the diversity on Boards . This is in recognition of the fact that the number of women sitting on Boards is still very low , not just in Kenya but across the world . The initiative therefore seeks to ensure that the next generation of board members is more diverse and better balanced from a gender perspective with the aim of improving the effectiveness of corporate boards now and in the future .
The initiative aims at encouraging and accelerating diversity on Boards by ensuring that there is a pool of Board ready women , and that those women already sitting on boards have an avenue for networking and sharing experiences with a view to becoming better directors . The Network runs various training , coaching and mentorship programs , conferences , round table breakfasts and board talks for members .
Who is involved ?
The Network targets women from the following four categories ;
• Women at management level whose next natural step is to be a Board Member .
• Women currently serving as Board Members .
• Women newly appointed as Board Members .
• Women whose terms on boards have expired .
The programs of The Women on Boards Network are intended to benefit individual members in ensuring that they are empowered to join and to become effective board members
The initiative aims at encouraging and accelerating diversity on Boards by ensuring that there is a pool of Board ready women , and that those women already sitting on boards have an avenue for networking and sharing experiences with a view to becoming better directors . The Network runs various training , coaching and mentorship programs , conferences , round table breakfasts and board talks for members .
The programs of The Women on Boards Network are intended to benefit individual members in ensuring that they are empowered to join and to become effective board members .
The Network provides the following benefits :
• Platform to network with other women in leadership positions .
• Training opportunities in leadership and corporate Governance with an emphasis on women .
• Opportunities for coaching , mentorship and upskilling .
• Sharing of lessons and experiences through networking .
• Joining a database of board ready women .
• Monthly board talks .
• A monthly newsletter .
• Interactions with seasoned industry leaders .
38 LIFE TODAY MAGAZINE Issue 1 , No . 001 / 17 / December 2016