50/50 Women on Boards (WOB), the global non-profit advocating for gender balance and diversity on corporate boards is thrilled to announce the launch of its inaugural African chapter in Nairobi, Kenya.
A 50/50 Woman in Africa is an ambitious leader with potential to make a substantial impact on corporate boards.
These women are poised for leadership but are often held back by systemic challenges such as age bias and insufficient opportunities to expand their networks beyond their immediate professional circles.
The Nairobi chapter of 50/50 WOB aims to change this by providing access to valuable resources, mentorship, and networks that help women overcome these barriers.
This launch marks a significant expansion of the organization’s mission to promote gender equality in corporate governance and leadership across the continent.
Despite Africa’s leadership in global statistics—boasting the highest representation of women on boards at 25%, compared to the world
average of 17%—significant gender inequality persists in boardrooms
and corporate sectors across the region.
The 50/50 WOB Nairobi Chapter seeks to address these disparities by providing African women with the training, mentorship, and networks needed to break through barriers and increase their representation in board positions.
Philana Mugyenyi, founder and co-chair of 50/50 Women on Boards Africa, expressed her optimism for the chapter’s potential.
“The launch of the Nairobi chapter is an important step towards advancing the agenda for African women in corporate leadership,” Ms Mugyenyi said.
“While we’ve made progress, many talented women, especially young professionals, are still underrepresented on boards due to limited social capital and biases related to age. Through our programs, partnerships and network, 50/50 Women on Boards will empower these women to take on leadership roles and create more inclusive boardrooms across Africa.”
Admassu Tadesse, president of the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), highlighted the value of diverse boardrooms.
“At TDB, we’ve seen how diversity drives innovation, strengthens governance, and ultimately improves performance. Boards that lack diversity are prone to groupthink, limiting their strategic perspectives and ability to tackle complex challenges,” Tadesse said.
“The launch of 50/50 Women on Boards’ Nairobi Chapter will create pathways form African women to assume leadership roles, driving meaningful change in
corporate governance.”
