ACCA States that Gender Inequality is a Crucial Business Risk Requiring to be Addressed

The ACCA Chief Executive Officer said that accountants are placed perfectly to shine on the gender inequality spotlight. In order for them to become more successful, there is need to have significant changes that support more diversity in the business and across the globe are required. These words were said by Helen Brand, OBE and ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), Chief Executive Officer of the accountancy body across the globe.

In Kampala, Uganda where she opened the breakfast of ‘Women in Finance’, Helen Brand expounded that the recent ACCA report, ‘Increasing gender diversity to boost performance, ‘has the objective of helping CFOs, senior professionals in finance and Human Resource professionals who work along ide the team in finance in gaining an understanding of gender diversity and ensure there is a business case for their peers’ diversity.

Helen Brand in her keynote, she emphasized that employers should encourage thinking innovatively, building relationships with wide range of customers and developing more robust worldwide value chains if they can tap into the widest pool of talent.

Encouraging a lot of diversity in the workforce and having to manage that diversity in an effective manner is one means of maximizing human capital value. A worldwide assurance to change with clear timelines would offer all those fighting for equality the achieved confidence. Most of the conclusions arrived at in ACCA’s paper propose applicable actions to every form of diversity initiative and not just the ones aiming at increasing women representation, she added.

ACCA advocates for great diversity in company boards composition not only in matters concerning gender but also in experience and background. Evidence shows that when women are present in company boards, good governance is promoted. Moreover, the company will also have sound management and have the performance of the business enhanced.

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) body is deemed as the most diverse professional body across the globe composed of 53 % members while female members are 46 %.