The African Development Bank (AfDB) says it has attained Level 1 Assess in recognition of its commitment to monitoring, benchmarking and achieving gender parity in its workforce.
The bank’s Vice President, Jacques Edjangue, who disclosed this on Thursday in a statement said it attained this with the EDGE certification, which it commenced in 2022.
The EDGE Certification is the leading global assessment methodology and certification standard for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I).
He said: “By working to close gaps identified during the assessment, the bank will continue to expand its efforts towards creating a more gender-equal workplace.
“The Bank is now EDGE certified at Level 1 (EDGE Assess), recognising the organisation’s commitment to an impactful action plan.
“It is also to accelerate its progress across the four pillars of the EDGE Global Standards – representation, pay equity, policies and practices, and cultural inclusiveness.
“This is a new milestone in the Bank’s journey to join, under the leadership of our President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, a global community of organisations committed to giving equal opportunities to men and women in the workplace,” Edjangue said.
According to the vice president, significant progress has been made on the Learning and Development front to empower women in the workplace.
She said AfDB remained committed to pursuing initiatives and procedures that promote gender equality within its institutions.
She noted that in 2019, 83 per cent of the executive workforce at the Bank was
men.
“But within three years, the ratios of women in senior leadership had changed from 17 per cent to 32 per cent.
“The Bank has set a goal for reaching 50/50 gender parity across its workforce in the near future,” she said.
The Founder of the EDGE Certified Foundation, Aniela Unguresan, said: “It is with great pride that we announce the certification of the AfDB Group at the first EDGE Certification level, EDGE Assess.
“We look forward to the bank’s continued progress towards gender equality in the workplace as the organisation works towards the next EDGE Certification level.”
