The Developers Digest Q1 Issue

29
opinion
a half years apart and we had them when we
were just starting our career Journey.
• Having a spouse who is also a Senior Banker
means I had to make career choices and even
employers who are able to accommodate
my schedule as both a wife and a mother. At
one time my husband worked away in South
Africa when our kids were very young and I
decided to join him but soon realised that we
were better of; with me remaining in Kenya
as I supervised construction of our home as I
balanced bring up the two young boys. When
an opportunity for him to come back to Kenya
Knocked in; it coincidentally happened to be
the same bank that had also just offered me
a job on a promotion. I had to sacrifice my
offer letter as it was more important for us as
a family to have him back in the Country. God
places family first and he definitely did make
sure that another door of opportunity opened.
• Sometimes the job needs you to travel,
put in late hours to close a deal or finalise
reports. This is a thin line that I have learnt to
tred carefully in order to achieve a sense of
balance.
• Time also spills over to personal friendships
and commitments not related to work; you get
to a place where life becomes a big balancing
act. I have surrounded myself with a strong
personal Board of Directors who help me keep
the balance in my marital, spiritual, social and
career development.
• Besides being a career woman. Mother and
wife and I have found an even better purpose
in giving back through mentorship and have
taken this as a commitment to encourage
young ladies to take up leadership roles. As an
Alumni of Maryhill Girls and Strathmore- I have
adopted several girls that I mentor and coach.
I mentor the 3rd and 4th Year Finance students
at my alma mater Strathmore University
through the annual finance Roundtables and
encourage especially ladies to embrace and
thrive in Finance.
5. What practical measures can individuals,
companies and society take to support greater
gender balance in the real estate sector?
• The world is progressing on a positive note
with ethical, inclusive and sustainable
practices increasingly becoming a focal
point of conversation across various facets
of society, including business, academia,
government and private sector alike.
• We all can do what we can in our little spaces
to create an environment that allows the
girl-child to thrived.Just like the Financial
sector, Real Estate is stereotyped to be a field
for Men. I attribute my success in the two
sectors to leaders including and mostly male
who recognise and appreciate that women
are as good and went ahead to create an
environment that supported me both as a
mother, wife and employee. I have worked
for KCB Group for the longest; Three of my
children were born while I was at KCB. The
bank supported my career growth even when
I took leave to be with the babies and when I
came back I was able to have flexi- Hours that
helped me manage my work without worrying
too much about the babies. This might sound
small but it means a lot for young women
looking to build their career as many give up
or opt to have a break if the employer does not
provide a conducive environment.
• Slowly but surely, pioneer-thinking, ethical
businesses with strong core values are already
striving to achieve gender diversity and
inclusivity.
• This is because even as we move to the
actualization of one of Kenya’s vision 2030
goals on gender diversity, businesses recognize
that it is the right thing to do and understand
the value it brings on board. Gender diversity is
about striving to grant equity to both genders.
For this to happen, there is a strong need to
create a working environment and a culture
that allows female talent to thrive.
• This same emphasis on equal opportunities
should be applied in the real estate industry,
so that one’s gender doesn’t determine their
future in the industry.
• The players in the industry should take
targeted streps to recruit and develop women
across the board. At construction sites, safety
measures should be introduced so that women
can work safely without facing discrimination,
intimidation or sexual harassment. They
should also have separate changing rooms,
mothers’ rooms as well as toilets for safety
purposes.
• This same equality should apply in pay
and recruitment opportunities so that
more women consider taking up careers in
construction and real estate.
• I am a product of this Diversity and proud to
Adopting a Long-term Perspective in the Real Estate Sector