“Gender equality creates the conditions to boost economic development and contributes to economic development”

Head of Human Resources and Change Management of AfrAsia Bank, Maureen Treanor explains that the workplace unfortunately continues to be the site of many continuing inequalities. “On such matters, human resources could be seen as the primary change makers. In our role it is imperative that we ensure equality of access, equality of experience and equality of outcome. In our terms, equality is about making sure that our employees are treated fairly and given fair chances. It’s about providing the environment, so everyone gets an equal outcome – we clearly stand against any gender-related barriers to promote diversity and inclusion across the business. Promoting equality through awareness programs and continued communication remains key to ensure that this concept is deeply entrenched in our everyday culture.”

She believes that often Mauritian women lag substantially behind in terms of their representation in leadership roles. “AfrAsia has taken a guidance role on this front with an almost perfect balance within its executive committee. The evidence of the positive equality effect is more and more overwhelming. Diversity naturally bring different perspectives, ideas and innovation. Understand the challenges for one group of people can help find solutions for others. When we create the space to listen, we find new & improved ways of working. From a much wider perspective, more gender equality creates the conditions to boost economic development and contributes to economic growth. In many developed countries, women are typically more educated than men and play a crucial role in the economy.”