Home #BreakTheBias: ACCA champions gender equality, inclusion

#BreakTheBias: ACCA champions gender equality, inclusion

Chioma ObinagwamApril 8, 20222 Mins read534

By Chioma Obinagwam

Global body for professional accountants, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has said that in a bid to break biases and create a world that works for everyone, it has embraced gender equality, inclusion and diversity as part of its core principles.

The ACCA Executive Director for Markets, Lucia Real-Martin disclosed at the event themed, “The Nexus Between Women Inclusion and Economic Performance” held in Lagos recently.

“Among the many reasons why I’m proud of ACCA is that we have always built equality, diversity and inclusion into our structure.

“Our in 1904 was to create a professional body for accountancy professionals that was open to all. We can boast the first woman member of any professional accountancy body – Ethel Ayres Purdie, who became a member in 1909,” she stated.

Real-Martin added that ACCA has the highest proportion of female members , 60 percent, of all the UK-based accountancy bodies.

Corroborating, Head, ACCA Nigeria, Tom Isibor stated that the Association’s crave for equality and inclusion is evident in the key executive roles that exist in it.

“I am fortunate as well to work in an organisation like ACCA. We have a global executive team made up of six teams and four of them are women.
I also have a bragging right that two of my direct ups are women,” Isibor disclosed.

ACCA global executive team: Chief Executive – Helen Brand OBE; Executive Director – content, quality and innovation – Alan Hatfield; Executive Director – people and transformation – Julie Hotchkiss; Executive Director – finance and operations – Raymond Jack; Executive Director – strategy and governance – Maggie McGhee; and Executive Director – markets – Lucia Real Martin. Photo Credit: ACCA website.

“More importantly, I think as an organisation we have to be proud of what we stand for at ACCA. For inclusion, for diversity, for respecting people of every race, creed, and religion; that is what we are. And that is why we can partner with people like ElectHer today. To ensure that we amplify the voice of diversity. The voice of inclusion and of course breaking biases,” he continued.

Reiterating, ACCA’s Executive Director for Markets further urged organisations to embrace equity.

“So this means we stand for equity across a range of under-represented backgrounds of which gender is one example.

“I think it’s right to say that most organisations today would aspire to similar aims. But the challenge for all is to make sure they mean something more than stats. We need to bring them to life,” she harped.

Confiance News recalls that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5, 10 and 17 which bothers on gender equality, reduced inequalities and partnership for the goals respectively have been fully embedded in ACCA’s latest “Rethinking Our World” campaign.