The Managing Director, Project Management Institute (Sub-Saharan Africa), George Asamani, has encouraged more women to take advantage of the gains in the project management industry by getting certified.
While identifying that women had advanced in the sector over the past few decades, Asamani noted that there was still a ‘glaring disparity’ which has had negative implications for project teams in Africa and around the globe.
He said in a statement he issued in commemoration of International Women’s Day.
Asamani said, “While there is a glaring disparity which has immediate negative implications for project teams, 88 per cent of project professionals say having diverse project teams increases value. Workplace gender equality is not just about inclusivity, it also has a compelling commercial imperative.”
To better understand the current state of women in project management and where opportunities exist for female workers and organisations, PMI looked at data from over 1,900 female project professionals, who responded to the PMI Annual Global Survey on Project Management in 2022.
PMI identified, through the Talent Gap Report, that the gender gap in project management was universal.
“Male project professionals outnumber females in every region worldwide, but the disparities are most significant in the Middle East and North Africa, Asia Pacific, and South Asia. Gender gaps are lowest in North America, sub-Saharan Africa, and China.
“PMI’s global snapshot shows that male project managers outnumber their female counterparts worldwide and in every sector, but the gaps differ significantly by region and industry.
“The report also found that women earn less than men and are slightly less likely to have a project management certification or degree. While there are fewer women in the project workforce, they are slightly less likely than men to have a leadership role,” part of the statement read.
PMI also revealed through their survey that women held “significantly fewer jobs than their male counterparts, despite global equality movements and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs taking hold in the workplace.”
