Abstract

GENDER DIVERSITY AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN AN AFRICAN PATRIACHIAL CIVILIZATION: A BEAUTY OR A BEAST?

*Veronica Ekundayo, **Temitope Omotola Odusanya, ***Olubukola Olugasa

ABSTRACT                                                                                                                               

Gender diversity is a contemporary crucial phenomenon across the globe. It is fundamental especially in the workplace as countries around the world consistently thrive to advance gender parity in their leadership and corporate boardrooms. More so, the advent of globalization in our modern day era has engendered a contraction of the world at large. Nonetheless, equal gender representation have remained a challenge in African civilized societies. Hence, this study examined the socio-cultural impediments of gender diversity in an African patriarchal civilization. The study anchored on the theories of liberal feminism and dependency theories which were considered appropriate. The study implemented a qualitative research method focused comprehensively on secondary sources of data. Collated materials were content analyzed. Study exposed marginalization against women in major stratum of or in the African societies. This imminent bias debars women from mounting or getting into top hierarchical roles such as top executives and political job designations or roles. This study recommends that a mandatory quota backed by legal actions and sanctions should be inculcated in order to attain gender parity in African patriarchal civilization. This study therefore concluded that gender diversity is a beauty that ought to receive more audience or reception in the significant strata or positions that influences or makes impact such as economically, politically, educationally, religiously to mention but a few. Therefore, women should not be left out in major decisions that affect the whole populace.