KCB Changes Logo in Honor of International Women’s Day 2019

In a brave, yet defying move, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) has changed its brand logo from a Lion to a Lioness across all their six markets simultaneously on this year’s International Women’s Day.

The bank has made a big statement about gender empowerment and equality and has said it will maintain the new logo until the end of March so as to celebrate African women.

“We are taking a bold and sincere step using our brand asset; to reiterate our promise for the advancement of gender equality and the empowerment of women particularly through financial inclusion solutions and equal opportunities at the corporate and commercial touch points.” said the KCB Group CEO and MD Joshua Oigara.

KCB is 120 years and has never changed the Lion from the brand’s logo to celebrate any cause and this goes shows the banks commitment and support for women’s rights and womanhood in general.

In a social campaign called #HearHerRoar, KCB bank truly brings out the spirit of a true African woman. The campaign, is running across KCB regional network in Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

KCB has shown its support towards women continuously over the years through programs specifically tailored towards meeting the needs of women.

“We have been deliberate in our operations to ensure that we push for gender parity at all levels within the institution. We are alive to the importance and benefits of a gender balanced world where we have equal opportunities in the working environment” said Oigara.

The bank has engaged in various women empowerment programs, including becoming among the first signatories of the UN’s Women’s Empowerment Principles.

One such program is the Women’s Market program which includes capacity building programs, insurance products, and modified credit processes and collateral requirements.

Through the lender’s Sustainability Agenda and specifically on the Talent management and Diversity action point, KCB has continued to measure progress and adopt initiatives under the Women in Leadership Network (WILN), an internal KCB Group initiative meant to grow women leaders.

The WILN program so far reached 550 women staff who have gone through a two-year program of self-awareness, mentorship, coaching and leadership skills. In the year 2018, KCB staff complement in terms of gender balance stood at 50:50, a milestone achieved ahead of its 2020 target. Through this program, over 100 women have been promoted in 2017 and 2018.

KCB has also ensured that diversity is a key factor in the bank’s strategy, with a specific emphasis on attracting and retaining women as employees.

In 2015 KCB Group launched a five-year Women in Leadership Program to encourage women to take up senior leadership positions in the Group.

Findings from the Women Aspiration Market Research Survey commissioned by KCB revealed that career advancement and the desire to own a business are the two main aspirational spaces that women under the age of 35 aspire for.

Empowering women in the economy and closing gender gaps in the world of work are therefore key to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDG).

The bank adopted eight SDGs of which Goal No. 1- no poverty, Goal No. 8 – decent work and economic growth and Goal No. 10 – reduced inequality, are directly corelated to the gender parity conversation.  Evidence of the crucial role that KCB Group advocates for the gender parity agenda.

These are just a few of the many efforts that the bank has taken to ensure that women are heard, included and supported.