Bank of Ghana Second Deputy Governor Matilda Asante-Asiedu has called on corporate boards to place more women in roles that influence culture, long-term strategy and innovation, warning that companies that confine women to human resources and communications risk losing their competitive edge.
Speaking at the Women in HR Conference in Accra, Asante-Asiedu said diversity in senior decision-making positions directly improves profitability and resilience. “Elevating women beyond HR is not about charity or tokenism. It is about competitiveness and survival in a fast-changing world,” she told industry leaders.
She cited research by McKinsey showing companies with higher gender diversity in leadership are 25% more likely to outperform peers on profitability. Studies from Harvard Business Review, she added, also show women score higher than men in critical leadership competencies such as resilience, integrity and initiative.
Asante-Asiedu, who built her career in banking after leaving a prominent media role, presented her own trajectory as evidence that leadership potential expands when women take on roles outside their comfort zones. At Access Bank, she spearheaded initiatives in retail and women’s banking that grew profit contributions fivefold and introduced inclusive financial products.
The Deputy Governor pressed boards to move beyond symbolic appointments, ensuring women are present on key committees such as audit, risk, finance and innovation. “If women are absent there, then half of society’s wisdom is absent where it matters most,” she said.
She also pointed to Ghana’s Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, passed last year, which mandates women hold 30% of leadership positions by 2026, 35% by 2028 and parity by 2030. Aligning with these targets, she argued, is not only a compliance issue but a business imperative as investors increasingly demand stronger governance and inclusivity.
“Leadership is not male or female, it is human,” she said. “But the evidence is clear: when women thrive, economies thrive. And when women are allowed to lead in culture, strategy and innovation, organizations leap ahead.”
