Women in Kenya have made great strides obtaining the education and experience levels almost equal to that of men. Despite the seemingly remarkable progress, available statistics portray a situation where qualified women are unable to transcend structural and cultural barriers to rise to chief executive officers (CEO) positions. Within the Kenyan banking sector, women account for more than half of the employees, but of the 45 commercial bank CEOs, only two are female. Focusing on women in senior and middle management positions, the qualitative phenomenological study explored lived experiences and perceptions of 24 women from 12 banks in Nairobi. Study findings determined nine emergent themes as the perceived reasons why women's gains in education have not translated to significant representation at executive positions. The themes were (1) multiple roles and family-work balance struggles (2) structural barriers and political patronage (3) the burden of femininity and cultural prejudice (4) capability and resilience (5) the impact of mentorship (6) lack of access to networks and Old Boy's Club (7) women's leadership styles (8) possession of right qualifications, experience, and skills and (9) challenges with training opportunities. The study results might provide women with vital information to better understand the steps to take and the pitfalls to avoid in career advancement. Policy makers may use the findings as an environment scanning tool to identify cultural and structural forces working against achieving gender equality, and thus direct gender equity efforts to relevant areas.
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