Kenya’s Dr Jennifer Riria, the Group’s Chief Executive Officer of Echo Network Africa, is Model African Woman of the Year 2022.
She is the second African woman to be awarded the prestigious award after Ghana’s first female Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei Opare, received it in 2019.
Dr Jennifer Riria received the award during this year’s 6th continental convocation of the Young African Women Congress (YAWC) held October 4, 2022, at the auditorium of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana.
She was honoured concerning her interventions in improving the socio-economic situation of women and girls in Kenya, having been admitted into the EY Global Hall of Fame.
Dr Riria is distinguished as a Microfinance Banker and Practitioner, Researcher and Gender Specialist. She has led Kenya Women Finance Trust Microfinance (KWFT) Bank for over three decades and propelled it from an unprofitable NGO to a medium-sized Bank, serving low-income women and their families all over Kenya.
KWFT has served over 3 million women and disbursed over US$ 3 billion over a period of 30 years. As the CEO, she spearheaded the transformation of KWFT from a microfinance institution to a regulated middle-sized bank (2004-2009).
She has served in many other leadership roles in financial, public, and health institutions, for which she has been recognised locally and internationally.
Dr Riria is the Patron of the Democracy Trust Fund (DTF), a semi-autonomous organization that supports and positions women to participate in democratic processes.
Additionally, she is the Chairperson of the Africa Women Leaders Network – Kenyan Chapter.
Recently she re-launched the Jennifer Riria Foundation, whose focus is to enhance young women’s leadership through innovations and connecting them with the private sector. Working with and touching people’s life is her passion.
She has served on many Boards, including the Women’s World Bank Board, an international microfinance network of microfinance institutions and banks for 21 years, during which she was the Chairperson.
YAWC is a continental-based African organisation with its headquarters in Accra, Ghana.
The Young African Women Congress is a Pan-African event opened to young women of African descent. It is a platform which fosters knowledge-sharing and cultural exchanges among nations and generations.
