Global Visa processing firm, VFS Global has reported close to 60 percent of its workforce managing visa application centres in Kenya and other markets across the world collectively are women.

In its integrated report 2021, the firm has recorded surpassing a female to male ratio of 50 percent (Now at 58:42) across all ranks as part of its key sustainability achievements.
The world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, also boasts of increasing number of women in top leadership roles to 23 percent by close of 2021- as it eyes to reach 28 percent by end of 2022.
To further bridge gender disparity, the firm reported it achieved an equal pay ratio of 100% in 141 countries, Kenya included.

“VFS Global’s first Integrated Report demonstrates the importance we give to Sustainability and to integrating our ESG goals within our business strategy. In 2021, we built a Sustainability strategy spanning across five fundamental pillars backed by well-defined KPIs and targets linked to the performance goals of the senior management and cascaded across the organisation to maximise impact,” said Dr. Elena Primikiri, Head – ESG, VFS Global.

These key achievements encompassing strides made towards achieving gender parity, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and community outreach initiatives it said have been recorded across all VFS Global offices including Kenya and South Africa.

The 2021 report based on Global Reporting Initiatives (GRI) standards captures VFS Global’s sustainability strategy based on five distinguished pillars – Contributing to Sustainable Economic Growth, Delivering Good Governance, Nurturing our Colleagues, Protecting our Environment and Supporting our Communities.

Each of these pillars is aligned to the organization’s business strategy, the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, and national priorities.

They also include a considerable focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Employee Empowerment, Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Community Empowerment

On reduction of GreenHouse Gas Emissions, the firm said 52% of its electricity usage worldwide is covered by renewable energy while 18% of its locations across the globe use certified green printing paper.
More than 55,000 individuals have so far benefited through VFS Global outreach initiatives with atleast 60 community initiatives rolled out across 22 countries in 2021.