WDC Exec Ranked Among Africa's Most Influential

RAPAPORT... Marie-Chantal Kaninda, executive director of the WorldDiamond Council (WDC), was named as one of the 100 most influential women inAfrica by Forbes Afrique.Kaninda, who joined the WDC in March 2017, was noted forher work to further the interests of individuals and communities involved inAfrica's mining sector, the WDC reported Tuesday. Her r?(C)sum?(C) includes serving as chiefadviser for external affairs in Africa for Rio Tinto, as well as similarpositions at Ashanti Goldfields, AngloGold Ashanti and De Beers.The publication, which is the French-language version of ForbesMagazine focusing on African affairs, also noted Kaninda's work on socialissues. Among the roles she has filled, Kaninda helped establish the MCKMFoundation that focuses on education for girls in her native country, theDemocratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). She has also served as the chairpersonof an Anti-Corruption Working Group for the country's private sector, and has been a board member of the Diamond DevelopmentInitiative."Throughout her long career, she has worked to improvethe lives of Africa's disadvantaged people, be they women, artisanal miners orindividuals impacted by ongoing violence," said WDC president Stephane Fischler. "Her beliefthat a country's natural resources can fuel the development of all its peopleessentially embodies what we strive for in the WDC."Journalist Nadia Mensah-Acogny, who compiles the list,noted that while African women are making their presence felt at the highestlevels of all sectors, they are still underrepresented in the private sector. "Likeeverywhere in the world, diversity remains a challenge for women in Africa,"she wrote.Image: Marie Chantal Kaninda. (World Diamond Council)