WDC Exec Ranked Among Africa’s Most Influential

RAPAPORT… Marie-Chantal Kaninda, executive director of the World
Diamond Council (WDC), was named as one of the 100 most influential women in
Africa by Forbes Afrique.




Kaninda, who joined the WDC in March 2017, was noted for
her work to further the interests of individuals and communities involved in
Africa’s mining sector, the WDC reported Tuesday. Her résumé includes serving as chief
adviser for external affairs in Africa for Rio Tinto, as well as similar
positions at Ashanti Goldfields, AngloGold Ashanti and De Beers.




The publication, which is the French-language version of Forbes
Magazine focusing on African affairs, also noted Kaninda’s work on social
issues. Among the roles she has filled, Kaninda helped establish the MCKM
Foundation that focuses on education for girls in her native country, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). She has also served as the chairperson
of an Anti-Corruption Working Group for the country’s private sector, and has been a board member of the Diamond Development
Initiative.




“Throughout her long career, she has worked to improve
the lives of Africa’s disadvantaged people, be they women, artisanal miners or
individuals impacted by ongoing violence,” said WDC president Stephane Fischler. “Her belief
that a country’s natural resources can fuel the development of all its people
essentially 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 highest
levels of all sectors, they are still underrepresented in the private sector. “Like
everywhere in the world, diversity remains a challenge for women in Africa,”
she wrote.



Image: Marie Chantal Kaninda. (World Diamond Council)