Advocacy for Women, Breaking Barriers, Diversity and Inclusion, Empowering Women, Gender Equality, Gender Parity, Sustainable Impact, Women Empowerment

Why are women still unequal if they legally have human rights?

Posted on by Nasi Hako
25
Jul

Why are women still unequal, even though they legally have human rights? 

This is a question I’ve been reflecting on this week, especially in the wake of Nelson Mandela Day, a moment meant to honour freedom, justice and the human rights so many fought for in South Africa. I reflected on the freedom it brought for this nation’s women, and not to mention, women of colour.  

However, despite having one of the most progressive Constitutions in the world, meant to sew the principle of equality into the nation’s legal blanket and prohibit discrimination based on gender, inequality persists. 

On paper, South African women are free and equal. However, in practice, the story is a lot more complex. 

Have you read? 
Honouring Mandela’s Legacy by Uplifting Women 

Women make up the majority of the South African population, yet according to the PwC’s 2023 Executive Directors Report, fewer than 1 in 5 CEOs are women.  

While there are many reasons for this disparity, including historical exclusion, systematic design or societal beliefs, the answer to the question comes down to just one factor: Access.  

Access opens the door, equality walks through it 

Access is the first step. It opens the door and simply equality walks through it. 

Women in South Africa face disparities in access as it pertains to economic opportunity, education, digital connectivity, land ownership, healthcare and leadership roles. As a result, women are forced to perpetuate a cycle of poverty and dependence. Women are underrepresented in the workforce, especially in STEM fields, and overrepresented in low-paying sectors. 

Women occupy a meagre 32% of managerial positions, despite being a majority of the population, and perhaps the question of access has quite a bit to do with that.  

If we remove barriers to access, we can give people the ability to show up, to lead and to compete in a system that has them in mind. For example, most institutions were built by and for men, not taking into account women’s realities. This is why economic and legal tools, including gender-transformative policies, are so essential.  

Have you read? 
Building a united Africa: A call for gender-inclusive leadership 

Unleash access, unleash innovation

Suppose we dismantle barriers to access and create spaces that champion empowerment and inclusion. In that case, we can increase the representation in the room and turn the poverty cycle into a cycle of empowerment: one that dismantles centuries of inequality and ensures equitable access to resources and ensures the race is run with a levelled starting line.  

When we give access to previously excluded groups, we challenge the status quo, we shift policies, reimagine leadership and grow the circle of influence. Before we talk about equality of outcomes, we must first ensure equality of entry.  

When we remove barriers, we unleash innovation, expand talent pipelines, and build stronger, more resilient communities. Access gives women the power to fully participate in shaping the economy, society or their own lives. Without access, equality remains a theory. With it, we begin to build a world where everyone has a fair shot. 

If our social and institutional systems cannot deliver on the equality the law promises, then it is up to us to step in, break barriers and create access. 

Be in the room.  

Join the women, the leaders and the barrier-breakers rewriting the future. Get your ticket for WomenIN Festival 2025, happening 13–14 November in Cape Town, because access starts with showing up and the future belongs to those who do. 

Advocacy for Women, Breaking Barriers, Diversity and Inclusion, Gender Equality, Gender Parity

Why Investing in Women is an Investment in Everyone: The Ripple Effect 

Posted on by Nasi Hako
02
Jul

The data is clear: when women have equal access to education and employment, everyone benefits. Economies become more resilient, households become more stable, and societies become more just. 

Yet the annual funding gap currently preventing developing countries from achieving gender equality by 2030—a key Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)—is a staggering $420 billion.  

This figure was reported by UN Women and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in their recent report, The Costs of Achieving the SDGs: Gender Equality. The report reflects missed targets, but more importantly, it signals a deep, structural barrier to economic and social development for entire nations. 

Nowhere is the potential return on gender equality more striking than in Africa. 

McKinsey & Company’s “best-in-region” scenario illustrated this clearly. If every African country were to have matched the gender equality performance of its most advanced regional peer, the continent would have seen a GDP boost of approximately $316 billion by 2025, a 10% increase within just a few years. 

Why the gap?  

Between now and 2030, achieving gender equality across 48 developing countries is estimated to cost around $6.4 trillion a year. That’s about 20% of their combined GDP. When you break it down, it would take about $1,383 per person annually to reach equality in key areas like ending poverty, tackling hunger and ensuring that women can participate fully and equally in all parts of society. 

Bridging this funding gap would mean increasing annual spending by just 6%. With the growing debt burden that African countries face, developing countries would need to rely heavily on foreign aid and effective policy implementation to create a dent in this investment gap in the short term. However, this seems like a relatively small sacrifice to make when you compare it to the potential for massive long-term impact. 

Why are there high returns on gender investment? 

Take workforce participation as an example. Greater gender inclusion means more people enter the labour market, increasing the overall supply of skilled labour. According to the OECD, a mere 1% increase in female employment can raise a country’s GDP by up to 0.3%. In sub-Saharan Africa, where the economic potential is especially high, closing gender gaps in labour force participation could lead to a GDP increase of between 12% and 25%, according to the IMF. 

Beyond employment, there’s another powerful effect at play: reinvestment. Research from UN Women shows that women reinvest up to 90% of their income back into their families and communities—far more than men, who typically reinvest between 30% and 40%. This means more money goes towards children’s education, healthcare, nutrition and household needs. In turn, this increased household consumption stimulates broader economic growth, helping to build stronger, more stable economies. 

As such, if full gender equality were to be achieved across education, employment, leadership and legal rights, the ISS model projects an additional $1 trillion added to Africa’s economy by 2043. That represents a 12% increase in GDP per capita. 

The ripple effect: How women invest in others 

On the other hand, the case for gender equality is also not only about economic output It is also about how that output is used. Women aren’t just participants in the economy; they are multipliers of impact. 

According to a study by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, women are significantly more likely than men to donate to a wide range of charitable causes, particularly those related to youth and family development. Even when controlling for income, women give more, give more often, and support a broader range of issues. 

This pattern reinforces the idea that when women are empowered, the benefits ripple outward. Their investments, whether in time, money or care, go toward the well-being of others. They help to cultivate stronger communities and instil values of generosity and long-term thinking. In many ways, women serve as the foundation for intergenerational progress. 

Investing in women is a strategic, far-reaching investment that delivers outsized returns for everyone. Therefore, if we are to build a more prosperous, more stable, and more equitable world, gender equality must be at the centre of our efforts and as the numbers show, the ripple effects will be felt for generations to come. 

Advocacy for Women, Breaking Barriers, Diversity and Inclusion, Gender Equality, Gender Parity, Leadership, Uncategorized, Women Empowerment, Women in Leadership, Work-Life Balance

The business case for working mothers: Debunking the mother of all myths

Posted on by Nasi Hako
14
May

Somehow, along the way, society adopted a troubling stereotype: that when women become mothers, they become less valuable in the workplace and are, in turn, more of a liability than an asset. However, research tells a different story.

Instead of hindering professional performance, motherhood often enhances it. In fact, a foreign study by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis found that working mothers often bring unique strengths and perspectives that companies would do well to celebrate, not sideline.

South African women have participated in the formal workforce for over a century, and only within the last three decades have they received meaningful legal protection from workplace discrimination related to childbearing. Thanks to the country’s progressive constitution, the Labour Relations Act of 1995, and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act of 1997, women are now safeguarded from being dismissed or treated unfairly because they choose to have children. These laws have significantly shifted how employers treat and think about working mothers.

In recent years, we’ve even seen the rise of “pumping rooms” in office spaces: designated private areas where breastfeeding employees can express milk comfortably. These small but powerful changes reflect a growing understanding that supporting mothers at work isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s a smart investment.

Yet, despite all this progress, the gender gap in South Africa remains stubborn and so do the stereotypes. The idea that working mothers can’t be fully committed to their jobs continues to shape hiring, promotion, and workplace culture in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.

Working motherhood: A double-edged sword

What working mothers really bring to the table

Celebrating working mothers beyond mother’s day

Advocacy for Women, Diversity and Inclusion, Gender Equality, Gender Parity, Women in Leadership

Unpacking gender bias: From awareness to action

Posted on by Nasi Hako
08
May

From awareness to accountability

  • Revamp recruitment and promotion processes: Use blind resume reviews and diverse hiring panels.
  • Measure equity: Track representation, retention, and promotion data across demographics.
  • Invest in leadership development for underrepresented groups: Give women and minorities access to the tools and mentorship needed to grow.
  • Create safe reporting systems: Foster psychological safety by making it easy and non-punitive to report discrimination or exclusion.

Recognising bias is important, but the real challenge and opportunity lies in what comes next: taking action. Bias may be human, but what we do with that knowledge is a conscious choice.

Let’s commit to doing more than noticing bias. Let’s name it, challenge it, and change the systems that allow it to thrive because equity doesn’t happen by accident, it happens by action.