Diversity and Inclusion Archives

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

Unpacking gender bias: From awareness to action

Posted on May 8, 2025May 8, 2025 by Nasi Hako

08
May

𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧’𝐬 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞.
𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤.
𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐭𝐥𝐞, 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬.

Bias is a natural mental shortcut we all have and is shaped by our experiences, environments and cultures. It can be unconscious or overt, and in the workplace, it often shows up in subtle yet powerful ways: who gets hired, who gets promoted, who gets heard in meetings or who is overlooked.

More often than not, women and marginalised individuals pay the price.

Despite all the corporate talk of diversity and inclusion, the numbers tell a different story. The employment and pay gaps between men and women in South Africa remain stark, and the so-called commitment to equity is often more about compliance than change.

Workplace diversity is legally mandated in South Africa, and many organisations tend to focus on ticking boxes rather than transforming cultures. The employment rate reflects this imbalance: men are still significantly more employed than women with rates sitting at 48% and 37% respectively.

For the women who are employed, gender bias remains a daily reality. One of the most visible manifestations is the persistent gender pay gap. Women in South Africa earn, on average, 12% less than their male counterparts for the same work.

Beyond pay, women regularly face microaggressions: being interrupted or spoken over, having their competence questioned, or being sidelined for leadership roles based on outdated gender assumptions.

These biases don’t just affect individual experiences, they shape entire systems. They influence hiring practices, leadership pipelines, team dynamics and workplace culture. In turn, this influences who gets a seat at the table and whose voice is valued when decisions are made.

From awareness to accountability

In trying to build a more equitable, inclusive society, we need to confront bias, both unconscious and systemic. While various bias training programmes have been launched to raise awareness on the issue, awareness is not enough.

Structural reform and support are vital to amend misalignments and ensure that equity is embedded into the fabric of the workplace.

Organisations hold the power to create environments where equity isn’t optional but operational. Some critical and practical steps forward include:

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.

Community Building, Diversity and Inclusion, Gender Equality

Championing Women in Climate Action

Posted on April 29, 2025May 6, 2025 by Nasi Hako

29
Apr

The climate crisis is not just an environmental emergency. It is a social, economic and gender issue.

The latest data shows that climate change is threatening to roll back decades of progress. It is set to deepen gender inequality, increase poverty and put women and girls at even greater risk.

According to the Gender Snapshot 2024 report by UN Women, climate change could push up to 150 million more women and girls into poverty by 2050. That is 16 million more than the number of men and boys who will be affected in the same way.

The United Nations confirms that women and girls will be disproportionately impacted. This is largely because they make up the majority of the world’s poor and rely heavily on local natural resources for survival.

As a result, they are more exposed to the effects of droughts, floods and extreme weather events. Women are also 14 times more likely to die during climate disasters, and 80% of those displaced by climate change are women and girls. They are also more vulnerable to gender-based violence and inequality in times of crisis.

This is why women must not only be protected, they must be prioritised and empowered. We need more women at the forefront of climate leadership. Women must be in the rooms where policies are drafted and decisions are made.

Across the African continent, many women are already leading the way. For example, Wangari Maathai from Kenya became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against deforestation and her commitment to environmental justice.

But globally, women remain significantly underrepresented in climate governance. They make up just 39% of decision-making bodies. This must change.

Women have been resisting, researching and rebuilding in the face of environmental collapse for generations. Now is the time to make space for their leadership, to listen to their solutions and to centre their experiences.

Representation is not a token gesture, it is a necessary tool for building a future where all people can live with dignity on a healthy, thriving planet.

By bringing more women into positions of power and influence, we can ensure that climate action is inclusive, equitable and truly transformative.

The future of our planet cannot be built on exclusion. It must be driven by courage, by collaboration and by every voice that has long been silenced. Let us break the barriers, drive innovation and rise together.

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

Women just want to have FUNdamental rights!

Posted on March 19, 2025March 19, 2025 by Nasi Hako

19
Mar

Friday, 21 March marks South Africa’s annual Human Rights Day, a day dedicated to honouring the sacrifices made in the fight for freedom, justice and equality. It serves as both a commemoration of our past struggles and a call to action for the continued pursuit of human rights for ALL.

South Africa is widely considered to have one of the most progressive and transformative constitutions in the world. However, the reality tells a different story as the uphill battle for equality persists, and women still face systemic oppression, discrimination and violence.

Despite having made great strides in terms of human rights, South Africa still ranks 18th out of 146 countries for its relatively high gender gap index score of 0.79.

This underscores a need for urgent change in the country. Women in South Africa still endure tragically high rates of gender-based violence and deepening workforce inequality.

A 2024 report by Stats SA revealed a stark economic reality: women in South Africa continue to shoulder the burden of unemployment and earn an estimated 23-35% less than men for the same work. In other words, women receive R72.44 for every R100 a man earns for the same job.

Yet, research consistently shows that gender diversity in the workplace benefits everyone. Reports have shown that companies that employ more women see higher employee retention and satisfaction, stronger financial performance, and improved teamwork, communication and innovation. Therefore, investing in women is not just a moral obligation; it is an economic and social necessity.

Women are not asking for special treatment; they just want to have FUNdamental rights — the same rights that men have always been afforded without question. The right to safety, equal pay, bodily autonomy and the freedom to thrive should not be privileges granted under certain conditions but basic human rights that are respected and upheld every day.

As we observe Human Rights Day this year, we must acknowledge and celebrate the progress we have made since the fall of apartheid. But we must also recognise that true equality remains out of reach for many women in South Africa. Human rights cannot be fully realised until women’s rights are no longer up for debate.

Let this Human Rights Day be a reminder that the strength of a nation lies in the freedom and empowerment of its women. Wathint’ umfazi, wathint’ imbhokodo – you strike a woman, you strike a rock.