“African women remain underrecognised and underutilised economic powerhouse”

Image: Freepik

 

“There will never be a new world order until women are a part of it”
– Wangari Maathai, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate

On 31 July, Pan African Women’s Day was commemorated under the theme of “Advancing Social and Economic Justice for African Women Through Reparations.” The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, through the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa, reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the empowerment, dignity and justice for African women and girls.

This year’s theme aligned with the African Union’s 2025 focus: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” underscoring the urgent need to address historical and systemic injustices that continue to hinder the full realisation of African women’s rights.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights said in a statement that “African women have borne the brunt of colonialism, slavery, economic exploitation and gender discrimination. Reparations must go beyond financial redress—they must encompass restorative justice that dismantles structural inequalities, ensures equitable access to resources, and guarantees women’s meaningful participation in decision-making at all levels. Social and economic justice for African women requires transformative policies that repair historical harm while fostering sustainable development.”

SA remembers August march
South Africa’s Women’s Month is celebrated every August to honour the thousands of women who marched to the Union Buildings on August 9, 1956, protesting the apartheid-era Pass Laws. The month also pays tribute to the pioneers of the women’s movement in South Africa and promoted the progress of women in the country. This year’s theme was “Building Resilient Economies for All.”

Gender gap
In the World Economic Forum’s most recent Global Gender Gap Report (June 2025), the Sub-Saharan Africa region achieved a gender parity score of 68.0% and demonstrated consistent improvement since the report’s inception in 2006. Comprising 36 economies, the region displays a wide range of parity outcomes. The highest ranked economy, Namibia (81.1%), places 8th globally while Chad ranks 146th with a score of 57.1%. According to the report, the region still shows wide variations in gender equality outcomes and faces significant challenges in economic participation, political empowerment and addressing the impact of climate change on women.

Women are underutilised powerhouses
“Women’s Day in South Africa is such an important day to commemorate,” says Madeleine Garlick, the Africa Director of One Carbon World Africa Director, a leading not-for-profit that assists businesses and organisations to measure and verify their carbon emissions. “My full respect to all the strong women who stood up for their rights, protected their families, and continue to seek economic empowerment despite all the challenges of South Africa’s past.”

She continues: “Women remain an under recognised and underutilised economic powerhouse on the continent in general, and the carbon market is no different. Women entrepreneurs, farmers, small holders and small business owners are already innovating to meet local conditions and local needs, and so I have I am optimistic that when it comes to bottom of climate action women hold the key. I have seen so important female voices working on climate issues in Africa building on the important groundbreaking work done by environmental activist like Wangari Mathai in Kenya in the 90s.”

“Many of our partner organisations have sustainability leads who are women,” Garlick explains, “and I have met a healthy number of female agronomists, foresters, ecologists and community leaders too. In one sentence: we won’t create a just and effective climate transition without women and girls.”

“The little things”
The 2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Wangari Maathai, is renowned for her inspiring work in  environmental conservation, human rights and the power of collective action. She was fond of sharing her wisdom and was known for saying, among others: “It’s the little things citizens do. That’s what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees.” She also stressed the importance of education for environmental awareness and the interconnectedness of environmental and human rights issues.

“My mom was an entrepreneur”
“This is such an important issue that goes to my heart because I was raised by a mom who was an entrepreneur,” says Maxwell Gomera, Resident Representative of UNDP South Africa and Director of the Africa Sustainable Finance Hub.

He explains: “She was an entrepreneur, yet she could not get the credit that she needed to scale her business. But all the numbers were in her favour. If you look at it right now we know across the continent, women entrepreneurs are better at paying back their debt than men entrepreneurs when given the same comparison. Women-run cooperatives pay back better than those cooperatives that are run by men. Yet, women receive less than 5% of the credit that’s available. The question has to be why. And the reason it seems to me is the same old reason that prevented my mother from scaling her business.”

He continues: “We need to change a system that is often focused on collateral and not potential. How many businesses are going under in Africa today because we do not see their potential? That is the challenge that’s before us. And as we celebrate Women’s Month this month in South Africa, we must be asking ourselves deeper questions. How do we ensure that no woman has to suffer what my mother suffered. And how do we ensure that our markets see the potential of every African despite their gender?”

Gender equity a core ingredient
“The slow pace of gender transformation in leadership is not just a reflection of the past, it’s a risk to our shared future,” says Kristen Fourie, ESG and Impact analyst at Sanlam Investments.

She adds: “Countries and companies with more inclusive leadership structures continue to outperform in terms of productivity, innovation and long-term competitiveness. Gender-diverse leadership is not just a moral imperative, but a business one too. Business leaders, investors and policymakers need to recognise that gender equity is not a ‘nice-to-have’, but a core ingredient to having sustained performance and progress, in the future. Until gender transformation is embedded as a business imperative, we will continue to fall short—not just on diversity metrics, but on the innovation, growth and sustainability that diverse leadership brings.”

• This article first appeared in the Green Economy Express newsletter, published by Africa’s Green Economy Summit.