The Ripple Effect of Gender inequality continues...

As we close off the month of March, where the world once again celebrated International Women’s Day by spotlighting inspirational women from all around the world, one of my favourite campaigns was LinkedIn’s #AWomanWhoInspiredMyCareer campaign which allowed ordinary people to amplify stories of the women in their lives who are breaking barriers and mentoring the next generation. This resonated very well with me as someone whose career choices have mostly been influenced by outstanding women. While this campaign and others like it highlight the remarkable strides women have made, they also expose the deep-rooted challenges that persist, in particular the intersectionality of women and youth—two groups whose struggles are often intertwined.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme, "For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment," underscores the need for an inclusive approach to gender equality. It calls for action to ensure that every woman and girl—regardless of race, class, or background—has access to fundamental rights, equal opportunities, and the ability to thrive.

As a young Black woman navigating professional spaces, motherhood, and activism, I have seen, first hand, how these struggles ripple into the lives of young people. The barriers we face as women—gender-based violence, economic inequality, lack of representation in leadership—are not isolated. They disproportionately affect young people as young women and girls inherit the systemic inequalities of the world we live in.

Growing up, I was taught that education is a tool for liberation. But what happens when young girls don’t have access to quality education because of gendered expectations or financial limitations? What happens when young women, eager to step into leadership, find themselves shut out of decision-making spaces? What happens when we raise our daughters in societies that still debate whether women have equal capabilities as their male counterparts?

These are not rhetorical questions; they are lived realities. In South Africa, the gender pay gap remains a stark reminder of economic disparity—women earn approximately 30% less than their male counterparts for the same work. Over 60% of young people are unemployed, a figure that disproportionately affects young women, despite it being strikingly clear that when women are not economically empowered, their children face the consequences. When women’s voices are silenced, young girls grow up believing they, too, should remain unheard. And this becomes a vicious cycle of the oppression of women and girls, further widening the inequalities.

There is an opportunity in acknowledging this intersectionality. If we truly want to advance gender equality, we cannot isolate women’s struggles from youth struggles. Women’s empowerment is youth empo

werment. Investing in women’s economic freedom means creating a future where young people thrive. Championing policies that protect women from violence means ensuring safer communities for the next generation.

In practice, empowered women and youth look like policies that move beyond rhetoric and become enforceable actions that directly impact women’s lives. It looks like equal pay laws that are actively monitored and upheld. It looks like safe learning environments where girls don’t fear violence or discrimination. It looks like economic opportunities that don’t exclude women due to subtly imposed gender roles. It looks like political representation that mirrors the demographics of society, ensuring women’s voices are not only heard but shape policy and governance.

However, the reality remains that many policies aimed at gender equality and youth empowerment are nothing more than wishlists met with systemic barriers, coupled with a lack of political will which render these policies ineffective. South Africa has progressive policies on paper, yet implementation lags behind due to corruption, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and deep-seated patriarchal structures. Without true commitment from leadership (a story for another day), these policies remain empty promises, failing to bring about real change.

At the risk of seemingly further burdening young women, I believe as young professional women we must remain committed to using our voice to intentionally advocate for change. We must use our privilege (and I use this word VERY loosely) to create spaces where young women, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, are seen, heard, and given opportunities to lead. And this by no means pardons men from responsibility, as men should shoulder the same with their privilege as well, if not more.

This advocacy cannot end in March—it must be a lifelong commitment to dismantling systemic barriers and reimagining a world where both women and youth have the power to shape their futures.

Women’s Month may be over, but we are duty bound to ensure that the fight for gender and youth empowerment continues.