UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF OUR WOMEN Sim Tshabalala Chief Executive Officer at Standard Bank Group Ltd. I firmly believe that society cannot truly prosper if women
are not fully empowered and on the same footing as men. Working towards gender equality is, of course a moral
obligation. It’s absolutely the right thing to do – and it also
makes economic sense. By denying a group that accounts for more than half of Africa, and indeed half of the world’s population, their full rights and opportunities, we are
simply holding back growth and human development. We’ve made great progress over the past few decades -
better representation of girls and women in our education systems, governments and private companies, and a lot of female presence in senior decision making positions. However, there’s a risk that the COVID-19 pandemic will hinder our progress.
“WE CANNOT LET THE PANDEMIC HALT OR REVERSE THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE IN TERMS OF GENDER EQUALITY”
