UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office joined hands with government and private sector partners, youth activists, advertising industry and creative community to mark International Women’s Day 2022

UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office joined hands with government and private sector partners, youth activists, advertising industry and creative community to mark International Women’s Day 2022.

Ring the Bell for Gender Equality events were hosted in collaboration with Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Botswana Stock Exchange and Namibia Stock Exchange and other partners, joining hundreds of other stock exchanges around the world. Ring the Bell for Gender Equality is a joint global initiative among UN Global Compact, UN Women, Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, International Finance Corporation: IFC, World Federation of Exchanges and Women in ETFs. The stock exchanges committed to further promote gender-friendly business practices in listed companies.

Woolworths Holdings Limited (WHL) has become the first major South African retailer to be a signatory to the Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs). Developed in partnership with the United Nations Women and the UN Global Compact Office, the WEPs are a set of seven guidelines that offer direction to companies on how to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women in the workplace and in communities.

By joining the UN Women community, WHL committed to working collaboratively within multi-stakeholder networks to foster business practices that empower women. These include equal pay, gender-inclusive supply chain practices and zero tolerance against sexual harassment in the workplace.

MTN Group, in partnership with UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office hosted a live stream event on ways MTN group is reaffirming their commitment to gender equity and inclusivity. During the event MTN took the opportunity to announce their intent to form an official alliance with UN Women, as a HeForShe champion. The discussion focused on the role of public private partnerships in achieving gender equality and the role of men in creating positive social norms.

Another interesting collaboration was #OutTheGenderBox campaign, a collaboration with young creatives from Advertising Schools to creatively think about breaking stereotypes in the media and advertising, as part of the Un stereotype Alliance South Africa Chapter efforts. One of the  virtual discussions centered on tackling women’s beauty and how women perceive beauty, emphasized the importance of beauty starting from within ourselves and that we should embrace our diversity and gender as women.