African telcos: driving social impact while embracing gender diversity

Sustainable and impact investors can encourage positive outcomes by directing capital towards companies tackling environmental and social challenges, such as inequality and exclusion. In this article, we consider how several African telecommunications companies (telcos) are helping to address gender inequality and promote greater social inclusion, both within their industry and in wider society.
 
 
Women face financial, communications and employment barriers
Financial exclusion is often seen as one of the most harmful societal barriers that disproportionately affects women worldwide. The problem is particularly acute in underserved regions in emerging and developing economies, where access to banking and financial services can be severely limited. Equally harmful, but perhaps less in the public conscious, is the issue of communications barriers, where vulnerable groups are excluded from telecommunications networks, rendering them unable to carry out basic transactions such as mobile payments. Again, sadly, this barrier is one that disproportionately affects women in these communities.

Of course, there also remains the issue of gender inequality in the workplace. In the adult population, 72% of men participate in the labour force, compared to only 47% of women, while women make just 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. Looking at the telecommunications sector specifically, and according to a GSMA survey, women account for less than 40% of the global workforce across three-quarters of telecommunications companies surveyed. Female workforce representation ranges from as low as 10%, to some companies reaching a gender balance at 52%.

Read full article: https://www.mandg.com/investments/professional-investor/en-gb/insights/mandg-insights/latest-insights/2023/07/driving-social-impact-while-embracing-gender-diversity

August 16 2023 By Thembeka Stemela Dagbo - M&G Investments