By Joy Ruwodo, Head of the Gender Equality Unit, Shared Value Africa

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Across Africa, there has been a visible and important shift in how organisations engage with gender equality and gender-based violence (GBV).

Many companies are investing in community programmes, supporting awareness campaigns, and aligning to global frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals. These efforts matter. They signal intent, leadership, and a willingness to be part of the solution.

But beneath this progress lies a more complex, and often unexamined reality.

While organisations are increasingly active externally, far fewer have meaningfully interrogated their internal exposure to gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) within their own workplaces.

This is where the real risk sits.

FROM SOCIAL ISSUE TO BUSINESS RISK

For many organisations, GBVH is still framed as a social or human resources issue – something to be addressed through policies, training sessions, or employee wellness programmes.

However, emerging evidence tells a different story.

Recent research on the cost of GBVH to the Kenyan private sector highlights the extent to which workplace-related harm affects:

• Productivity and absenteeism
• Staff turnover and retention
• Employee engagement and morale
• Legal and regulatory exposure
• Brand credibility and organisational trust

In other words, GBVH is not peripheral. It is a material business and governance risk.

Yet in most organisations, it remains largely invisible.

HE GAP BETWEEN POLICY AND PRACTICE

Many companies have taken important steps. Gender equality policies are in place, codes of conduct exist, and reporting mechanisms have been defined. On the surface, the foundations appear solid.

But the presence of policy does not automatically translate into protection.

Across multiple organisational contexts, a consistent pattern is emerging. Underreporting remains widespread. Employees often lack confidence in reporting processes. Leadership accountability is not always clearly defined, and in some environments, harmful behaviours are normalised or minimised.

The result is a disconnect between what organisations believe is happening and what employees are actually experiencing.

WHAT IS NOT MEASURED CANNOT BE MANAGED

One of the most significant challenges is that GBVH is rarely approached with the same rigour as other business risks.

Organisations routinely measure financial performance, operational efficiency, and compliance exposure. They invest in systems, dashboards, and governance structures to manage these areas with precision.

By contrast, workplace safety from a GBVH perspective is often assumed rather than assessed.

Without structured measurement, organisations are unable to fully understand their exposure, identify gaps between policy and lived experience, or prioritise interventions with confidence. Nor can they track progress over time or demonstrate meaningful accountability at leadership level.

This is not simply a technical gap – it is a governance gap.

LEADERSHIP, NOT JUST COMPLIANCE

Addressing GBVH in the workplace requires a fundamental shift in how the issue is positioned. It cannot sit solely within HR, compliance, or wellness functions. It must be understood as a leadership and governance responsibility.

This means elevating GBVH into risk and governance discussions, embedding accountability at executive and board level, and integrating workplace safety into broader performance and oversight frameworks.

Sustainable change does not come from isolated interventions. It comes from coherent systems that align policy, culture, leadership and accountability.

FROM COMMITMENT TO CREDIBLE ACTION

Many organisations are already committed to gender equality and safer workplaces. The intent exists. The policies are in place. The language is well understood.

The question is whether these commitments are supported by systems strong enough to deliver consistent, measurable outcomes.

As expectations on business continue to evolve – from regulators, investors, employees and society – organisations are increasingly being asked to demonstrate not just what they stand for, but how they operate.

This requires moving beyond awareness and commitment toward evidence-based, system-level action.

A MOMENT FOR REFLECTION

For leaders, this presents a critical moment of reflection.

• Do we truly understand our organisation’s exposure to GBVH risk?
• Are our reporting and response systems trusted and effective?
• Is accountability clearly defined and actively exercised?
• Are we measuring what matters – or simply assuming it?

Because ultimately:

You cannot address gender-based violence externally if it is not measured and managed internally.

At Shared Value Africa’s Gender Equality Unit, we are increasingly working with organisations to navigate this shift – supporting the move from commitment to accountability, and from policy intent to embedded systems change.

If this is an area your organisation is beginning to interrogate, we would welcome the opportunity to continue the conversation.