Every day, women enter the workplace bringing not only skills and expertise, but also a strong sense of responsibility and commitment. Many navigate multiple roles -balancing professional ambitions with family and community responsibilities -while adapting to expectations that can differ across environments. These experiences shape how women contribute, lead, and grow within institutions.
At times, when challenges arise -whether related to fairness, equal opportunity, or workplace dynamics - accessing appropriate support or recourse may not always be straightforward. Processes can be complex, awareness of available mechanisms may vary, and institutional responses may differ across contexts. As a result, there can still be a gap between the rights that exist in principle and how they are experienced in practice.
It is within this context that the African Development Bank Country Office in Kinshasa marked International Women's Month 2026 -aligning with the global theme "Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls" and the Bank's theme "Justice for Her: Rights. Justice. Action. for Women's Economic Empowerment in Africa."
More than a celebration, the event created space for reflection around a critical question:
What does access to justice mean for women in the workplace - and how can institutions continue to strengthen it for all?
From global commitment to local reality
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the legal framework for gender equality is well established. The 2006 Constitution guarantees equal rights between women and men, while the 2015 Parity Law promotes women's participation in decision-making. Additional legislation, including the 2006 law on sexual violence, further strengthens protections against gender-based abuses.
However, within workplaces, women continue to face both structural and less visible barriers that shape their professional paths. These include limited access to leadership roles, persistent pay gaps, workplace bias, and, in some cases, inadequate reporting mechanisms.
A key constraint is time poverty, as women shoulder a disproportionate share of unpaid care work, limiting their ability to advance professionally, take on leadership roles, access training, and seek justice when needed. Factors such as pregnancy, childbirth, and the unequal burden of unpaid care work - often two to three times higher than that of men -can affect career continuity and advancement.
Social expectations also play a role, with women's leadership sometimes more frequently questioned despite equal qualifications. As a result, while legal protections exist, gaps in implementation and access to recourse mean that many women are yet to fully experience these rights in practice.
In this context, strengthening access to justice in the workplace is essential - not only to uphold rights, but also to promote inclusive growth and institutional effectiveness.
Reaffirming this commitment, Mr. Mohamed Cherif, Deputy Director General for Central Africa and Country Manager for the Democratic Republic of Congo, noted: "Ensuring justice for women - particularly in the workplace - is fundamental to achieving inclusive growth. When institutions guarantee fairness, protection, and equal opportunity, they unlock the full potential of their workforce and strengthen the foundations of development."
A moment for reflection and collective responsibility
Opening the event, Juliette Ayuknow Egbe, Gender Officer at the AfDB Country Office, underscored that International Women's Month is both a milestone and a moment of accountability. She highlighted that workplace inequality is often sustained not only by formal barriers, but also by everyday practices and unconscious norms, saying, "When women have equal opportunities, everyone benefits - families, institutions, and societies as a whole."
Her message was clear: justice must begin where women work, lead, and contribute daily.
Making workplace inequality visible
One of the most powerful moments of the event came through a theatrical performance titled "Imagine Yourself in Her Place - Walk in Her Shoes." Through relatable scenarios, the performance exposed the lived realities of women in professional environments:
- Being overlooked in decision-making
- Facing higher performance expectations
- Managing dual responsibilities at work and at home
- Navigating inappropriate behaviour or bias in silence
By transforming these experiences into a shared reflection, the performance challenged participants to recognize how workplace cultures- often unintentionally - can reinforce inequality.
It also reinforced a key message: Gender inequality is not always visible, but it is deeply felt, and it requires deliberate action to address.
The African Development Bank's commitment
The African Development Bank places gender equality at the heart of its mission, recognizing that inclusive development depends on creating opportunities for both women and men to contribute and thrive together.
Through its Gender Strategy and operations, the Bank works to strengthen institutions, promote inclusive service delivery, and support women's economic empowerment while ensuring gender-responsive approaches across all sectors.
Internally, the Bank fosters a supportive and inclusive work environment where female and male staff are equally empowered to grow, collaborate, and succeed - backed by policies that promote equity, dignity, and equal opportunity for all.
A shared path forward
As the event concluded, one message resonated clearly: Achieving gender equality in the workplace requires deliberate, sustained action.
From enforcing laws to transforming workplace cultures, progress depends on collective responsibility -across institutions, leadership, and individuals.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, as across Africa, women continue to defy barriers, push boundaries, claim space, and demand fairness; driving economic growth, innovation, and stability.
At the African Development Bank, this commitment remains firm: to advance a future where rights are protected, justice is accessible, and every woman can work, lead, and thrive without barriers.
Because in the end, gender equality is not only about opportunity -it is about justice, dignity, and the ability to participate fully and equally in the world of work.
