The Riverbed Agency has released its Care Barometer: Discovering What Women Care About 2025, research that sheds light on the critical challenges women face in aligning their aspirations with their daily realities.
One of the fundamental outcomes of the barometer shows that 41% of the women surveyed said that Financial Independence is at the top of their list, while their aspirations to advance their career or invest in their education only ranked at 4th place (6%) and 6th place (5%) respectively.
Why it matters
Mona Zwambila, CEO of Riverbed, emphasises the importance of the barometer: “What is getting in the way of women focusing on their careers? Our data shows that, while some women might be fighting for a seat at the table, most aren’t even thinking about it, or simply want access to the meal being served.”
Zwambila also challenges conventional wisdom by referencing the Matthew Effect, a phenomenon where initial advantages lead to accumulating further advantages over time. While women outperform men academically from high school to university, their representation on JSE-listed boards tells a different story: only 13% of executive directors.
This raises a fundamental question: Why is the Matthew Effect not translating into more women in leadership roles?
The findings reveal three major barriers: self-doubt, societal expectations and the never-ending juggle of work and home life.
The inner critic: the confidence gap
The research shows that many women struggle with self-belief and confidence:
- 28% of women feel that their biggest hurdle is their own self-limiting beliefs, while 40% say both internal and external factors hold them back.
- 33% of women don’t regularly feel safe and secure, a percentage that closely matches the number of women who have experienced some form of abuse.
- At work, 73% of women feel comfortable expressing themselves, but that confidence fades in male-dominated spaces, with 66% feeling less assured around men.
- Even though many women are confident in themselves, 31% avoid conflict at home, and this number jumps to 37% in the workplace. Interestingly, higher-income earners seem to struggle with this less.
- Women who fell pregnant: 48% felt it limited their career aspirations and 28% struggled to communicate their pregnancy in the workplace.
- 6 in 10 women experienced intimidation by work colleagues with 45% saying it had a negative impact on their ability to succeed.
Society’s expectations: the pressure to do it all
The barometer highlights how deeply ingrained societal and cultural norms still shape women’s lives:
- From a young age, girls are expected to take on caregiving and household chores – 95% of girls are expected to take on caregiving and household chores.
- These early experiences influence how women see their roles and the pressure they feel to meet family and societal expectations. 64% of women choose careers that accommodate their family and personal responsibilities.
- 55% of women say that cultural and family pressures have a real impact on their ability to succeed – and this pressure is felt most by women between 30 and 49 years old.
The great juggling act: women have to do it all
The struggle to balance career ambitions with personal responsibilities is all too real for many women:
- 64% of women say the pressure to be both a great mom and a great wife directly influences their career choices.
- 89% of women work more than 8 hours a day, only to spend the rest of their time juggling family and household duties.
- Finding time for themselves is a challenge, with 72% saying they only get 1-2 hours a day for self-care—often because they feel they have to work harder and longer to prove themselves.
Zwambila highlights that there’s simply not enough attention on the barriers that hold women back. “We often overlook how deeply ingrained societal norms influence the choices women make — sometimes in ways that don’t serve their own success. As we push for meaningful action, let’s shift our focus to these often-unspoken challenges, rather than just the familiar policy discussions.”
Path to change: harnessing success for women
The barometer suggests that the few women that have succeeded within their careers have had to make trade-offs between family and career.
The Barometer Insights: Discovering What Women Care About 2025 serves as a call to action for businesses, policymakers, and society to bridge the gap between women’s aspirations and their realities.
“From a business or brand point of view, understanding these barriers women face can create authentic, meaningful connections that resonate with women’s lived experiences. In our rapidly changing world, empathy-based marketing has emerged as a powerful strategy for creating meaningful connections that goes beyond rational, logic-based approaches and acknowledging that emotions and beliefs play a critical role in every decision,” says Zwambila.
“Research shows that when brands approach their messaging with genuine understanding and care, they can contribute to breaking down professional barriers for women while simultaneously strengthening their market presence.”