DR LULU GWAGWA | The importance of psychological safety for Black women

The first part of this Women’s Month conversation began with the article “How the absence of safe spaces for Black women forges injustice” published on 12 August 2025.

In the said article, I explored the mental health pathologies that confront Black women on the African continent and the rest of the world, using the cases of former Rhodes University student, Khensani Maseko, and Dr Antoinette Candia-Bailey, the former Vice President for Student Affairs at Lincoln University in Missouri, United States of America.

Maseko died by suicide in August 2018 after having reported a sexual assault that she suffered at the hands of a fellow student. Dr Candia-Bailey died by suicide earlier this year after enduring and reporting harassment and bullying by the management of her university.

Despite the different contexts, circumstances and geographies of the two cases, the common denominator between them is that both women felt unsupported by institutions that were supposed to protect them. In this second part of the conversation, I want to explore the concept of psychological safety and its importance for Black women.

Psychological safety is the shared belief that one can express ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes without fear of negative consequences to self-image, status, or career. For Black women, psychological safety is not just a workplace concept - it is a crucial condition that influences daily life, personal well-being, and opportunities for success.

In societies and professional environments where systemic inequities persist, such as South Africa and much of the African continent and the broader global south, Black women are forced to navigate a unique intersection of gender and racial challenges.

This intersection amplifies the frequency and intensity of microaggressions, stereotyping, and exclusion that they experience. In professional and social settings, Black women are often expected to overperform to gain equal recognition, while simultaneously being stereotyped as less competent and overly assertive.

In the South African context, progressive instruments for workplace transformation, such as affirmative action, are also used to perpetuate thesestereotypes. Affirmative Action, a component of the Employment Equity Act (EEA), is aimed at redressing apartheid-era imbalances by promoting employment equity for designated groups, which include but are not limited to Black people and women.

Employers are required to develop affirmative action plans to remove barriers, promote diversity, and ensure equitable representation of these designated groups at all levels of the workforce through measures like preferential treatment. But rather than be seen as a tool for transformation, Black women experience affirmative action as an albatross around their necks.

It is often used to mark them out, both through tokenism and isolation. Being the only one or one of few Black women in a team or organisation may not only foster feelings of isolation and invisibility, but is often used to affirm stereotypes about Black women being “rewarded” as tokens.

Another unique challengefaced by Black women in the workplace is that of emotional labour. Black women often bear the burden of educating others about racism or sexism, which adds to their stress and feeling of responsibility for organisational change.

When this happens, organisations are enabled to place the responsibility of transformation on individuals rather than on their own exclusionary systems and regressive cultures. It is for this reason that the importance of psychological safety is crucial, and requires careful attention, understanding, and proactive nurturing.

Several factors hinder psychological safety for Black women. The first is organisational cultures where workplaces prioritise conformity to Eurocentric normativity, which prevents the expression of diverse perspectives and experiences, thereby alienating Black women. This alienation informs the second factor – fear of retaliation or dismissal.

This is because often, when Black women speak up about inequity or bias, their concerns may be dismissed, or they may face subtle forms of retaliation

• Dr Lulu Gwagwa | Supporting young black women is a clear path to meaningful transformation
• DR LULU GWAGWA | The representation of the youth in decision-making is a developmental imperative

This was the case with Dr Candia-Bailey, who was fired from her job after raising issues about racial discrimination and harassment. Thirdly, Black women face implicit bias and stereotypes that impact how their contributions are received, whose ideas are credited and who received support, be it in the form of mentorship, sponsorship or other areas.

The fourth barrierto psychological safety for Black women is lack of representation in leadership and decision-making roles. This often means that Black women’s voices and perspectives are overlooked.

Organisations must understand why psychological safety matters for Black women. It is empowering because it enables Black women to contribute authentically without self-censorship. When individuals do not fear judgment or retaliation, they are more willing to share creative ideas, voice concerns, and ask questions.

This fosters innovation and collective problem-solving. For Black women, psychological safety is the difference between masking their true selves and thriving in a supportive environment that allow them to show up in their full humanness.

Additionally, the psychological stress stemming from discrimination and exclusion has tangible impacts on mental and physical health. Black women who work or live in environments lacking psychological safety may experience chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and other health issues.

The case of Dr Candia-Bailey illustrates how such environments can and do lead Black women to suicide. Environments that prioritise psychological safety promote healing, resilience, and overall well-being.

Furthermore, psychological safety is a critical factor in professional growth. When Black women feel safe to take risks, seek feedback, and admit mistakes, they are more likely to pursue bigger challenges, leadership roles, and new opportunities. Without psychological safety, self-advocacy and visibility become risky, and career progress stalls.

But it is not Black women alone who benefit from psychological safety in the workplace. Organisations become innovative and perform better and generate more creative solutions when diverse voices are empowered and heard. Secondly, organisations that value psychological safety see lower turnover and higher employee engagement.

Additionally, psychological safety sets parameters for equity and social change within organisations and in broader society. Promoting psychological safety for Black women helps dismantle broader systems of inequity, benefiting society as a whole. Cultivating psychological safety is an ongoing process that requires intentionality from individuals, leaders, and organisations.

Some criticalstrategies include the acknowledgment of intersectionality. Organisations must recognise that Black women experience work and life through the dual lenses of race and gender. Policies and practices should be evaluated for their impact on intersectional identities, not just on broad categories. Secondly, organisations must proactively seek, listen to, and amplify the voices of Black women.

This is also linked to giving Black women credit where it is due, championing their ideas, and ensuring that their perspectives shape decisions. Thirdly, organisations must create systems for reporting, addressing, and reducing microaggressions and bias.

Regular training and open dialogue can help build awareness and accountability. Additionally, organisations must recruit, retain, and promote Black women in leadership roles. Representation at all levels signals commitment to equity and provides role models for younger Black women entering the workplace.

Furthermore, organisations must encourage allies and sponsors to advocate actively for Black women’s advancement, provide career guidance, and open doors to opportunities. And finally, organisations must foster a culture where feedback is constructive and mistakes are viewed as opportunities for growth, rather than occasions for blame and punishment.

Psychological safety the foundation for authenticity, health, advancement, and social transformation. By addressing barriers, promoting allyship, and embedding intersectionality into organisational culture, organisations are not just supporting Black women, they are creating equitable, innovative, and harmonious communities. The path toward true psychological safety is ongoing, but its pursuit is essential for justice, progress, and the realisation of human potential.

Lulu is an accomplished development planner, business leader, philanthropist and founder of Traversing Liminality.