As we celebrate the 26th year of our freedom as a nation, we also commemorate the freedom of our female populace to participate in the world of work and the changing narrative of the conventional role that women were restricted to as domestic caregivers and child bearers.
At his inauguration on 27 April 2004, Former President Thabo Mbeki aptly remarked that, "no government in South Africa could ever claim to represent the will of the people if it failed to address the central task of emancipation of women in all its elements….” In a country where women account for 51% of the population, this mission is vital for all industries if we are to overcome the wide-ranging challenges that we face as South Africans.
Great strides have been taken towards the realisation of this objective by both public and private sector, with 50% of our cabinet Ministers in Parliament represented by females, as well as the increasing appointment of females as board members and Chief Executive Officers; leading the strategic vision and mission of various organisations. There is substantial research and evidence indicating that the inclusion of women in leadership structures and boardrooms results not only in greater diversity but also gives way to better results and outcomes. The King IV report on Corporate Governance 2016* specifically highlights the need for diversity within governance structures to promote better decision making and effective governance.
While it is true that Rome was not built in a day and thus equitable female participation in the world of work will not be achieved overnight, it is equally true that efforts to transform boardrooms, C-suite executives and leaders in general must be accelerated. The leadership gap remains a real challenge for women at work. The results of the 2017 Census of Women in Leadership conducted by BWASA (Business Women’s Association in South Africa) which surveyed 297 companies, 277 JSE-listed firm and 20 State Owned Enterprises found that only 20.7% of directors and 29.4% of executives at these institutions are women. The PWC 2019 report on Executive directors: Practices and Remuneration revealed that only 3.31% of Chief Executive Officers of JSE-listed companies are females. These statistics clearly show that men are much more likely to be considered as leaders than women.
Many theorists postulate that this gap is caused by women themselves who in some way or another are not firm enough, tough enough, involved enough, connected enough, talkative enough, flexible enough… and so the list goes.
However, a factor often overlooked as a contributor to the gender leadership gap is the environment in which leadership is developed i.e. hostile and inflexible work environments, lack of mentorship, training and development, discriminatory remuneration practices and promotion criteria that covertly overlook women as caregivers.
As we celebrate our Constitutional right to freedom of trade and occupation, let us remember that the achievement of gender equality among others, is imperative to the achievement of our objectives as a diverse nation. We, as corporates have a role to play in the attainment of this objective and we must ensure that our work environments and employment practices are aligned to this goal.
*Institute of Directors in Southern Africa NPC