Cape Town – While more women may graduate from South African universities than men, they are not as well represented in the workplace.
The UWC-based panel discussion “Where Are The Women? Harnessing the Educational Dividend of Women” explored the paradox.
Welcoming panellists and audience members to the UWC’s main hall, deputy vice-chancellor Professor Vivienne Lawack recounted what she called her own “tea incident” when she worked as legal counsel for the Reserve Bank.
Asked to pour tea at a meeting because she was the only woman present, Lawack drew a line in the sand, asking what was wrong with the men? Why could they not pour their own tea?
“Everyone has their own moment when they have to draw a line in the sand and explain. It starts with tea, the rest comes very easily,” said Lawack.
This message - explaining the difference between intent and impact - was reinforced as panellists recounted how they had to spell out why they were treating them differently because they were women defeated the point of gender equality.
Life coach Obenewa Amponsah facilitated the panel discussion, kicking off the evening by laying out statistics.
For example, although South Africa has made great strides in addressing gender representivity, women only occupy one in three managerial positions, and less than half of positions with a great deal of influence (according to Statistics SA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Q2, 2018).
Amponsah questioned each of the panellists on just how much influence they really had, to which Professor Anita Bosch, who holds the USB Research Chair: Women at Work at the Business School, Stellenbosch University, explained what she thought needed to change.
“When you're looking at board level, you need at least three women present so they can have a voice. If it’s two women, then they're only there to support each other.
“But it’s a tipping point we’re looking for. After a while it will become less about the numbers and more about changing the culture,” said Bosch.
Her research is about showing how elevating and expanding the role of women in the workplace eventually enhances the work experience for all.
Studies showed that the financial performance of companies improves with a more gender-equal board, said Bosch.
Environmentalist and social activist Catherine Constantinides said her experience working throughout Africa has reinforced the theory that just because women were allowed into executive structures at a workplace, did not mean their position came with any power: “Are we allowed a voice? Are we given an opportunity to be part of changing the structure?”
Dr Sisa Ngabaza of UWC’s Women’s and Gender Studies Programme, delved into one of the primary factors driving the statistical gap between women in the academic space and formal employment, which was that work was not structured for women who had to take care of the home, children and most of the unpaid work.
“They're wasting time they could have been using to drive their careers. Men aren’t concerned about that second shift of work, because women are doing it for them,” said Ngabaza.
Bonita Bennett, director of the District Six Museum, added that another concern South African women faced was the challenge of violence.
“It’s another level of organisation that determines where you’ll get involved, what you’ll do, where you’ll go, and protecting yourself from male violence,” said Bennett.