Time to powder our noses

Even though South Africa has seen the promulgation of the Employment Equity act in 1998 and the establishment of the Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) in 1999, it seems that even after 7 years government is discovering that the inequities in the labour market are increasing.

The inequitable distribution is seen especially in the absence of women and black employees in the directive and senior managerial employment categories. A recent study done by the Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa has established women are only occupying 14,7% of executive management positions and 7,1% of directorships. There are only 18 women CEO’s and Chairs of boards on the JSE.

The study also showed that the success that women have seen in the South African workforce is mainly in State Owned Enterprises. The private sector is currently lagging far behind.

The perception in many of our minds remains that the only way to attain success as a businesswomen is to work our way up the corporate ladder. And maybe it is exactly this perception that is causing the low percentage of female directorship. Rather, it is now the time for women to form their own female-empowered businesses.

To my mind – it is not an opting out of the corporate ladder, but an active step to pursue one’s own success. A step of saying, I am able to do the job, just as well and even better than anyone else – therefore I choose to reach, and work to attain my own career goals.

No more do we have to be promoted simply because we fall within a category labelled as “previously disadvantaged”, we rather embark on our own journey to success – because we are advantaged: we believe in our skills, our leadership style and our ability to be successful!

Written by:
Marieta van Staden
Strong Foundation
www.strongfoundation.co.za