Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
The corporate world is a competitive industry, where only the strong survive. But is gender inequality rife in the boardroom?
According to a research project which was conducted by Bain & Company and released in 2017, the fairer sex is not always given the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Through the report, we can see what areas of the corporate world are somewhat biased.
In 2017, approximately 31 percent of South African Companies have no women in senior leadership roles. The Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa (BWASA) held a census in 2017 and the results are startling. The census shows that out of the women in leadership positions, 22 percent are board directors. The same census shows that only seven percent of women are executive directors.
Furthermore, back in 2017, only 10 percent of South African CEOs were women. According to BWASA, this number drops to a shocking 2.2 percent when we look at companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
These figures are rather shocking, considering that South Africa’s constitution and the Employment Equity Act, No. 55 of 1998, aims to promote women’s participation in both the private and public sectors.
What are the causes of women being passed over for senior positions? Do women lack advocates and sponsors to support their careers? Are women being led to believe that they will be going against the grain if taking up a leadership role?
Regardless of the reasons, the benefits of having a woman in a leadership role cannot be ignored.
- Women are more sympathetic and understanding, especially if you are going on maternity leave, have a sick child or other serious life issues.
- They tend to be more creative.
- Women are often more approachable than male bosses.
- They are better equipped at confrontation.
- Female bosses tend to have more patience than their male counterparts.
- Women are focussed
What are your thoughts on women and men in the corporate world? Do you think women have the same opportunities and how do you think the economy can benefit from more female leaders?
