Societal perceptions continue to hold women back from taking up more seats at the boardroom table, says Lindiwe Sebesho, president of the South African Reward Association (SARA).
“These beliefs may be subconscious, but many people are still of the opinion that men are natural leaders; and some even believe that women aren’t biologically wired to be as good as men at certain subjects. All these perceptions have been proven wrong,” says Sebesho.
She cites a study published in the peer-reviewed journal “Science of Learning” that shows girls do just as well as boys in primary school maths tests.
Despite comprising about half of the population, women only make up 20% to 29% of senior management in South Africa, according to research from Grant Thornton and PwC.
“In many countries, companies are required to report on the pay disparities between men and women. While South Africa is yet to adopt mandatory disclosure policies in line with the much-anticipated outcome of the Companies Act Amendment Bill, a lot of work is still required for faster progress towards addressing gender diversity and pay equity at senior management level,” says Sebesho.
She continues by stating that women are socialised to minimise their contributions and accomplishments in order to avoid drawing undue attention to ourselves.
They falsely believe that working hard is sufficient and that these efforts will always be recognised and appreciated in a fair and equitable manner.
“These assumptions contribute to why we’re often overlooked for leadership positions, or even shy away from taking on strategic roles. Having said this though, the recent female [chief executive] appointments at companies like Deloitte is encouraging.”
IOL Business