Empowerment in the workplace not only benefits women, but business too Thuli Nhlapo The status of South African women both in politics and business has changed drastically since the 1960s when white males dominated management positions. The implementation of women-friendly labour practices such as affirmative action and the Employment Equity Act have helped in fast- tracking women’s development. According to a female executive working for a Johannesburg-based parastatal, who spoke on condition of anonymity, many CEOs think that their efforts in integrating women in business are not appreciated because of the high turnover of women in managerial positions in different companies. Women cite lack of training and promotion to strategic positions in their respective companies as the main reasons for early retirement or job-hopping. South African labour policies have managed to transform many companies into female-friendly firms by introducing paid maternity and paternity leave, and making provisions for dealing with sexual harassment. “But,” says the businesswoman, “the atmosphere that management thinks is tolerant and welcoming to all employees is actually corrosive to women. “The problem of improving the workplace environment to suit working parents, which are still mainly women, is not discussed since both management and women (especially women who do not want to be perceived as different from men) pretend everything is just fine. “Women, therefore, feel there is a misunderstanding on how to manage and motivate them since they feel they cannot perform to their full potential if their special needs are not satisfied.” According to Felice Schwarts, president and founder of Catalyst, a research and advisory non-profit organisation, the numbers game is not only frustrating women but also harmful to business. “Treating women as a business imperative will not only benefit women but it is the only option for business survival.” Schwarts groups companies into different categories. Zero companies make no effort to recruit, train or promote women. Group One companies place emphasis on the quantitative aspect of empowerment – by employing the greatest number of women irrespective of the position they occupy in the hierarchy of the organisation.
Group Two companies go a step further in implementing policies relating to women’s welfare such as above- average maternity leave and child care. However, the status of women in groups one and two is still subservient to male dominance in the decision- making and other processes that are central to the running of a successful organisation. Many labour consultants hold that a majority of South African companies fall within these two categories. “Most entry-level managers at the bottom of the ranks are women who work under less qualified and less- talented men,” says the businesswoman. “Very disturbing is that companies search for and recruit the talented women in business schools but let them languish shortly after appointing them, hence the high turnover and women opting to work as consultants.”