Women in charters

Researched and compiled by Lloyd Gedye and Yolandi Groenewald

ICT Sector (Final Draft)
Skills Development (by Feb 2015):
Commit 2% of payroll in addition to the current skills development levy for investment in skills development of black people, black women, black youth and black people with disabilities and provide learnerships equivalent to 5% of employees.

Employment Equity (by Feb 2015):
Achieve a target of 50% black people in senior management positions with 30% black women as a percentage of the former. Achieve a target of 65% black people in other management positions with 30% black women as a percentage of the former.

Management and Control (by Feb 2015):
The signatories to this charter commit to a target of 60% black people in the governing body with black women compromising 50% of the former.

South African Petroleum and Liquid Fuels Industry Sector
Employment Equity:
Companies publish their employment equity targets and achievements and subscribe to the following:

Tourism Sector
Strategic Representation:
Black women should make up 15% of the Board of Directors by December 31 2009 and 25% by December 31 2014. Black women should make up 15% of the executive management by December 31 2009 and 25% by December 31 2014.

Employment Equity:
Black women should make up 18% of management by December 31 2009 and 25% by December 31 2014. Black women should make up 23% of supervisors, junior and skilled employees by December 31 2009 and 35% by December 31 2014. Black women should make up 28% of total staff by December 31 2009 and 40% by December 31 2014.

Construction Sector (Fourth Draft)
Ownership Targets (by Dec 2013):
10% economic interest held by black women and 10% participation by black women in voting rights.

Control Targets (by Dec 2013):
20% black women at board level.
16% black women at executive management level.

Employment Equity (by Dec 2013):
16% black women in senior management.
16% black women in middle management.
27% black women in junior management.

Skills Development (by Dec 2013):
70% of total skills development spend on black people, 25% of which spent on black women.
25% of total skills development spend on black people spent on black management, 20% of which spent on black women management.
70% of total learnerships spent on black people, 35% of which spent on black women.

Agriculture
Employment Equity:
Progressively achieve a 10% representativity of black women at executive management of each enterprise by year 2006.
Progressively achieve a 25% representativity of black women at senior management of each enterprise by year 2008.
Progressively achieve a 30% representativity of black women at middle management of each enterprise by year 2008.
Progressively achieve a 45% representativity of black women at junior management of each enterprise by year 2008.

The Agriculture Charter has still not been finalised, three years after the framework has been finalised, though it is expected to be adopted in October this year. No evaluation has been done, because no final targets has been agreed on.

Health Sector
Employment Equity:
Support existing initiatives to increase the number of black people and young women matriculating in higher-grade science, mathematics and computer science.
It is the target at all levels in the chain that by 2010 the workplace will be 40% black across the value chain and will comprise 30% women. Further, it is the target that by 2014 the workplace will be 60% black across the value chain and shall comprise 50% women.
At a management level, the targets have been set at 15% women and 25% black by 2010, rising to 30% women and 50% black by 2014.
Black people must have 31% of the total economic interest in enterprises within the health sector by the year 2014. Black women must hold at least 15% of the share to be held by black people by the year 2014.

Financial Sector
Human Resource Development:
Promote a non-racial, non-sexist environment and enhance cultural diversity and gender sensitivity within the sector.
Based on an estimated 1,6% for 2002, each financial institution will have a target of a minimum of 4% black women at senior management level by 2008.
Based on an estimated 5% for 2002, each financial institution will have a target of a minimum of 10% black women at middle management level by 2008.
Based on an estimated 12% for 2002, each financial institution will have a target of a minimum of 15% black women at junior management level by 2008.

In recognition of the low starting points and targets, and the need for higher levels of representation of black women at all three levels and at executive level, a 2014 target of 33% of the relevant total black representation target has been set for representation of black women at all four levels. The financial sector commits, before 2008 and through a mechanism established by the Charter Council, to establish the other 2014 targets for all management levels and at executive levels.

Control in the Financial Sector:
Each financial institution will have a target of a minimum of 11% black women on the board of directors by 2008.
Based on an estimated 2% for 2002, each financial institution will have a target of a minimum of 4% black women at executive level by 2008.

Mining
The Mining Charter stipulates that 10% of employees in the mining should be women. But the progress is variable between different commodities, says Roger Baxter, Chamber of Mines chief economist, and Dr Elize Strydom, Chamber of Mines industrial relations adviser. For example, the two point out that the open cast mining operations have made more progress than the large scale deep level mines, with some of the open cast operations already at the 10% women in mining 2009 target.

In terms of the aggregate numbers collected by the department of minerals and energy, the number of women employed in the mining sector has risen from 12 497 women, or 2,9% of the workforce, in 2003 to 18 694 women, or 4,1% of the workforce, in 2006. In other words, there has been a 49,6% increase in the number of women employed in mining between 2003 and 2006, Baxter explains.

However, because of the 15 300 increase in the number of all employees in the sector in 2006 (versus 2005), the progress on the percentages of women in mining front is certainly in the right direction, but not yet at the halfway mark.

He says the biggest challenge is trying to attract women into deep level, large scale mining. Despite significant efforts by the mining companies, including material bursary schemes to attract women to study engineering, geology and so forth, there remains a shortage of women willing to work underground in deep level mines.

Baxter and Strijdom believe that while progress is being made, there are shortages of women willing to work in the deep level mines, and shortages of females doing technical studies at a tertiary level. Companies are trying to build on the progress made to offer more bursaries and to provide career options at schools — but the challenge remains the willingness, or lack thereof, of women to get involved in deep level mining.

Women and the Codes of Good Practice