Throughout the decades, women have made strides in the workplace and continue to eliminate glass ceilings that are placed above them. “Gender diversity within the workplace enables better problem solving through the sharing of various viewpoints and ideas gained from different perspectives,” comments Mpho Nkeli, Director and Head: Board Practice at Search Partners International. “The delivering of different ideas to solve a collective issue, is where having a gender diverse workforce can help with thinking out of the box, and relating to a gender diverse client base.”
This women’s month appreciation should be given to those women who laid the pathways into what was once a man’s world, while also reflecting on those who are still to come and continue to change the workforce for women. “Although, huge changes have been made within the world of work for women, it is naïve to believe a perfect equilibrium has been achieved,” explains Mpho. “Much work still needs to be done, in not only gender diversity, but diversity on a whole within the workplace.”
In the 19th and 20th century, women were given positions that were linked to domestic roles – nannies, tutors, housekeeping, etc. These jobs were hard, long hours and often came with cramped living arrangements and little pay. Soon, women started looking for available jobs in factories, even though they were paid less than their male counterparts. The World Wars saw women filling positions once occupied by men who had enlisted and gone to fight. Some of these women refused to go back to home life after the was war was over, causing tension within the working place.
Up until the 1970s women who were employed were mostly single, with only a small portion of the female workforce being married. Most married women would end their careers to be a wife and mother and resume the role of house maker. As the years went on, more women finished high school, with some continuing to university to obtain a degree. This closed the gap between single and married working women, creating an almost equal split. Women, especially those with degrees were finding out that they were able to balance both home and work life, and instead of a single income family model, a new dual income model started to emerge.
“During this time, a high percentage of the female workforce would gravitate towards careers that closely resembled their ‘home life’ such as nursing, social work, teaching and clerical positions. However, around the late 1980s and early 1990s more and more women began studying for degrees and applying for positions that were mostly seen as male dominated career choices such as lawyers, doctors and professors. As an increase of educated women entered the workforce, a smaller gap between the genders started to occur,” explains Mpho.
Women can now be found in various careers across industries, breaking through the stereotype that only certain positions are suitable for men. However, they are forced to take into consideration the role of family in their lives, such as starting a family, and also family demands that are put on them, such as a sick child. “Unfortunately, the time taken off for her family can be considered a hinderance to most organisations, which can push her career further back. Although, this time should be not held against her, time off work can affect the results the business is looking for,” comments Mpho
Time for family is not the only issue that women continue to face, but equal pay as well. Although, the gap is slowly closing, men are seen to be paid more than women fulfilling the same role and taking on the same responsibilities. “The ILO Global Wage 2018/19 report shows that full-time employed South African women are paid 22.7% less than men, and part-time employed South African women earn 39% less,” reports Mpho.
“Organisations need to start addressing their pay structures, to represent the same pay for the same work. They also need to take into consideration the role of a woman within the family structure, and not use time away such as maternity leave as an excuse to overlook the quality of the work being completed,” comments Mpho.
