We've come a long way from the patriarchal past, where women were seen as good for housework only. But sadly, there are still signs that a glass ceiling exists for many women in the workplace, stopping them from making it into management positions. In fact, Grant Thorton's International Business Report on women shows that just over a quarter of top decision-making roles in South African businesses are filled by women. You can change this - and meet your employment equity targets - by putting more women in management positions in your company today!
Grant Thorton's International Business Report (IBR) on women was fittingly released yesterday, just in time for
International Women's Day today.
It's causing consternation among the labour industry, as it shows there aren't enough
women in management positions, says
Fin24.
Luckily, this is set to change soon as the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill, which seeks to ensure a 50/50 representation of women in decision-making structures in both the private and public sectors, has been approved by cabinet for public comment.
But you don't have to wait for the bill to be passed to make a change in your workplace.
Rethink your recruitment strategy: Satisfy the Employment Equity Act by hiring more women!
Especially if you're concerned about employment equity issues.
Because if you don't employ more women, you could be guilty of discrimination in the workplace.
And you can't feign ignorance, as the Department of Labour points out that gender is one of 20 areas of discrimination you need to prevent in the workplace.
That's why
FSPBusiness says the Commission for Gender Equality has issued a reminder to implement meaningful gender transformation instead of merely focusing on the race aspect of affirmative action.
The easiest way to make sure you don't contravene the Employment Equity Act is to have a look at the way your company phrases its job vacancy ads – focus on minimum skills required instead of mentioning gender as a requirement.
Because if your offers of employment aren't gender neutral, you could face penalties of up to R900 000, says the Practical Guide to Human Resource Management.
And the
Labour Bulletin says it makes good business sense to develop women leaders in your business.
Two ways your business will benefit from having more women in management positions
It states that companies which have a higher proportion of women in management positions also see their bottom lines grow significantly.
Having more women in management positions is also a great way to boost productivity in your workplace, as women tend to adopt a friendly, supportive and a caring style of leadership.
There you have it! Rethink your recruitment strategy today if you don't have enough women in management positions – your business will benefit tremendously!
