Why is it that the same women who competently govern their households are not trusted with decision-making positions in the workplace?
This was the daring question posed by The Elilox managing director Prof Bridgette Gasa at Nelson Mandela University’s annual youth convention on Wednesday.
Gasa challenged current and future employers to be intentional about placing women in positions of leadership in the workplace to concretely dismantle gender inequalities in SA.
“There are critical, practical steps that need to be taken to dismantle gender inequality and while some strategies may differ in implementation tools, they at least must be similar in content,” she said.
“I’m not going to make a competition about who makes the most decisions in the household, but in areas of governance we need to be intentional in placing women in areas that allow them to be the decision makers that they are.”
She called for transparency, trust, strategic support and having consideration for life, work and family.
Women were more comfortable in spaces that operated in transparency, she said.
“We feel better when engaging in an environment where there is transparency.
“Any employer who sees my capabilities beyond the fact that I’m a woman and creates an enabling environment for me in which to plant, I will do far more for.”
While acknowledging the vast nature of gender inequality at present, Gasa said she appreciated the progress the country had made over the years.
“It’s a pity that our biology is used as a disincentive in the workplace,” she said.
Gasa’s talk came after that of Wits University chancellor Dr Judy Dlamini, who referenced several successful youth enterprises as examples of innovative ideas the youth ought to be inspired by.
“Young people should do away with the idea that they need to come up with this idea in order to be recognised. I use the likes of The Lazy Makoti author and chef Mogau Seshoene, who founded her business based on her passion for cooking,” she said.
“You can use your talent to create a business and create jobs.”
Dlamini encouraged the youth to make use of government and private incentives such as the SA SME Fund and Harambee which were there to create jobs and to assist budding entrepreneurs.
“In spite of many challenges we have as a country, we have come a long way,” she said.
This article appeared in The Herald (South Africa) on 1 August 2019 written by Zamandulo Malonde malondez@tisoblackstar.co.za