South African women occupy 27% of senior management positions in the local workforce, according to recent findings in the Grant Thornton International Business Report.The South African average is way above the global level of 20%. Although the latter was 24% in 2009, it dipped to its lowest since 2004 in the most recent results. This was revealed on International Women’s Day. The survey for the report was conducted at private businesses and governments in 39 countries in both developing and developed countries.
Jeanette Hern, partner and head of corporate finance at Grant Thornton said: “The fact that South Africa outperforms the global average can be attributed to the emphasis placed by government on gender equality and employment equity. “However, while the South African government holds an impressive record with many women in senior positions, the private sector business community still has a long way to go, particularly in the roles that women play.”
April Mackenzie, global head of public policy and external affairs at Grant Thornton, added: “It is disappointing to see that the global proportion of women in senior management has shown no sign of growth, reverting instead to 2004 levels.”
Although South Africa’s percentage of women in senior positions shows how government policies on gender equality and employment equity have worked, the private sector still has fewer women in senior positions at 23% compared to the global average of 38%. “We can't afford to be complacent by relying on the fact that we are outperforming our global counterparts. The recent economic crisis has highlighted the need for businesses to be flexible and open to change in order to survive. The different perspective that women can bring is so important in our ever-changing and complex world," said Hern.
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