‘Women must no longer be victims’
STANDING tall in the face of adversity and fighting race and gender discrimination in the workplace, Adila Chowan is quickly becoming a champion for women’s empowerment in the country.
The chartered accountant, who recently won her case against the Imperial Group, its subsidiary Associated Motor Holdings (AMH) and Imperial chief executive Mark Lamberti, is being applauded for her giant victory.
Imperial, which operates in the logistics and vehicle sectors, is a JSE-listed company employing more than 49 000 people in 33 countries.
Chowan, a former finance executive at the company, sued for race and gender discrimination after Lamberti allegedly referred to her as a “female employment-equity” in front of colleagues in 2014 and said she would need as many as four more years to develop her leadership skills.
Chowan was fired by AMH in 2015 following a complaint of race and gender discrimination after she was overlooked for a promotion.
The North Gauteng High Court ruled in her favour.
Last week, Lamberti resigned as Imperial chief executive after four years in the position.
Chowan told that no woman should be made to feel “less than” in any environment but that they should be recognised for their ability and capability to add value to the workplace.
She said since the public battle, she had received overwhelming support from both women and men.
“I’ve had so many people reach out to me and tell me that I’m an inspiration to them. The sad revelation is that countless women are going through similar experiences in the workplace but are scared to speak out.
Chowan said she discovered that, strangely enough, the biggest problems emerged from the private sector.
Reacting to her victory when reported this on social media recently, Facebook users sang Chowan’s praises. Grant Fourie: “Well done, it’s amazing! This sets a precedent. More is coming.”
Dheena Naidoo: “Kudos to you, stand up for what you believe in.”
Chowan said she was grateful for the support. “It has given me a level of confidence.”