Call for corporates to take up the Womenomics Challenge
According to the Womenomics movement there is good and bad, or rather challenging, news for male-dominated corporate employers during Women’s Month (August), said Olwethu Leshabane, head of the movement.
The good: “Don’t waste money buying us chocolate and flowers.”
The challenging: On August 9 (Women’s Day) be courageous enough to complete the Womenomics Challenge, and discover just how poorly women are treated by business SA.
Womenomics is a movement that calls on corporates to make a concerted effort to accelerate women’s participation in the economy. It was founded in SA by Leshabane.
She describes herself as a mom, doula, women empowerment advocate, TV personality, blogger and digital media entrepreneur.
“What we are saying to corporate SA is that, if there’s any favour you will do for women on Women’s Day, it is not to send them flowers and chocolate.
“It is taking the Womenomics test and publishing your findings, then telling us what your plans are for improving your Womenomics scorecard.”
She has assembled an highprofile advisory panel of women-power advocates: Amanda Dambuza, Sihle Bolani and Ipeleng Mkhari.
They will work alongside corporates to improve their Womenomics scoring.
“We are already a few days into another Women’s Month, and despite all the talk, online seminars and more promises about transformation, there are statistics showing that the gender gap in corporate SA is still very large”
While 51,1% of the population are women, only 20.7% are JSE directors and 11,8% are chairs.
There is also a 30% gender pay gap.
She said the 2017 Businesswomen’s Association of SA survey revealed more female than male graduates.
Women in corporate environments have a strong desire to succeed, but are held back by a glass ceiling that is manmade.
The majority of women cope with heading single parent families on low income, handling the stress of the “3Cs” (cooking, cleaning and caring).
“This is while maintaining the fine, but near-impossible balance of keeping up with the other C, our careers.
“It is not only in SA,” said Leshabane.
“Women perform roughly 66% of the world’s work, produce 50% of the food, but earn only 10% of the income.
“Gender equality and women’s empowerment are meaningless buzzwords when the pay gap is still huge.”
Bolani — author, public speaker and transformation advocate — said women did not need empowerment, they had always had power.
They needed the end of disablement, coupled with the ability to pursue their dreams.
Mkhari said: “The only thing that sets us apart from men is opportunity, and in such an economically divided world, we should not take lightly the endless struggles waged by women to just be.”
Entrepreneur Dambuza said: “Economic empowerment of women is without a doubt the biggest step towards resolving some of society’s ills. There can be no prosperity without the economic emancipation of women.”
“What do we want from corporate SA?” asked Leshabane. She provided a list:
• Review and take stock of the policies relating to employment, upskilling, and supplier/funding opportunities of women;
• Own up to the shortcomings, internal biases, policy biases and the structural and systemic oppression foisted on women. Then rectify the problems; and
• Have an accountable and published action plan for the way ahead.
“Achieve all three and Womenomics will grow to a desirable level over a realistic timeline”
The Womenomics Test launches on thewomenomics.com on August 9. https://thewomenomics.com/test/ What Do Your Womenomics Look Like?