Corporate boards need more women

Just 17.4% of women are board directors in South Africa’s business sector.

According to the Businesswomen’s Association, among Jse-listed companies in 2017, women constituted only 11.8% of board chairs, with one in six Jse-listed companies having no women on their boards.

A comprehensive study by Gallup showed that businesses that have gender-diverse boards and workforces perform better than those dominated by a single gender. Women bring fresh perspectives and talents, new views, alongside structural and cultural diversity to the companies they work for and are far more effective as leaders.

It’s not that women want to become the superior sex, we just want to participate and contribute to the greater success story of life and in business alongside our male counterparts.

South Africa’s women are especially in a crisis. Not only do they struggle more than men for work, when they find it, they are often paid less, and rarely climb the corporate ladder.

According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey of the second quarter of 2021, men are also more likely to be in paid employment, while women are more likely to be doing unpaid work.

Men’s perceptions of women are still biased and it’s also the responsibility of fathers to step up as this is where I believe we’ll begin changing perceptions. More women in powerful roles will also pave the way for building empathy so we can finally address gender inequality.