Women can break the glass ceiling

It’s no secret that getting ahead and earning respect in male-dominated fields can be challenging for women, and for those who manage to make it to the upper echelons of corporates and other organisations, the pressure to always perform at your peak is just as relentless.

Fihliwe Nkomo, human resources executive at Peermont, is a pioneering woman in the HR field, and she says that although there are many women in the industry, her rise to the top had its own challenges.

“Human resources as a profession sees more women in senior positions than many other professions,” she says. “Women’s entry into leadership career paths is more difficult in male domains where ‘like attracts like’ and and it’s these subtle and often unconscious dynamics influence how talent is rewarded.”

As a women executive among predominantly males, Nkomo has got used to being in a minority, which can be tricky when it comes to finding common ground and getting buy in from male counterparts. “However, I found that being a minority could also work for me, as I could offer different views and perspectives.”

Nkomo says women who want to “climb the ladder” need to empower themselves by building a good educational foundation, stay true to who they are and have a positive, determined and professional attitude, even when the going gets tough.

At Peermont, Nkomo is responsible for all aspects of HR strategy and delivery for the group and overseeing cultivating organisational culture. She also serves as executive director on Peermont’s subsidiary boards.

Nkomo acknowledges that women have to work twice as hard as men to gain the trust and respect of senior colleagues, but it can be done through having confidence in one’s ability and making every interaction with others authentic.

“The journey of getting to where I am was difficult, but not impossible. Women in this country have so many more opportunities than in the past. The key is to seize them and make them work for us, and to remember that everything worthwhile comes from hard work and determination.”