Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)

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A developmental approach to gender mainstreaming: women and political spaces in Ghanaian government
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Sosu-Awusanya, Ruth Dzigbordi; Brooks, Heidi
In an increasingly global world with greater awareness of the role of gender inclusivity, there is also increased awareness of the role and value of women’s participation in institutions of government. Ghana is no exception. However, despite efforts and policies in Ghana to facilitate women’s inclusion, it is apparent that women are still not participating in their numbers within government spaces. The research dissertation asks to what extent gender mainstreaming can play a role in facilitating effective participation of women in Ghana’s local government. Through semi-structured interviews and literature analysis, this research report explores the institutional barriers to women’s participation and contribution in local government in Ghana. The study finds that there have been some inclusive policies to ensure that women are better represented in politics. However, these are met with various setbacks resulting from Ghana’s wider social and cultural norms and values. These factors manifest in the local government space in institutional barriers that play a role in inhibiting women from participating effectively. The study finds that gender mainstreaming can play a role in addressing those barriers and encouraging more women to participate in the local government but there remain challenges to their effectiveness
A legal analysis of the complexity of race and gender disadvantage in terms of the Employement Equity Act in South Africa
(2019) Mushariwa, Muriel Tapiwa
Centuries of colonialism and Apartheid created a legacy of inequality in South Africa that the democratic Constitution, 1996, seeks to address. The constitutional mandate in section 9 of this Constitution, enacted through the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 (EEA), requires designated employers in the public and private sphere to address the inequality in the workplace through the application of affirmative action. The EEA identifies the beneficiaries of affirmative action policies as black people, women and persons with disabilities. It is clear that these constitute three distinct groups, but that it is also possible for an individual to belong to more than one of these collectives. For example, black women fall within two designated groups on the basis of race and gender, and this dual disadvantage creates a multi-layered, unique and complex type of inequality. The main aim of the EEA is to create a representative workforce, and designated employers have a duty to break down the barriers that prevent members of the designated groups from entering the workplace. Once employed, employers need to assist members of the designated groups to progress in the workplace. However, having a representative workforce does not translate into a transformed workforce. It will be argued in this thesis that a transformed workplace is representative, but also requires the breakdown of institutional norms, processes and structures that prevent the progression of members of the designated groups. The question to be asked is whether affirmative action, in its current form, is able to transform the workplace. To answer this question, it is vital that consideration be given, firstly, to the type of substantive equality that is to be achieved in the application of affirmative action. It will be shown that the aim should be a transformative substantive equality of outcome. Focus will be placed on the fact that individuals who fall within the designated groups are not equally placed in terms of their experience of disadvantage. It is submitted that consideration of differing experiences of disadvantage needs to be taken into account so as to avoid the creation of an elite middle class black, and possibly male, group, which benefits from affirmative action to the exclusion of others, thus hampering the achievement of equality in the workplace. This thesis will show that a transformative form of substantive equality of outcome needs to be applied to affirmative action in the workplace. This transformative form of substantive equality includes a situation sensitive approach to the implementation of affirmative action in the workplace. A situation sensitive approach will apply affirmative action strictly on a case by case basis with regard to the demographic profile of the specific workforce, and the employment equity policy of the particular workplace. A one size fits all approach cannot deal with the complexity of disadvantage that needs to be addressed. It will be argued that, besides a situation sensitive approach to race, gender and disability, the issues of social, political, economic and educational disadvantage are factors that should be given consideration in identifying the true beneficiaries of affirmative action. To further illustrate this point, particular attention will be given to women within the designated groups, in order to unpack the nature of disadvantage they experienced in the workplace. Two case studies, focusing on women in male dominated professions, the legal profession and the mining industry, will be used to illustrate this point. This thesis will show that ultimately, the goal of affirmative action must be seen to be to change the workplace by breaking down both the visible and invisible barriers of equality and, in doing so, create an environment where, constitutional values of equality, human dignity and freedom are truly recognized and protected.
A study of gender differences in job finding strategies
(University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-06-30) Ralefeta, Neo; Posel, Dorrit
Men and women in the South African labour market face different sets of challenges with women persistently having higher unemployment rates when compared to men. How they search for and find work is an important aspect of the country’s labour market and may inform policy solutions on how to address the large unemployment gaps between men and women. Active job searching is a costly exercise and individuals may use passive searching methods and rely on their social networks to connect them to job openings. This research report examines the differences in job finding strategies between adult men and women; it groups unemployed individuals into searching and non-searching categories and considers their individual and household characteristics. Using data from the National Income Dynamics study from years 2012 and 2014/2015, the study shows that there is a positive correlation between men’s search status and their employment outcomes. However, this is not the case for women whose employment outcomes are not influenced by whether they search for employment or not. For women, a negative correlation is found between social reproductive work and employment outcomes, and a positive correlation is found between educational attainment and employment outcomes. Social reproductive work hinders women more than men from actively searching for employment and being a female lowers the probability of finding employment. This research report contributes to the literature by providing a national analysis of gendered job searching strategies and employment outcomes by using recent nationally representative data.
Antecedents of online shopping behaviour: the moderating role of gender in Gauteng
(2022) Sikhalela, Khanyisa
Online shopping is a growing phenomenon, and, with the COVID19 pandemic, it has been exacerbated. This study sought to assess the antecedents of online shopping behaviour and the moderating role of gender. Driven by the need to expand the knowledge of digital marketing and consumer behaviour, research on consumer behaviour and gender was imperative. This study was motivated by the lack of studies in the South African context that have investigated the online shopping antecedents and how the relationship between these antecedents and online shopping is influenced by gender. To achieve the aim of the study, this study utilised a selfadministered questionnaire to collect data from 200 online shoppers from Gauteng province, South Africa. Correlation and regression analyses were used to evaluate the objectives of the study. Thus, a causal-comparative research design was employed to investigate the effect of perceived benefit, online consumer attitude, perceived risk and trust on online shopping, and how gender influences these relationships. The study revealed that perceived benefit, trust, and online consumer attitude positively affect online shopping. Perceived risk was found to have a negative effect on online shopping. Further results revealed that gender influences the relationships between online shopping behaviour and its antecedents. The study concluded that gender matters regarding online shopping behaviours in Gauteng province. It was recommended that online businesses implement gender-sensitive marketing strategies to attract more online buyers. The results imply that online businesses should pay attention to the four antecedents of online shopping to increase their online sales. Building trust and reducing the perceived risks would enhance online business growth. This suggests that gender-specific or gender-sensitive marketing strategies should be implemented to increase online shopping.
Barriers to accessing funding for women entrepreneurship technology start-ups in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Mogotsi, Claire Kagiso Mmamodumedi; Urban, Boris
Orientation- High growth ventures (HGVs) which comprise young firms known as gazelles or super start firms have been known to be the biggest contributors towards economic growth. However, these types of firms are rare in developing economies, compared to developed economies. Even though Africa boasts some of the highest numbers of female entrepreneurs in the world at 27%, most of these ventures have little opportunity to grow, and numbers are even lower in high growth ventures as women entrepreneurs are in short supply. Motivation for the study- There is an observation that the rates of women entrepreneurship is low compared to men in South Africa, the rates are even fewer in the high growth start- up space. It has also been argued that because women start-ups are underfunded or struggle to access adequate funding, this has contributed to the low rates. Research purpose- The purpose of the study is to investigate the perceived barriers to accessing funding for women-led technology startups in South Africa. This is due to the fact that funding is a significant factor when it comes to the growth and success of a business. Design/Methodology/Approach- The study was cross sectional and quantitative in nature. A self-administered survey was sent to founders and leaders of women-led tech startups in South Africa. An aggregate of 53 women technology start-up owners or partners of male technology start-ups working in different fields of the technology industry collectively took part in the survey. Validity, reliability, correlation and multiple regression were performed to test the relationship between the variables. Main findings- Aspects that were investigated for the study included networks, bias(investor bias and stereotypes), confidence and access to funding. The results show that although women face these barriers when it comes to accessing funding for their businesses in terms of networks, investor bias and gender stereo types, their influence on access tofunding is however not as strong, nor it is as significant.
Challenges Johannesburg non-governmental organisations face in the fight against gender-based violence
(2022) Rwebangira, Annelies Byera
The purpose of this research is to examine the challenges NGOs in Johannesburg face that hinder the fight against GBV, and to offer recommendations on how to overcome them so as to achieve greater success in their work. A qualitative methodology is used to obtain the findings of the research, with methods of semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The three main challenges facing NGOs dealing with GBV, according to Britton (2006) are shortages in funding, inadequate leadership, and inappropriate methods. This research interrogates these three challenge areas as they relate to GBV. The findings suggest that similar challenges still persist among NGOs as those pointed out by Britton. Shortage in funding is still the leading challenge facing NGOs. Inadequate leadership is continually observed in the form of the limited extent of collaboration of the NGOs with other stakeholders especially the government officials. Lastly, it builds upon the challenges associated with the methods carried out by the NGOs while implementing the strategies, i.e. they are hindered by harmful socio-cultural practices and ethical challenges while carrying out GBV research. In conclusion, the research suggests that NGOs should devise alternative means of securing additional funding, provide more training to enhance leadership, and design methods that are socially and culturally sensitive to the needs of the victims of GBV.
Cultural values and consumer choice of motor vehicle brands: the case of women in SA
(2021) Majola, Jonia
Culture is one of the accepted determiners used by marketing researchers as an influencer of consumer behaviour. This research seeks to determine how cultural values impact women’s vehicle brand choice in South Africa. The study also seeks to determine effect of vehicle purchasing factors on vehicle brand choice particularly for women and compared with men. The methodology used for this study entailed an online quantitative survey. A total of 7 cultural values hypotheses were tested and two were accepted and 5 were rejected. A total of 6 vehicle purchasing factors were tested and 3 were accepted and 3 were rejected. The findings revealed that brand choice is influenced by two cultural values: affective cultural value and mastery cultural values. Moreover, vehicle purchasing factors that influence vehicle brand choice are styling, pricing and image. The study also confirmed that there are significant differences between male and female consumers within the cultural values of intellectual autonomy cultural value and hierarchy cultural values. Furthermore, male and female buyers embody a significant difference in one vehicle purchasing factor: styling. The theoretical findings contribute to the limited and existing research, literature and knowledge on the effect of cultural values on vehicle brand choice and the effect of vehicle purchasing factors on vehicle brand choice. The study broadens knowledge on the vehicle purchasing factors; it extends our understanding on the differences between women and men in terms of vehicle purchasing factors and cultural values. The managerial implications reveal the importance of understanding customers. Two cultural values influence vehicle brand choice; these are: affective autonomy and mastery cultural values. Therefore, automotive marketers should ensure that their marketing strategies speak to these cultural values. For mastery cultural value communication strategies should embrace the spirit of goal-oriented people and success. For affective autonomy cultural value, it is therefore important for marketers to verify that their marketing strategies focus on ensuring that customers will use their vehicles to enjoy life. Vehicles should be portrayed as a tool that enables customers to enjoy life when embarking on new experiences such as visiting markets and Page | 3 adventurous experiences and excursions. Marketing strategies should also include three vehicle purchasing factors pillars: styling, pricing and image.
Digitalisation and gender inclusion in financial services in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Smith, Talicia Lucia; Magida, Ayanda
Digital transformation and increased digitalisation have been identified as significant opportunities for women’s participation and gender inclusion in the workforce to support substantial economic growth. This study explores the perceived role of gender inclusion during the rapid digitalisation of the world of work during the pandemic. This study further seeks to understand the experience of women leaders in the formal sector from 2019 to 2021 in South Africa (SA). An interpretive phenomenological approach was adopted for this study, using semi-structured interviews. The snowballing sampling method was used to reach women leaders across the financial services industry. The data was analysed using thematic analysis and a hybrid analytical approach to developing the code book and subsequent themes. The research findings indicated a delicate and complex relationship between digitalisation and gender inclusion influenced by the internal gender inclusion strategy, the digital workplace design, digitalenablers, social implications, culture and well-being of women leaders as they worked virtually. While women leaders experienced the rapid surge of digitalisation during the virtual working phenomenon as positive, there were pros and cons identified for women leaders working almost, ultimately impacting their ability to stay with organisations. While organisations offer world-class digital transformation strategies, invest in the best technologies, or leverage increased digitalisation to change how people work. The key takeaway is that with the complexities of human behaviour and the entrenched gender stereotypes in financial services, digitalisation may not be enough to keep women as active and contributing members of the future workforce
Diversity And Inclusion In The Workplace Of Civil Engineering Firms In South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Ramone, Ntsitile; Woytela, Kambidima
The narrative of engineering as a masculine profession has replicated the observation that engineering is incongruous for women. Although efforts to encourage females to get into the engineering field have been made, a number of them have failed. At the same time, it has been argued that the way gender is ‘done’ in work can help diminish or increase inequality between the sexes. Diversity symbolises the synchronicity of employees with an extensive variation of socio-cultural, socio-economic as well as demographic characteristics. Inclusion designates the optimal employment of a blended workforce for the development and success of an organisation by providing a sense of connection, empowerment, acknowledgement, respect to the diverse workforce as well as integration. Gender inequality can also be viewed as the cultural and social situation in which gender determines different rights and self-worth for women and men, which are echoed in their imbalanced access to rights, as well as the hypothesis of pigeonholed social and cultural roles Using case study research exploring diversity and inclusion in the workplace of South African civil engineering firms in Gauteng, this study aims to explore the relationship between diversity and inclusion attributes such as gender inequality, pay disparities, gender based discrimination, skills as well as unfavourable work conditions and how they affect job performance and in turn inhibit growth in the industry. A case study approach was used through conducting semi-structured interviews that enabled in-depth insights from participants to get a thorough understanding of the concepts under review
Experiences of positive psychology coaching for women’s success in workplace
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2018) Mokwele, Mapaseka
The findings of the study revealed that positive psychology coaching assists the coachees in their ability to develop positive thinking; it helps to improve confidence and resilience, enhances self-awareness and interpersonal skills, enhances learning and knowledge and also enhances decision making skills. Despite this, there were challenges that were highlighted during the use of positive psychology coaching. There were three core challenges that were revealed by the findings, which were the personal coachee challenges, environmental challenges, as well as the PPC tools and methodology challenges. The findings show there were overall benefits which entailed higher level of self-awareness and control where the coachees were able to tap into their strengths, increased their energy, eliminated negative thoughts and felt empowered in so far as being able to achieve all their desires. It is evident that positive psychology coaching is a vital tool for women in leadership as it enhances their ability to go for what they want and believe in themselves, thereby reaching their optimum psychological aspects resulting in success in the workplace
Exploring Challenges Faced by Women in Executive Leadership in the Non-Profit Sector in South Africa
(niversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Nsibande, Nondumiso; Alovokpinhou, Sedjro
Women continue to face challenges in executive leadership positions within non-profit organisations in South Africa which negatively affects their performance. Limited progress has been made on women’s representation in decision-making in the last few years, however, those who make it to these positions tend to vacate them because of obstacles that exist while holding these positions. This study used a phenomenological qualitative research design to explore the experiences of women in senior management positions in the non-profit sector. The study used in-depth interviews to collect qualitative data from 20 participants: 16 women leaders, and four men leaders in the non-profit sector. Feminist theory was used to understand the different challenges and discriminations faced by women in senior management based on race, gender, and other forms of stereotype. The study found that the main challenges faced by participants which affected their ability to thrive in their role as leaders in the organisations was the reinforcement of patriarchal ideologies, including gender norms in the workplace, lack of resources, lack of mentorship and investment in leadership training, gender wage inequality, discrimination based on the intersections between race and gender, and a lack of a family work-life balance. Participants also identified factors that could contribute to sustaining women in leadership positions such as positive organisational culture, and being intentional in challenging toxic gender norms and overall gender inequality; promoting work-life balance policies; investing in mentorship and networking opportunities, networking and leadership training
Factors contributing to the success of female leaders in South African Independent Power Producers
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Madali, Lusani Jacqueeline
Globally, there is a transition towards low-carbon energy sources, and countries, including South Africa, are including renewable energy power generation into their energy mix to reduce carbon emissions and meet gender mainstreaming and equality objectives. The energy sector remains one of the most minor gender-diverse sectors in the economy. Studies have indicated that there are barriers and enabling factors that contribute to the success of female leaders. The study aimed to explore and analyse factors (barriers and enablers) contributing to the success of female leaders in South African Independent Power Producers. The research adopted a generic qualitative approach using a non-random sampling technique (self-selection) followed by thematic data analysis and interpretation to derive the narrative towards the study objectives. Data was collected from nine female participants from leading renewable energy IPP companies through semi-structured interview questions undertaken via an online platform. The study's key finding was how the feminist theory came into play when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the social norms, which shifted stereotype, patriarchal and discrimination views about females. In summary, the study also indicated that contributing factors could be both negative extrinsic (generational disadvantages, unconscious bias, discrimination, patriarchy, and stereotype) and intrinsic (lack of self-confidence) and positive extrinsic (support system, mentoring and training) and intrinsic (self-confidence), which can be a barrier or an enabler towards females attaining leadership roles within the renewable energy IPPs
Factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions of women in the South African digital ecosystem
(2021) Danisa, Nombulelo
In line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there have been increasing calls in support of female entrepreneurship in Sub Saharan Africa. The entrepreneurial gender disparity against women in South Africa is a cause for concern considering the important role of female entrepreneurs in the economy. Potential female entrepreneurs face challenges and hostile environments that discourage entrepreneurial spirit. However, with the advent of the digital ecosystem, it is hoped that these institutional barriers would be overcome. Thus, an investigation on the influence of institutional factors and the digital environment on entrepreneurial intentions of women is imperative. Utilising the Theory of Planned Behaviour within an institutional embedded perspective, a model for the digital economy was inferred to analyse factors affecting female entrepreneurial intention in the South African digital ecosystem. This quantitative study utilised cross sectional data collected for a final sample of 302 females across South Africa. Results reflected that entrepreneurial intentions of women are positively influenced by favourable perceptions of the cognitive and normative institutional dimensions. However, the regulatory dimension had a positive but insignificant influence with no evidence that the digital environment interacts with the institutional environment to influence entrepreneurial intentions. Therefore, it is recommended that government and policy makers play a leading role in promoting a culture that values female entrepreneurship. This would assist in creating favourable perceptions of the institutional environment and in turn encourage aspiring female entrepreneurs to start their own business.
Feminist evaluation: case study of graça machel trust women creating wealth programme
(2022) Mokoena, Refilwe
Feminist evaluation assesses the value or merit of a policy, programme or other initiative with a focus on the gender-based inequality and its contribution to social injustice. Evaluation results and processes are then used to act and advocate for gender equality. Applying a feminist lens to evaluation increases the likelihood that systemic gender-based norms, beliefs and discrimination will be examined and addressed. This, in turn, can increase the evaluation’s utility as feminist evaluation approaches involve users in defining and addressing these norms. This study applied feminist evaluation principles to the Graça Machel Trust Women Creating Wealth (WCW) programme in Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, to examine how these principles affect the usefulness of the evaluation. The research used Alkin’s (2017) concept of the two categories of the Program Evaluation Utility Standards – those to do with the evaluation and those to do with the evaluator – to define utility. The study evaluated the WCW by employing the Most Significant Change approach, complemented by document review. The study’s research component included semi-structured key informant interviews with feminist evaluation experts, the WCW programme manager and a literature review. Results revealed the ways in which the two feminist principles contributed to the evaluation-related utility standards, namely attention to stakeholders and meaningful processes and products. Adding a feminist lens to the evaluation context analysis of the WCW programme made visible the gender norms and beliefs in the external environment as well as those demonstrated by the programme. This context review also brought to light the power dynamics within the programme. This information strengthened attention to more marginalized stakeholders, which increased the study’s utility. The use of feminist principles outlined the ways of knowing espoused by the WCW programme and showed that some ways of knowing and learning were privileged over others, even in an all-women initiative The use of feminist evaluation principles and the Most Significant incited some learning and reflection on feminist programming on the part of WCW staff. The full investigation into the evaluation’s utility remained underdeveloped, however, due to logistical and time constraints. This presents an opportunity for further and future research into the effect of feminist evaluation on evaluation utility in Africa.
Gender Occupational Distribution in the Post-Apartheid South African Labour Market
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Jack, Khanyisa; Mackett, Odisa
This study seeks to assess how women's employment has evolved in post-apartheid South Africa by analysing female occupation concentration in the labour market. Exploring gender patterns is essential in identifying processes in the system which may either be producing or reinforcing segregation in gender occupational distribution within the labour market (Siltanen et al., 1996). This is especially important if one considers the policy efforts and strategies put in place by the government post-1994. Hence, the interest is to look at the trends of occupation distribution over time. In the absence of non-discriminatory policies and continued promotion of gender equality in the labour market, one would expect proportional representation of both genders across all occupations, and similar economic outcomes, with a lesser degree of occupational segregation. As a result, this study seeks to understand whether there has been a trajectory towards narrowing segregation in the distribution of occupational groups to better assist targeted interventions to promote gender equality and inclusivity in the labour market. The study makes use of the Stats SA October Household Survey (OHS) from 1993 to 1999, and the Labour Force Survey from 2000 to 2020, amongst other document analyses. It further focuses on the distribution of occupational groups to explore the degree of segregation, determine whether the nature of segregation has changed over time or not, and the determinants of the possible observed changes in the labour market. Overall, the results of the regression analysis show that, to varying degrees, there is a linear relationship between high female and male occupational concentration and other characteristics such as gender, age group, province, industry, and the highest level of education etc. Although both gender and race have proven to have a more prolonged impact on occupational attainment, both the descriptive and regression analysis show that gender remains a key determining factor in labour market outcomes and occupational attainment. This can be understood to mean that while legislation has had some success in addressing barriers to entry for previously disadvantaged groups in terms of race and gender, legislation aimed at addressing various forms of discrimination cannot necessarily address intrinsic societal norms and perceptions around gender roles or the perceived competence of individuals who form part of particular racial groups. Individuals in elementary occupations are more likely to be employed in occupational groups with higher female concentration ratios. Some occupations and industries continue to be gendered in their concentration levels, especially those that a male-dominated, i.e., craft and related trade, plant and machine – the overwhelming majority of males in these occupations may be deterring women and there might be certain barriers to entry that keep women away from these occupations
Gender-based inequalities in access to water and sanitation in South Africa: Case study of two informal settlements
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Ntwana, Bukiwe; Wafer, A
This study is concerned with understanding the specific configurations of the institutional and infrastructural arrangements in two informal settlements that exacerbate or mitigate women's access to water and sanitation services. The study draws on a comparative case study design with some elements of ethnographic design in two informal settlements based in Cape Town and Johannesburg as case studies. The QQ Section informal settlement is situated in Cape Town, Khayelitsha. The settlement is dense, it is located on state-owned land with servitudes and it falls under the City of Cape Town municipality (CoCT) which is governed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) and it falls within Ward 89, which is an African National Congress (ANC) led Ward. The second settlement is the Marlboro South informal settlement, which is situated in Johannesburg, Marlboro. The settlement is located in an industrial area with shacks situated inside and outside around abandoned private-owned warehouses. Marlboro South falls under the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), which was governed by the DA from 2016 to 2019 when the fieldwork of this study was conducted. Furthermore, Marlboro South is divided into two wards, Ward 108 is ANC-led and Ward 109 is DA-led. Both settlements further adhere to other formal and informal institutions of power such as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and community leadership institutions. All these factors have shaped water and sanitation services, which further affect women’s access to these services in both settlements. The study reveals that the effects of the institutional and infrastructural arrangements on water and sanitation result in women experiencing unsafe access, health and hygiene challenges, maintenance challenges of water and sanitation facilities, gender-based discrimination at the household and community levels and the marginalisation of women resulting from not having private connections to water and sanitation infrastructure in the two case studies. This study uses the qualitative research approach, the data was collected using in-depth household interviews, focus group discussions and key informant interviews in both settlements. The sampling method used in this study was purposive sampling with women as the study respondents in the two informal settlements
Gendered perspectives of the enablers and constraints for female energy leaders in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Msimanga, Xolile; Carmichael, Terri
This exploratory research study provides gendered perspectives on female leadership characteristics and how increased diversity may contribute positively to energy sector performance. This study also explored the enablers and constraints for women in the energy sector in South Africa to progress to senior positions. A qualitative research approach was used for the research method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight female and seven male energy sector leaders. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data using MAXQDA coding software. The research findings showed that the characteristics are being people-centric – inclusive and collaborative; 'soft traits' like empathy; developing and empowering others; being visionary and performance-driven. Both genders highlighted that although these characteristics were more pronounced in women, they were also observed in good male leaders. The best leaders can balance their gender-related traits with the traits of good leaders. The leaders highlighted that increased diversity results in better problem-solving and superior solutions. Therefore, an increase in diversity leads to better performingorganisations. The research findings showed that the main enablers were transformation processes; networking and exposure; organisational environment; coaching, mentorship, sponsorship; development and training opportunities; mindset and internal beliefs; senior and managerial support; career ownership; and family support. Self-determination was recognised as vital, and autonomous motivation drove the female leaders to succeed. The research findings showed that the main constraints were gender stereotyping; mindset and internal beliefs; male-dominated sector and culture; old boys’ clubs; lack of female pipelines and representation; lack of accommodative structures in operations; and the dual role of women. Male leaders can play a crucial role in male-dominated environments to ally with women and work on changing the systems. Although gender stereotyping was recognised as the biggest challenge, their mindset and perspectives about the sector were also a significant constraint as it could impact their willingness to pursue leadership roles in energy or even consider careers in the sector.
Inequality of opportunity in South Africa
(2023) Booysen, Andrid Angelique
Recent studies conducted in South Africa and other developing countries show that measuring the “unfair inequalities” in society (such as with income) that have an effect on one’s abilities to achieve certain outcomes, can assist in better understanding total inequality. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) is the government agency that is responsible for measuring and reporting inequality in the country. The purpose of this research is to contribute in providing an alternative view on how Stats SA can measure and report inequality in South Africa. The study adopts the ex-ante view when measuring inequality of opportunity. Data used for the study was sourced from the Living Conditions Survey (LCS). The variables used in the study were divided into outcome, circumstance and effort. The outcome or dependent variable used for this research was individual income annualised and adjusted for inflation. Results from the study show that individual employment status, individual years of schooling, race, parental educational level and employment status, sex of individual at birth and place of residence had the biggest effect on individual income in South Africa
Institutional arrangements in the coordination of policies for gender equality
(2020) Sobudula, Viwe
Gender inequality is a challenge which has been inherited from the apartheid government in South Africa. The democratic government has through the establishment of various institutions such as the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) and the development of policies and laws made efforts to address gender inequalities, however, the problem still persists. The purpose of this study is to analyse how the DWYPD works with other government departments through institutional arrangements to coordinate policies for the promotion of gender equality/equity. The research found that although the DWYPD has an enabling environment for policy coordination, institutional arrangements are structurally and operationally weak. The study also found challenges such as unclear policy mandate, lack of legislative authority to coordination policies and poor communication and planning within the DWYPD for the institutional arrangements. The study gives insights into challenges faced by different departments and makes recommendations for better coordination and management
Intersecting Public- Private and Civil Sector Governance of Gender Transformation in Sports in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-02) Ndzala, Vuyelwa; Abrahams, Caryn
South Africa is a developing country with gender equality being one of the leading priorities since the democratic transition of 1994. is ushered by several stakeholders who have an important role in the governance of gender transformation. As an essential element for development, sports require for an implementation of coordinated strategies, wherein which multi- stakeholders both in the public, private and civil sector can play prescriptive, regulatory, technical as well financial support roles. Some of these roles could include leadership in sports. Yet, issues of inequality, inadequate sports women professionals and administrators is engulfed for more than two decades into democracy in the country. Unequal representation in decision-making positions, pay parity, femicide and gender-based violence, inadequate investment, repetitive negative stereotypes as well as codified norms are some of the visible ills experienced by women in the society as well as in sports. The research began with gender transformation phenomenon as a background to the study drawing into the governance of sports and role players in the sports system in South Africa to provide a summative framework for gender transformation in sports. The theoretical argument suggests that good governance in sports is largely dependent on the how adequately and transparently defined are roles and responsibilities and functions of the partaking stakeholders. Also, on how well the monitoring and evaluation strategies are enforced by the governing organization. Mainstreaming gender equality polices, and strategies is key, and, unless all stakeholders adopt and implement policies including regulatory frameworks to monitor and evaluate these, gender mainstream in sports could have long-lasting impact for women. In this regard, women and girl players across sports codes should not have unequal opportunities in sports relative to their male counterparts. Women have been deprived access to sports participation or being in sport leadership positions. The literature review shows that some underlying factors including exclusions on account of social beliefs and expectations, socio-cultural expectations, inadequate publicity and media coverage, access to participation, funding and poor governance affects optimal participation of women and young girls in sports in South Africa. The primary research objective was to examine the roles and responsibilities of the public-private and civil sector in gender transformation in sports, how the roles and responsibilities intersect and what interactions are involved between the various stakeholders to ensure gender transformation in sports. The study used a qualitative research approach to gain better understanding of the problem, further, applied a purposive sample of knowledge experts including government sector, private sector, sport federation and non-government organisations (administrators/activists, decision- makers, employees, and sport persons) current and retired players, sports journalist, coaches, and clubs (women led, school, and community sports club) to participate in the empirical part of the study. To collect data, the researcher used semi-structured interviews (n=12), audio-recorded the interviews, transcribed and analysed the data using thematic analysis. The following six themes were identified from the data such as: (i) structural support for women and girls in sports, and (ii)gendered meanings of sporting inclusion, (iii) systemic and gendered exclusion, (iv) partnership and collaboration for social change and gender empowerment, and (v) re-shaping the imaginary of sport sponsorship and support. The findings confirmed that: a) public- private and civil sector organisations have a role to play in the transformation agenda and in sports, b) that there is inadequate support and coordination between the role players in favour in ushering gender transformation in sports, c) there is no central coordination of the roles and responsibilities. There is no clear strategy for collaboration of efforts between the role players, each of the entities work in isolation of the other d) there seems to be challenges in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the gender mainstream initiatives and affects the optimal of participation women sports in South Africa. The study enabled the researcher to develop a conceptual framework to address the problem. The framework suggests that all stakeholders (especially sports organisations) adopt and implement policies including regulatory frameworks to monitor and evaluate regulatory measures with the view to promote equality between women and men in sports. Adopt an intersectionality approach that will help to determine the differences the participation rates between the marginalised groups and to those among dominantly situated groups with a view to redress the patriarchal norms and systemic gendered exclusion in sports. Develop equality policies that are monitored and evaluated using scientific research and integrate those into actions that will contribute to progressive long-term change and amenable to respond to changes in response to local situations and specific environments. Develop a structured implementation platforms with concrete actions necessary to strengthen and structure of cooperation between stakeholders to develop their instruments, capacities, policies, and actions, while facilitating dialogue and exchange of experience. It is therefore concluded that women participation in sports in South Africa can only benefit from an investment (implementation) in such a framework that will demand all role players (public, private, and non-governmental organisations) to lead and cooperatively work together to change gender norms and stereotypes in sports in South Africa.

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Browsing Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs) by SDG "SDG-5: Gender equality"

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