Gender discrimination in the workplace: an examination of how women confront marginalisation in South Africa

Abstract

The present study delves into an examination of the gender discrimination of women in the workplace in post-apartheid South Africa. The burden of the study is to understand how, in spite of legislation and political rhetoric that commits to the empowerment of women in South Africa; women remain discriminated against at work and in society at large. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 bears a number of statutes that declare the empowerment of women as a human right that is central to the aspirations of democracy and development in the country. Decoloniality as a theoretical framework is deployed to allow the study a critical perspective into how the gender discrimination of women in the workplace is a problem in South Africa that is systematically and structurally connected to the coloniality of gender at a world scale. Methodologically, the study adopts the qualitative approach that, in line with decolonial theory enables the study to understand the life conditions and experiences of women based on their testimonies as interviewees and participants in the research. The positionality of the researcher as a working woman became a decolonial opportunity to speak and think with the women as equals and not to objectify them as objects of research. Decoloniality which is a theory and a philosophy of liberation that seeks to negate the classification of human beings according to race, gender and sexuality amongst other objectives is appropriate to this study. It centered in the discipline of Critical Diversity Studies that critiques power relations, oppression and domination that are based on human differences. Male power and privilege over women are understood as domination and exploitation that are based on systemic and structural constructs that should be challenged. Relevant literature from scholars in gender and feminist studies has been explored to locate the study amongst other studies as intellectual and also social justice work that is academically acceptable. The study notes that some women seek accommodation with male power and privilege to locate themselves in the comfort zone as well as some men elect to be allies of women in their struggle. The study recommends that durable solidarities amongst women should be forged. Training and education programmes that raise awareness to the discrimination of women should be promoted. Men should be sensitised to support and champion the empowerment of women as they are either perpetrators of patriarchy or beneficiaries of its power and privilege. The pieces of legislation that support the cause of women should be known and activism applied to get them to be implemented to their letter and spirit. It is in that way that this study is both academic and social justice work