Gender mainstreaming ezine jan 2017 by Business Engage Association NPC

GENDER MAINSTREAMING E-ZINE E-ZINE

Invest in yourself to be an effective executive - P27

Clover Mama Afrika celebrates 13 years of empowering women - P8

Diversity is the Answer to High Performance - P36 1

Developing strong future leaders

For us it’s not about numbers, it’s about having a compelling story to tell, based on our transformation and diversity successes. It’s about making a difference where we can, and driving change in our industry. It’s about celebrating the contribution of our female staff to our business – over half of our staff are females, and most of them are under the age of 35. It’s about the fact that 93% of our female candidates qualiﬁed as CAs last year – giving these young people opportunities, and developing future leaders of our ﬁrm, and business leaders of our country. It’s about fostering an environment where every one of our people has an opportunity to succeed and reach their potential. It’s about achieving our purpose of building trust in society and solving important problems, one step at a time. #OpportunityAfrica www.pwc.co.za @pwc_za PwC South Africa

in PwC South Africa 2

EDITOR

Colleen Larsen

CE Business Engage colleen@businessengage.co.za 084-353-9865

INDEX P4-5

www.businessengage.co.za www.30percentclub.org www.genderawards.co.za

Reaping the rewards of true gender diversity

P6-13 Clover Mama Afrika celebrates 13 years of empowering women P14-19 Manpower South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2016 annual Talent Shortage Survey finds Skilled Trade and Management/Executive positions the most difficult to fill for South African employers P20-25 Do you see me? P27-29 Invest in yourself to be a better executive P27-29 Invest in yourself to be a better executive P30-34 It takes a village to tear down the maternal wall and raise successful working mothers P36-39 Diversity is the Answer to High Performance

Reaping the rewards of true gender diversity While gender diversity remains a high priority in South Africa, it seems as though we are moving backwards. According to a research report by Grant Thornton, released earlier this year, less than a quarter of senior management positions in South Africa are held by women. What is even more concerning is that this figure (23%) is down from last year’s 27% and is lower than the average achieved between 2004 and 2015. The report, Women in business: Turning promise into practice, further highlights that among the 200 South African companies surveyed, 39% have no women in leadership positions. What is corporate South Africa doing wrong? According to the World Economic Forum, there is mounting evidence that by reducing gender inequality companies and countries can enhance productivity and economic growth. That said, for many organisations, this is yet to become a priority. “We believe that gender diversity has to be part of an organisation’s DNA in order for women focussed initiatives to succeed,” says Grace Dipale, Chief of Human Resources at Telkom Business Connexion. “Unless you create an environment that is supportive and enables women to thrive, the true impact of your initiatives will be limited.” It is also critical that the entire organisation supports gender diversity initiatives and that this is not limited to women only. “When all employees understand and embrace the value of a diverse workplace made up of both talented men and women who are from different races and age groups, you are able to unlock a far greater contribution by women in workplace,” she says. There is also a strong need for organisations to move beyond the perception that women cannot perform equally or in some instances even better than men in a business environment. I have had situations 4

“We believe that gender diversity has to be part of an organisation’s DNA in order for women focussed initiatives to succeed,”... Grace Dipale

where I was asked to make tea or take minutes because I was the only female in the room – and I am terrible at minute taking,” says Dipale. “Statics reveal that the qualities that women possess, actually complement the business environment and it is once more and more organisations understand this, that we will start seeing more of them empowering women.” 5

Enabling women to thrive Telkom Business Connexion runs several initiatives aimed at empowering women and creating the supportive work environment required to succeed. The organisation has implemented specific platforms to empower women, such as an internship programme, management development programmes and women mentorship programmes. These programmes are designed to help young women grow, develop and become empowered, which, in turn, creates sustainability. According to Daniella Nerwich, Managing Executive HR Business Partnering at Telkom Business Connexion, corporate South Africa still has a long way to go in changing its perceptions about women. “I recall going for an external interview and in the interview, there were two questions that really jarred me. The first question was if I was going to have any more children. The second was if I realised that this was a man’s job,” she says. “Gender mainstreaming is a big focus at Telkom Business Connexion and one example of this is an active women forum, called the Women Connect Forum. The Women Connect programme combines mentorship and community engagement to enrich the lives of women in and outside of Telkom Business Connexion. “As part of the mentorship programme, we connect mentors and mentees from across the organisation and run through a series of modules and workshops that enable them to face the different challenges they experience in the workplace”, says Nerwich. Taking it beyond just the organisation Telkom Business Connexion is about to launch its third programme which also encourages participants to engage with and positively impact the communities touched by the organisation. “During the month of August, the Women Connect Forum appealed to the women in our 6

company to contribute towards a collection for the Mohau Children’s Home in Randfontein,” she says. Mohau Children’s Home is a safe haven for approximately 230 girls across varying age groups managed by YWCA. “The response was overwhelming and we were able to provide them with much needed non-perishable food, sanitary items and toys, making a real difference in these girls’ lives.” Telkom Business Connexion also runs an annual 8-month internship programme with a strong gender focus. “We invested in a specific internship programme to fast track the development of 50 talented black females, enabling them to grow and develop within the organisation. More recently, we ran a programme that focused more on disabled interns and that’s really in line with our mission of enriching communities. That said, we have to act as a collective to transform society and enable our future generations to thrive, this is only the beginning for Telkom Business Connexion and we look forward to increased gender focus within the Telkom Group of companies.”

Daniella Nerwich Daniella.Nerwich@bcx.co.za

Grace Dipale

Clover Mama Afrika celebrates 13 years of empowering women The Clover Mama Afrika story of empowering women started 13 years ago and has been set out to restore some of the best aspects of African tradition into modern life, such as caring for one another, passing on skills and protecting the young, the weak and the aged. Today, the project places strong emphasis on assisting women across South Africa in disadvantaged communities to learn to help themselves so that they may regain their pride, establish self-sustaining livelihoods and become valuable members of their communities and to society at large. Since the project’s inception the mamas have been able to provide viable skills to well over 2 000 individuals who in turn transferred their skills to more than 9 000 community 8

members and have been able to permanently employ 360 community members. Clover Mama Afrika is driven by Clover’s Corporate Services Manager, Professor Elain Vlok who started with a view to help the needy by helping those who are passionate about providing for and tending to the needs of their communities. Vlok explains, “One of the keys to a country’s successful economy is the empowerment of its people and who better to assist in driving empowerment than women, who are often the support of our households and communities.” The project has to date appointed 43 mamas throughout South Africa and empowers community caregivers with viable skills which they can then pass onto others, so that they too can earn a sustainable

income for themselves. These remarkable women collectively care for more than 14 200 children and 2 800 elderlies. These women are hand-picked by Clover and its area managers, and are incredibly special ladies who already make a difference to the people around them and want to empower others to become self-sustaining too. These community leaders need to consistently perform to stay as a part of the Clover Mama Afrika project. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The role of choosing Clover Mamas is an incredible and heartfelt journey. We identify specific, determined women, because they have the skills and qualities a woman needs to become a true Clover Mama Afrika,â&#x20AC;? says Vlok. Since its launch the Clover Mama Afrika project has utilised numerous resources to train the mamas in different skills such as cooking, bread baking, sewing, quilting, mosaicking, welding and assistance with egglaying and food garden projects amongst others, in order to 9

provide necessary services to their communities. Through the training they become sustainable and competent to assist their communities to become sustainable too. Collectively the mamas are able to feed 5 600 members with fresh produce from the food garden project and their bread baking project provides children in their care with fresh bread daily and has generated an income of well over R5 500 000 in one year. Mama Sipiwe Solomons from Hazyview, Mpumalanga, has her own food garden and piggery which makes it possible for her to provide a feeding scheme for orphans. This project sees her delivering 30 food packages per day, supporting 10 high schools and catering for 87 children in the programme. She also supplies her local hospice with food packages for 20 patients and shares 40 bunches of spinach, twice a week for 40 families. With her food garden she is able to generate 10

some income on a monthly basis which is sufficient to keep her going and helping her community get their five fruit and veg a day. Mama Shirley Merime from Ennerdale, Gauteng, who is the founder of the Ebenezer Care Centre, uses her food garden to feed 120 pre-schools, 55 children from her own centre, 75 elderlies, 18 of her own workers and 60 underprivileged people from her surrounding informal settlement each day. These mamas are not only aware of the needs of their communities, but they actively address those needs in whatever way possible. In their townships they unassumingly take charge of protecting, nurturing and educating their young and take care of the abandoned elderly. Vlok explains, â&#x20AC;&#x153;This project is proof that if we all come together we can really make a difference in the lives of people who need it the most. We will continue to grow the Clover Mama Afrika initiative to reach even more community

residents. The more community heroes South Africa has, the more problems we can solve

the agricultural labour force, and produce, process and prepare much of the food available.

“This project is proof that if we all come together we can really make a difference in the lives of people who need it the most...” as a country. Currently, we are looking to expand on the wonderful group of women we assist. We are therefore in search of these special women who uplift and maintain their communities and encourage any woman with a heart of gold and a drive to better their community to get in touch with us, to discuss the possibility of joining of group of life-changing women - www. clovermamaafrika.com.” Many women across South Africa are seen as the primary caregivers for food security for their families and communities and depend on natural resources and agriculture for their livelihoods. The World Bank states that rural women comprise 43 percent of

Saturday, 15 October 2016, was International Day of Rural Women. This day was established by the United Nations (UN) to recognise the critical role and contribution of rural women in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty. The mamas of Clover Mama Afrika, Clover’s CSI project, are prime examples of the essence of this day. Each has built up small business such as bakeries, food gardens and piggeries which not only supply food but provide job opportunities to those in their respective communities. Prof. Elain Vlok, founder of Clover Mama Afrika, commemorates this day by highlighting the mamas who work tirelessly to make a positive 11

change in their communities. One of these outstanding mamas is Jacqueline Donkerbroek from Overberg in the Western Cape. She runs the Tesselaarsdal Women Alliance Centre, which assists many mothers and children in the rural areas to get back their self-respect and dignity which has been lost due to abusive circumstances. Through their bread baking project, Jacqueline and her team recently fed 38 school children hotdogs. “We have won the hearts of the children which is a blessing and so happy it could be made in our own bakery,” says mama Jacqueline. Mama Phumelele Mtshali who runs the Bahle Care Centre in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal feeds an average of 100 members daily and employs 20 caregivers to assist with the centre. Eastern Cape mama Albertina Bloko, who started the Tyilulwazi Centre for the Disabled in 2005, feeds 31 members every day with the vegetables she grows. In addition to improving food and nutrition security, 12

the purpose of the initiative is to grow the earnings of South African women and to strengthen their roles as leaders in their communities. Prof. Elain Vlok founder of Clover Mama Afrika says, “It takes a strong woman to be the backbone of the community and feed those in need. These mamas are shining examples of rural women who are making a real difference. I would like to recognise these women on this special day as I am honoured to be able to help these women to help others!” About Clover Mama Afrika The Clover Mama Afrika project started as a humble project 13 years ago and has since developed into Clover’s flagship CSI programme. The project has to date appointed 43 Mamas throughout South Africa. These remarkable women collectively care for over 14 200 children and 2 800 elderly people, many of which are abused, orphaned, homeless and vulnerable.

Clover Mama Afrika is on a search for new, strong, powerful, female community leaders that either sew, cook or bake together, to join the Clover Mama Afrika family. These formidable women should already be managing and upskilling a group of other women, but who are looking for the correct training and equipment to further benefit their communities.

For more information on the Clover Mama Afrika project visit: www.clovermamaafrika.com

Manpower South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2016 annual Talent Shortage Survey finds Skilled Trade and Management/Executive positions the most difficult to fill for South African employers. Johannesburg, October 2016: ManpowerGroupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eleventh annual Talent Shortage Survey [manpowergroup.com/talentshortage] shows some interesting results for 2016 over the 2015 results, with Skilled Trades remaining in the top three most difficult positions for companies to fill, and Engineers falling down to fourth. The survey is conducted annually, using a sample of 750 businesses in South Africa. The results show that 34% of local employers are having difficulty filling jobs, up 3% from the results of the 2015 survey and a staggering 26% when compared to the 2014 results. Employers across the globe are facing the most acute talent shortage since the recession. Of the more than 42 000 employers surveyed, 40% are experiencing difficulties filling roles; the highest level since 2007. As skills needs change rapidly, employers are looking inside their organisations for solutions, with more than half choosing to develop and train their own people. This represents a significant jump from ManpowerGroupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2015 survey, when just 20% prioritised training and development to fill roles or find new skills. In the IT sector, businesses are reporting the most marked talent shortage in a number of years. IT roles jump from ninth to second place, the first time the sector has entered the top 5 hardest roles to fill.

Vicki Marais-Swanepoel Vicki.Marais@manpower.co.za

The most difficult positions to fill in South Africa for 2016 are as follows:

“This years Talent Shortage Survey presents interesting results for South Africa and for the global employment landscape. More than anything the results highlight the increased need for skilled individuals but also the number of employers who are focusing on training and development in order to fill open positions, which has increased globally,” explains Lyndy van den Barselaar, Managing Director of Manpower South Africa. “As the talent shortage escalates, employability now depends not only on what you know but on your ability to learn, apply and adapt to the constantly evolving business landscape. Manpower has always been of the opinion that the desire and ability to learn new skills is the number one contributing factor to helping people remain employable throughout their career journey, and we are seeing this ring true more than ever.” 16

While 72% of local employers said they were experiencing similar difficulty filling positions when compared to last year, 7% said they were experiencing increased difficulty and 17% said they were experiencing less difficulty.

2016/ 2016/2017 2017 TALENT TALENT SHORTAGE SHORTAGE SURVEY SURVEY

Globally, employers report the HIGHEST TALENT SHORTAGE since 2007 40%

41%

31%

30%

31%

34%

35%

36%

38%

40% • 40% of employers globally are having difficulty filling positions • A two percent increase since 2015

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

The HARDEST SKILLS to find

Lack of available applicants and hard skills are the top reasons employers can’t fill positions

Skilled Trades (electricians, carpenters, welders, bricklayers, plasterers, plumbers, masons and more)



IT Staff



3 Engineers



19%



6 7

(senior and board level managers)



Office Support Staff

Looking for more pay than is offered

(bookkeepers, certified accountants and financial analysts)

Production/ Machine Operations



(operators of special machinery)

11% 1





  

more than previous year same as previous year less than previous year

Lack of soft skills (workplace competencies)

17 69%

66% 1

72%

73%

86%

Countries where employers are

14%

Accounting & Finance Staff

8 9

(secretaries, PAs, receptionists and administrative assistants)

Lack of experience

Management/ Executives

19%

(production, operations or maintenance technicians)



Drivers (truck, lorry, heavy goods, delivery, heavy equipment and construction drivers)

(technical competencies)

Technicians 5

Lack of hard skills



Sales Representatives (sales executives, sales advisors and retail sales people)

Lack of available applicants/ no applicants

(mechanical, electrical and civil engineers)

24%

(developers, and programmers, database administrators and IT leaders and managers)

2016

WHY employers say it’s HARD TO FILL positions

For the fifth consecutive year, Skilled Trades positions are the hardest to fill globally; IT roles jumped seven places to second position

2015

When asked why they are having difficulties filling jobs, 27% of local employers cited a lack of experience, 26% cited lack of hard skills, 14% said that candidates were looking for more pay than what was being offered, 9% cited a lack of available applicants (or none at all) and 8% cited issues specific to their organisation. When asked what strategies they were pursuing to overcome the difficulties created by the skills shortage, 86% of local employers said they are training and developing existing employees in order to fill open positions. Moreover, 60% of employers said they were looking to recruit outside of their talent pool, 54% said they were exploring alternative sourcing strategies, 44% said they were paying higher salaries packages to recruits and 41% said they were providing additional perks or benefits to recruits. “In previous years the survey found that businesses were having to find new and innovative ways to face the challenges caused by the skills deficit in order to minimise the negative effects on their businesses; while this is still true, we now see that job seekers and current employees are also taking it upon themselves to remain upskilled and up to date with the latest technologies and advancements in the modern business environment,” van den Barselaar explains. “We are excited to see that he number of employers investing in and focusing on training and development has increased significantly at a global level. Should this trend continue, it will inevitably have a positive effect on the skills deficit.”





69%



soft skills (workplace competencies)

66% 1



72%



73%

86%

more than previous year same as previous year less than previous year



Hong Kong

Turkey

62%

59%

57%

56%



Bulgaria



Argentina



Greece



Hungary

Romania

Taiwan

Japan

 more than previous year  less than previous year

  

Countries where employers are having the MOST DIFFICULTY filling roles

11% 1

(secretaries, PAs, receptionists and administrative assistants)



Israel

The number of employers TRAINING AND DEVELOPING EXISTING EMPLOYEES to fill open positions HAS DOUBLED from 1 in 5 to over half 1

53%

Offer training and development to existing staff

36% Recruit outside the talent pool

27% 1

Provide additional perks / benefits to recruits

26% 1

Pay higher salary packages to recruits

19% 1

Outsource the work

19%

Change existing work models

“

Employability depends less on what you already know and more on how well you can learn, apply and adapt

“

Explore alternative sourcing strategies

28%

Mara Swan EVP Global Strategy and Talent at ManpowerGroup

For more details on the 2016/2017 Talent Shortage Survey visit: manpowergroup.com/talentshortage The Talent Shortage Explorer Tool is available online at www.manpowergroup.com.

About ManpowerGroup ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN) is the world’s workforce expert, creating innovative workforce solutions for nearly 70 years. As workforce experts, we connect more than 600,000 people to meaningful work across a wide range of skills and industries every day. Through our ManpowerGroup family of brands – Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions – we help more than 400,000 clients in 80 countries and territories address their critical talent needs, providing comprehensive solutions to resource, manage and develop talent. In 2016, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the sixth consecutive year and one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible: www.manpowergroup. com

DO YOU SEE ME? Aishetu Fatima

Head, Investment Banking West Africa This has been a really fascinating year to witness the seismic changes in today’s global landscape. Many of us laughed at the whole Brexit movement because we knew for a fact that it couldn’t happen, until it did.

We’ve watched the debasing of American politics as the campaign dialogue races to the bottom of centuries-held norms of acceptable behavior among political office aspirants. Donald Trump has demonstrated such deeply divisive actions and uttered very shocking words that one almost wonders if Paul Ryan and Reince Priebus will come out and say this was a grand ole experiment to see how far crazy America would tolerate. The release of the recent audio tape in which he was heard referring to his predilection to sexual assault against beautiful women around him made me shudder. This is 2016. We cannot accept a self-confessed assaulter of women as a candidate for the highest office in the United States of America. We’ve now got Theresa May as the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister. We’ve got Angela Merkel as the most powerful woman in Europe and possibly the entire world for now. We’ve got Hillary Clinton as the first female major party ticket holder for candidate for US president. How can this be happening today? And then the grand finale (or at least I hope) of the verbal assault on women on the global stage occurred when my very own president, Muhammadu Buhari, in response to his wife’s criticisms of his administration said “I don’t

know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room.” Wow. Very quickly after this, the hashtag #TheOtherRoom began trending with Nigerians and the world screaming out about this misogynistic message from a leader in today’s world who was standing right beside Angela Merkel when this statement was made! I’m a 40 year old investment banker who also happens to be a wife and mother to three sons. I am constantly juggling, balancing and trying my best to have a fulfilling life which allows me to surpass my ambitious goals with a healthy and happy marriage, family and friends right beside me. I am always being told to work “harder than they do” and “lean in.” As hard as I work and as much as I lean in, I’m struggling to understand how to make sure that the decision makers and leaders in today’s global economy can see me and all of the other women like me working as hard as our bodies and minds will allow. Do we matter in the grand scheme of things? Can men in today’s business environment see beyond the fact that I am a “young woman?” I recently sat in front of an allegedly well-respected man, possibly in his 50s, discussing my interests in board appointments and he called me a “baby” when I told him my age. I sat there in front of him as cool as a cucumber but I was furious. I doubt he meant to be condescending but I began to wonder when I would be regarded for the breadth and depth of my professional and personal accomplishments without being looked upon as a child. Nigerian society has an acute problem with sexism and ageism. We need to fix this quickly otherwise we will continue to lack the full range of tools, brain power, and efficiency to lift ourselves out of this economic rut, which predominantly older men have plunged us into. Young people today bring fresh ideas and a new way of thinking which is what has propelled technological advances globally. We must embrace the contributions of those under the 50 - 60 age bracket in Nigeria and bring women along for the journey too. We don’t want to be in the trunk or back seat either. Sometimes we want to drive. We also have to see more women as competent and capable of the highest offices in the land. The banking and legal sectors have managed to get this right given the vast numbers of mid-level and senior women in these fields. Notwithstanding this fact, out of 25 commercial and merchant banks in Nigeria, only 3 have female chief executives. If women represent 50% of the population, when will we start to represent 50% of the executive suite? How can we

succeed at pushing this agenda if our own President can demean his wife on the global stage by saying that she belongs in the kitchen and other private areas of the home? The assuring part of this #TheOtherRoom debacle is that the private sector always leads the public sector so while I have no doubt that women will continue to shatter the glass ceiling in the private sector, our government is woefully behind in its actions and thinking.

As I and many other women work incredibly hard to differentiate ourselves in our careers and soar new heights, I am asking you if you see us? Just because I don’t grace the newspapers in the style sections and ensure I am in the spotlight for things other than my passion topics – female empowerment, financial security, international finance – do I not matter? Just because I am not 50+ doesn’t mean my experiences don’t count. I’ve worked in Central and South America, North America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. I’ve had an almost 20 year career in finance and entrepreneurship with major global institutions. How can I be referred to as a baby with a silly head nod to boot? Can we scoff at Mark Zuckerberg for being 32 years old in the face of his achievements? That would be unwise. Larry Page and Sergei Brin, co-founded Google in 1998 when they were 25 years old and I don’t need to tell you what they’ve done for the planet since then. Do you see so many of my female contemporaries who are brilliant, successful and brimming with ideas?

I was recently given advice that I should create a brand for myself as apparently this is all the rage de rigueur. Make sure that people know exactly what I stand for and make my opinions matter. I do this every day in my work place and in my community but do you see me? There are millions of women who are stepping up in their workplaces and earning accolades quietly. Do you even see us? I’ve heard so many stories about accomplished women with multiple Ivy League degrees and bonafide work experience to support their current position, only to be reduced to the demeaning and absurd objectification that they are where they are because they used woman power with their male bosses or some other powerful man lurking in the shadows. Do you see us? Do you see the millions of hardworking, well-educated, multitasking women out there who are contributing to their families, supporting their aged parents and still making magic in the office? What is this notion about getting ourselves out there more? Why don’t you see us? We are everywhere, everyday. Men are appreciated for being ambitious and assertive while women are admonished for being aggressive. Many of us are working towards the same goals. We want to be recognized for our hard work. I’m not speaking for those women or men who seek shortcuts through subterfuge and illicit means. I’m talking about women like myself – well-educated, well intentioned, hardworking, credentialed, honest. We aren’t perfect but we deserve to be seen.

I’m watching with excitement at the global rise of women and also with disappointment as male leaders are tearing us down. When leaders engage in this misogynistic verbiage, followers follow suit. Why do we have to keep referring to Bill Clinton’s misadventures with women when it’s his wife that’s running for President? Why are people so quick to crucify her for staying with her husband when he was publicly caught denigrating his office? Why is it our business even? Do you see Hillary as the candidate in all her accomplished and shining glory or do you see Bill Clinton’s wife who should be baking cookies and a cake?

Sadly America is quickly losing its exceptionalism in the world and the likes of Donald Trump are exacerbating the steep decline. Who is going to change the way the world looks at girls and woman? We are. We as women will need to continue to demand that we are seen and heard and not misunderstood. One woman’s actions cannot represent the lot of us. In the case of Nigeria, you can’t get away with saying “Well, we gavethem a powerful set of ministries to govern and they messed it up. Don’t expect serious responsibility again.” That’s not fair to the rest of the 3.5 billion girls and women on the planet. We don’t say “Well, Adolf Hitler was a man, Francisco Franco was a man, Sanni Abacha was a man. No more men in power again.” We have to take equality seriously because it’s a political and social imperative. Women deserve to have 50% representation in classrooms, workplace, government, and beyond. Can you hear me?

Liesl Bebb-McKay; Liesl.Bebb-Mckay@rmb.co.za

The 30% Club is a group of Chairmen, CEOs and Senior Partners voluntarily committed to bringing more women onto corporate boards because it makes business sense. Increasing board diversity is key to driving profitable growth. Having better balance - at least 30% senior female leaders - positively influences both a companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culture and the decision-making process. www.30percentclub.org

Invest in yourself to be an effective executive. Managing across the organisation is essential when you are part of the management team. Indeed, the success of an organisation depends on how well the management team works together. Collaboration and cooperation are key. Ultimately, to be a good leader you need to be able to move easily In 2014, the Harvard Business Review between managing up, down and across – reported that women consistently say that that’s how you earn a place in the boardroom, they feel less effective in meetings than they do in other business situations. Often, for fear where you can have an impact on your organisation’s ability to perform effectively. of being judged as too aggressive, they are barely heard. By mastering a few basic skills, you can unlock your inner confidence and be Know your shareholders Engaging with shareholders is vital, and the leader you are. thanks to the multitude of communication channels at our disposal today, it is easier Managing up, across and beneath than ever. Try to ensure ongoing dialogue Making yourself heard in the boardroom throughout the year and to eliminate the begins with some workplace basics. To potential for surprises at board meetings. get results and achieve the goals set by top Women often struggle to make themselves heard in the workplace and, more particularly, in the boardroom. Janine Hills, CEO of Vuma Reputation Management, unpacks the steps you can take to make colleagues listen up.

management, it is critical to learn how to manage up, across and down. In managing up, keep your superior informed of all the key things they need to know. Be proactive. Bring your ideas, thoughts and suggestions to the table. When managing down, focus on engaging staff, and not on being the boss. A team leader has a big impact on morale and productivity. It starts with communication. Letting people know what’s going on makes them feel empowered and important. Be direct, but also be fair. Ask people what they think and take their opinions and ideas into consideration. Also, be available and accessible. Avoid micromanaging and rather give your team autonomy.

Know your primary influencers and how they influence the business Stakeholder management is a critical component of success in the boardroom. It helps to create positive relationships with stakeholders through the appropriate management of their expectations and agreed objectives. Your stakeholder management strategy should identify the approach you take in order to increase support and decrease negative impacts of stakeholders. Apply it to identify the key stakeholders along with the level of power and influence they have on the organisation.

Plan to be taken seriously According to Fortune magazine, about 40% of executives who change jobs or get promoted fail in the first 18 months. One way to avoid that is to do the groundwork and create your own 100-day plan. The knowledge you gather will help you to put things in context and decide what your goals and objectives are, and how they are aligned with the organisation’s. This should map out what you want to achieve on your first day as a director, during your first week, and in your first three months. Learn the language Most senior people spend their lives in meetings, and the principle means by which executive decisions are achieved is through discussion. Women should act to familiarise themselves with the skills and language that are required and used at boardroom level. How you show up matters, how you talk matters, how you conduct yourself matters. You can portray a confident and powerful image of strength – it might be something as simple as sitting up straight and taking up space. Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a useful set of skills to learn. Through the use of language and body language, it enables practitioners to change the thoughts and feelings of themselves and those around them in a predictable way. It allows for more effective communication of a message by making sure the “mood music” is correct. In the boardroom, it helps to create a rapport with others, to understand boundaries, and, importantly, to build trust. How to represent yourself on social media Make sure that whatever you say and do on social media represents your personal brand

and gives a consistent view about you. Avoid getting into heated discussions about religion, politics, race and gender. Don’t attack or be rude to people, and never forget that when you tweet, post a status, or upload a photo or video, the world can see what you write and do. If you don’t want your fellow directors to see it, don’t post it. Nicqui Galaktiou, media lawyer, points out that your reputation is your personal brand, therefore if you are attacked or defamed on social media, you must take immediate steps to protect your reputation and integrity, because once tarnished, it is difficult to rebuild.

Janine Hills; janine@vumareputation.com

It takes a v and raise s

village to tear down the maternal wall successful working mothers Stacy Mogale : Partner, Webber Wentzel Three years ago I ventured back into full-time employment after taking some time off to start a family and further my studies. How hard could it be? I was no stranger to the law firm environment, the long hours, the client demands, the rigours of transactional work. I had done this before, this is what I was trained to do, it was all I knew how to do. In fact, the only thing that had changed, was that I was now a wife and a mother, but my skill set, experience, knowledge, work ethic and perfectionist tendencies remained the same. It would be like riding a bicycle, you never forget how, or so I thought… As a candidate attorney and junior associate, one of the biggest contributors to my growth as an attorney was time. In a profession that regards time as a proxy for commitment, I was able to work six day weeks as the norm (and I dare say that I enjoyed it). I was always available, there was no such thing as “not having capacity” because after all, I only worked a six day week, which meant I always had one more day available to take on one more instruction. In those days, as far as I was concerned, there was no such thing as “the glass ceiling”, gender stereotypes or gender wage gap, much less the maternal wall. I was unable to fathom the notion that I might not succeed in my chosen profession for no other reason than that I carried two X chromosomes. The ignorance of youth? Denial? Or the product of a progressive work environment? Fast forward to six years later and everything and everyone had changed. Suddenly every deadline that a client set seemed unreasonable and impossible. Six hours no longer felt like eight hours, but rather like two. It seemed as though there was never enough time to complete a piece, of work much less perfect it. For some reason the only time that anyone was ever available for meetings was either first thing in the morning, when I was supposed to be doing the school run, or late in the afternoon, when I was supposed to be sitting in traffic headed home. When did the practice of law change and become this untamed beast? I was still the same person, with the same skill set, experience, knowledge, work ethic and perfectionist tendencies that I had before having children, so it certainly was not just me who had changed, was it? In my quest to answer this question, coupled with my desire to find others who shared and could affirm my experience, I have spent the last three years of my life labouring over a dissertation for a master’s degree, titled “The postpartum experience of female attorneys in South African law firms.” I interviewed working mothers from the five largest law firms in

South Africa and after three years of academic research, countless hours of interviews with working mothers at varying stages of their careers and three years of personal experience as a full time working mother, I have learned two things: 1) the maternal wall really does exist; and 2) it takes a village to ‘raise’ a successful working mother.

Maternal Wall

There is growing research in support of the theory that working mothers experience a different form of bias and stereotyping that is distinguishable from the better documented glass ceiling bias. As far back as 1989, theories were posited that made a distinction between women who prioritised their careers over having a family and thereby had the same or similar chance as their male colleagues for promotion, and those women who were more family oriented and could add value to the organisation at middle management levels. Research shows that working mothers find themselves at a unique disadvantage: female professionals who are also parents are perceived to be less competent than their childless female counterparts and people are less likely to employ, promote or invest in educating working mothers than male candidates or childless candidates. Professor Joan Williams coined the term “maternal wall” in reference to the barriers that working mothers face in their careers. It is her opinion that most women will never even come close to the glass ceiling, because the maternal wall will have derailed their climb up the corporate ladder long beforehand. It is very difficult for a working mother in particular, to behave as the so-called “ideal employee” would. The ideal employee is able to work overtime, but a working mother’s ability to stay at the office late is impeded by her presumed responsibility to care for her children in the evening. The ideal employee does not have extended periods of interruption of service due to pregnancy and maternity leave. These presumptions are so entrenched in our sub-conscious that they even present themselves in well-meaning managers who deliberately choose not to consider mothers for positions that have travel or overtime commitments, and in doing so, consider themselves to be empathetic and considerate of the working mother’s circumstances. In no way do they regard their decisions as biased or discriminatory. What is frightening is that these perceptions are not only limited to the perceptions that colleagues and employers may have in respect of working mothers, but working mothers have assimilated them and to a certain degree hold the same perceptions of themselves. Prior to having children, the women in my study identified that having children too early on could be detrimental to their career. Post-partum the perception shifted from a timing concern to a general belief that having children at all, was detrimental to a woman’s career. It is interesting that in a country like South Africa, where there is significant legislative support for working mothers, such as mandatory maternity leave, financial support from the State during maternity leave and progressive labour and empowerment laws directed at leveling

the playing field and empowering women and minorities, women still regard children as being detrimental to their careers. Research shows that in societies where gender roles are more traditional and conservative, and in particular where the ideal role of a woman is that of homemaker and caregiver, societal values have a strong influence on a woman’s perception of how motherhood will impact her career ie society’s expectation of her as a mother will significantly influence her perception of her ability to be a mother and to pursue a career simultaneously. In societies where the role of homemaker and caregiver is not as rigid and is not associated with a particular gender, women do not perceive motherhood as having a material impact on their career prospects.

The Village

A colleague recently shared with me her view that we cannot truly say that we have achieved gender equality until such time as a man and woman, when making the decision to start a family, both have to consider the impact that the decision will have on their respective careers, because it will be “normal” for either parent, or both, to take extended leave following the birth of a child or choose to enter into flexible arrangements. For my colleague this was the hallmark of a society that was not enslaved to its archaic notions of what men and women should and should not do, irrespective of what they can in fact do. Changing cultural and societal beliefs seems a lofty goal, but we can start by raising our children differently. By teaching our boys that they can and should be fulfilling the role of caregiver to their children and that it is not a domain that is strictly reserved for women. By teaching our girls that they are not bad mothers for making the decision to pursue a career and not wanting to be the primary caregiver to her children. A strong support system is often cited as being key to a working mother’s success. Notwithstanding that working mothers have some support from spouses, partners or parents who share parental responsibilities, research shows that most working mothers are ultimately responsible for the running of their homes and families in addition to working a full-time job. The role of caregiver, should not be exclusively reserved for the mother, but should be a role that is interchangeable between both parents. If she is to succeed and thrive, every working mother needs a spouse or partner who is prepared to assume the same supporting role in her life, as she does in theirs. There are numerous studies which suggest that the greater the representation of minorities in senior management, the more accommodating the organization will be of that minority group. Surprisingly, I found that notwithstanding the significant number of women in senior positions in South African law firms, these senior women are perceived as not being supportive or empathetic towards new mothers and in fact were considered to be a deterrent to their progression at the firm, because the perception that the research participants held, was that it was only a particular type of woman that was able to ascend in a law firm, namely a career centered and work-oriented woman. I cannot over-emphasize how important it is for all women to respect and support the choices that every other woman makes for her life and her career.

Whether she chooses her career over family, or chooses to take her foot off the pedal for a couple of years while focusing on her family, each choice should be respected and supported as though it were as valid and admirable as the other. In doing so, we are more likely to retain more women in our organizations, thereby creating diverse pool of role models that young women can look up to. A young woman who can see â&#x20AC;&#x153;someone like herâ&#x20AC;? succeeding in her organization, is more likely to keep striving to succeed, to remain committed to and engaged with her job, because she is reminded every day that women like her, with similar cultural values to her, with similar ideals to her, who have made similar choices to the choices that she intends to make one day, are succeeding, excelling and thriving in both their careers and their personal lives. It is not an easy path that we have chosen, to be working women (whether with children or without). Between the maternal walls, the glass labyrinths, the glass cliffs, the glass elevators and the glass ceilings, to name but a few, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a wonder that any of us have lived to tell the tale. But know this, you are not alone and more importantly you should not be alone in this struggle. We need to build our villages and fill them with residents who will, over time, tear down the maternal wall brick by brick and, who, until such time as it has fallen, will raise us up, over it.

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