Once in the leadership pipeline, a candidate is assessed annually on the first three criteria, and through the achievement of emulation awards for good service. The fourth criterion is determined by length of service: the candidate must have been in the position for a minimum of five to ten years to reach senior leadership . The last criterion relates to the specific qualifications of eligible cadres, their leadership experience, and their Party Committee membership within their organisation. Each year, personnel who are not meeting set criteria are removed from the leadership pipeline, while new entries are added, meaning that the pipeline is always being refreshed. There are always more people in the pipeline than possible leadership positions, meaning there is in-built competition within the pipeline. The Central Organizing Committee of the Party has set formal targets for women in the leadership pipeline – female candidates must make up at least 15% of the total number in the pipeline.24 There is also a requirement that women be represented in the leadership structure of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee, the Standing Committee of the People’s Council, the district-level People’s Committee, and leaders of departments, ministries, and central agencies. Adding further complexity to these formal rules around gender, the Party has decreed age limits for all cadres in the leadership pipeline: •
Under 40: not less than 15%
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From 40 to 50: 55-65%
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Over 50: 20-30%
3.3.2 Gender barriers in the leadership pipeline As with recruitment, the formal and informal rules around the leadership pipeline are either gendered or have gendered effects, influencing women’s ability to reach the apex of the employment pyramid. The leadership pipeline has a formal rule about gender, given the 15 per cent target of women, while other seemingly neutral rules – particularly around age restrictions and assessment eligibility – have distinct gendered effects. The combination of low pipeline gender targets, defined age limits, assessment requirements over a 5-year cycle and the compulsory retirement age limit (55 for women and 60 for men) present major barriers to women’s leadership prospects. Some of the major barriers include the following: •
Women are unable to join the leadership pipeline after the age of 50, because they will be too old to complete the assessment cycle before reaching the age of retirement. This means that they are automatically excluded from the 20% to 30% of the pipeline positions that are allocated to this age group. As one participant noted: “If a man retires at 60, when he is 50, he can still aim for a leadership position; a woman at 50 has no chance… In order to get into the leadership pipeline, women need at least two terms, so women need to start at 45”. Another noted: “The retirement age is too stubborn – it eliminates opportunities for talented people. If you don’t have enough time to serve a full five-year term, you won’t get in, and if you don’t have ten years of pipeline experience, you won’t get in either”.
•
Women find it almost impossible to be ranked as ‘outstanding’, which is necessary to progress through the ranks. Being on maternity leave, nursing young children or taking care of parents, which are all expectations placed on women, make it exceedingly difficult to fulfil the ‘unexpected tasks’ that often require missions away from home or outside of normal working hours without notice. This makes it particularly difficult to achieve a ranking above ‘good’ and especially so for young women. There are many obstacles for women to be assessed as ‘outstanding’ for sequential years in order to enter the leadership pipeline. By not entering the pipeline young, it becomes significantly more difficult to be offered senior leadership positions later on.
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Without consecutive years of an outstanding evaluation, which is almost impossible for women to achieve, they are impeded in their ability to advance through the pipeline or to receive financial bonuses.
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