LEGAL MATTERS – GENDER DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE BY JESSIE TAYLOR
Promoting gender diversity in the workplace through legislation
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omen, non-binary individuals, and members of the LGBTQ+ community often face significant challenges in their professional lives, despite making up a significant portion of the workforce. South African legislation ensures equality in the workplace for all in a bid to create gender empowerment.
participation rates in the labour force remained lower at 50,7% in 2022 compared to 63,2% for males.
Gender disparities still visible among the workforce Despite making up a large portion of the workingage population and having a significant contribution to make to the economy, women and people from marginalised genders remain underrepresented in positions of authority and power.
“Empowerment of women is core to South Africa’s processes of sustainable development. Leaving no one behind means addressing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and inequalities,” Stats SA said.
The Gender Series Volume IX: Women Empowerment, 2017 to 2022 report released by Stats SA showed that “women in South Africa are more likely to be unemployed than men and are less likely to participate in the labour market than their male counterparts”. The report found that despite the number of females in the working-age population exceeding males, their
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The report highlighted that there are still gender disparities despite the progressive laws and interventions aimed at women’s empowerment.
Among the challenges faced by women and non-binary individuals in the workplace include discrimination based on their gender identity, which can take the form of prejudice, harassment, or unequal treatment. Pay disparity has also recently been highlighted as a major concern. The South African government introduced the Employment Equity Act No. 55 of 1998 to address the legacy of apartheid and ensure equitable
