Women in leadership: The great disconnect

About half of women in middle management roles in two sectors surveyed believe that they will not be able to achieve their career goals at their current employers, according to new research from Henley Business School Africa. This underscores a potential crisis of female empowerment in South African businesses.

“As one of the participants in our research told us, there is a disconnect between what is said and what is being practised in many organisations, regarding the advancement of women,” says Despina Senatore, Executive Fellow at Henley Business School and one of the authors of the new white paper on women in leadership. “While corporate rhetoric champions women’s empowerment, the reality for many female leaders is a stark contrast.

‘It’s the reason that we titled our white paper “The more things change, the more they stay the same”.’

Women remain underrepresented at the top levels in South Africa. According to a 2023 report from JustShare, women comprise 46% of the economically active population in South Africa, but hold, on average, 35% of board positions and only 25% of executive roles in the Top 40 companies listed on the JSE.

The Henley white paper seeks to understand what’s driving these low numbers 30 years after the new democratic dispensation in South Africa. It delves deep into the experiences of 30 women in the financial services and legal sectors – both of which demand a high level of commitment and involvement from employees – and explores the systemic challenges hindering women's career progression. 

From the pressures of work-life balance to the subtle nuances of gender bias, the report paints a picture of a corporate landscape that, despite progress, remains stubbornly male-dominated.

Of the six financial services companies and six legal firms represented in the study, only two had a 50:50 gender split and only at a board level. Overall, women represented less than 50% of the leadership positions. Most of the board and Executive Committee (ExCo) members (positions responsible for formulating, directing, and driving strategy decisions) were male. The positions held by women on these boards and ExCos were in the non-profit and loss (P&L)/business operations roles, namely human resources, marketing, and legal.

According to Senatore and Alexander, the study attempts to catalogue a “web of constraints” – both from a business-as-usual perspective (including things like policies and programmes, unconscious bias, disparities in salary, and male stereotypes) and from a stereotypes and perceptions perspective – that may be holding women back. The latter includes such things as entrenched societal perceptions, cultural tone, risk aversion and self-doubt, as well as the “motherhood tax” and the so-called “second shift” that sees women having to take on household duties and caring duties when they are not at work.

As one participant put it: ‘A lot of people that I’ve spoken to have these traditional ideas about roles of gender, it’s not the man who leaves the meeting early to pick up the child, it’s the woman.’

The study also highlights some of the contradictions facing women in the workplace, such as the fact that while remote work is valued by women because of the flexibility it brings, enabling them to accommodate their “second shift” more easily, it may also be isolating them from influential networks and the “boys club” that are crucial for career advancement.

‘The factor of childcare looms large in the career of many women and any attempt to “even the playing field” will almost certainly have to involve a focus on this,” say the authors. ‘There is an urgent need for a cultural shift that values the quality of work over time spent in the office. We also need to challenge traditional gender roles and empower fathers to take on a more active role in childcare.’

The report argues that existing leaders within business have a critical role to play in helping to bring about this shift. ‘In fact, we found that women’s progress in the workplace largely depends on having competent and fair managers – it is like a game of chance. Unless a manager actively promotes change in the workplace, career advancement and breaking down barriers for women may not happen.’

Achieving gender parity is not just important for business success – repeated research has found that diversity and profitability are positively correlated – it extends beyond the workplace, impacting society as a whole. 

‘This report is based on in-depth interviews with working women in middle-management positions in selected sectors in South Africa. It tells their story, but the dilemma is really not just theirs alone,” says Alexander.

‘Successful women serve as role models for future generations, reducing the burden on women to juggle multiple responsibilities and elevating the role of fathers in family life,’ agrees Senatore.

‘This white paper offers actionable recommendations for businesses and policymakers to create a more inclusive and equitable workplace to help create more role models for all of us. By addressing the challenges faced by women in middle management, organisations can unlock the full potential of their female talent and contribute to a more just and prosperous society.’