Investing time to build relationships and credibility is an antidote that women in leadership positions should use effectively to overcome gender-based discrimination and attenuate deeply ingrained patriarchal practices that are a result of centuries of socialisation.
Studies have shown that the number of women leading corporate SA is still negligible and that women account for only 6% of CEO positions in companies listed on the JSE. There is a rich body of anecdotal evidence documenting how women in leadership positions are constantly undermined, humiliated and objectified, both in and outside their workplaces. These practices have been normalised and are often not understood to undermine the ability of women to lead successfully. Accordingly, gender bias is systemic and deeply ingrained in corporate life.
Being one of the youngest CEOs in a major financial institution, I have had my fair share of patriarchy. While I have been fortunate to have male champions, who have cheered me on and opened doors, I have also been at the receiving end of my voice being drowned out, being excluded from decision-making and my authority being undermined.
An important lesson I learnt is that assuming a leadership position is often bundled with new and unexpected challenges. I am the first black woman to lead a commercial bank in SA. There is no rule book for the road I have chosen; I do not have a precedent to which I can refer. I have to make up the rules as I go along. As a result, I have to be kind to myself for my mistakes, and acknowledge that the critical thing is to learn from those mistakes.
Achieving lasting success requires taking a long-term view. It is all too easy for each of us to rely on stereotypes and heuristics to put people in boxes. Accordingly, when you are the only woman in a room, it becomes your responsibility to convince your audience to revisit those stereotypes and heuristics. This is a painstaking process that never ends because gender bias is a result of centuries of socialisation.
I have realised the importance of spending time with important stakeholders to help them see me as a full human being and not just as a woman in a boardroom. I have found that my greatest supporters are people who have bought into my vision for my life and the positive impact I want to have on society. What drives me is to leave the world a better place than I found it. I certainly cannot achieve that goal alone; I need supporters and champions. Thus the time spent building important relationships gets me closer to my goal while simultaneously changing stereotypes, one person at a time.
We live in a time when individual success is prized over collective success. There is a growing school of thought that argues that the economic fallout from the Covid-19 outbreak has worsened the perception of life as a zero-sum game, and with it the desire for success at any cost. This intensification of a “dog-eat-dog” world order, where self-preservation becomes our primary driver, will have severe and unintended implications for the gains made by women in business.
As this perception of life as a zero-sum game intensifies, companies may revert to taking the easy way out to achieving gender equality and appoint women in senior positions without giving them any decision-making powers.
I found myself in a similar position earlier in my career when I was hired as a token to essentially make up the numbers. A key lesson from that experience is that when you are appointed to window-dress it is difficult for you to change your circumstances while in that job because you have no power to do so. To make matters worse, your career will stall because you will not learn valuable skills to help you progress. When I realised this I resigned.
While that job caused me enormous trauma and personal hardship, I also learnt the importance of having people in my life who will act as a safety valve and provide a sanity check when needed. We are a long way from achieving gender equality, accordingly women must build the strength and resilience to survive and thrive in the face of both overt and subliminal discrimination.
Looking ahead, I believe education is the biggest enabler that will emancipate women from patriarchy. I love the adage that when you educate a woman you educate a village. We need to educate both men and women on the importance of gender equality. We need more men to identify as feminists and men who internalise the conviction that women’s rights are human rights.
In the short to medium term, grass roots mobilisation remains a powerful way for women to attain their fair share of the economy. It is non-partisan and action-orientated organisations such as Women of SA that can amplify calls for women’s economic liberation.
Women have been fighting gender discrimination for centuries, yet progress has been glacial. We must not be discouraged. All of us, both men and women, must make our own small contribution to this struggle on an ongoing basis, confident in the knowledge that every little bit takes us forward.
• Maluleke is CEO of African Bank.
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