FAITH KHANYILE: Barriers remain to achieving gender equity and pay parity in the workplace

The 20th and 21st centuries saw the emergence around the world of women’s movements that have pioneered diversity in society.

Despite the achievements of feminist movements, many women still face formidable barriers to accessing the full range of economic opportunities. From structural inequalities, gender biases and limited access to resources and capital, the journey towards genuine economic empowerment is far from over. Sustained efforts are required to dismantle the systemic obstacles women face in the labour market and beyond.

Consequently, the International Women’s Forum of South Africa (IWFSA) and WDB Investment Holdings have joined forces to create the women economic justice “Catalytic Strategy”. This plan stands at the forefront of efforts to address the gender pay gap and tackle the persistent challenges of gender inequality in South Africa.

The journey towards women’s economic equality remains a gradual one, and though the drive towards transformative change has reduced overt discrimination against women in the public and private spheres, social change is still unfolding.

In the labour market, men continue to occupy large seats at the table when it comes to remuneration relative to women in the same position and social class. According to reports from the International Labour Organisation, women earn less for performing the same work as their male counterparts, and also endure substandard working conditions. There are also many stereotypes that confine women to low-paying positions that align with traditional gender expectations, resulting in “sticky floor” and “glass ceiling” scenarios that hinder their professional advancement, training opportunities and wage increases.

In the labour market, men continue to occupy large seats at the table when it comes to remuneration relative to women in the same position and social class.

Despite a robust legal framework aimed at reducing gender inequalities in the workplace, the International Monetary Fund has highlighted that the lingering effects of apartheid-era policies continue to restrict economic opportunities for a portion of South Africa’s population. This structural challenge is compounded by the stark reality that 20% of the population controls 68% of the income, while both the unemployed and those seeking to enter the labour market for the first time face a lack of job opportunities.

Additionally, according to a gender pay gap report by the catalytic strategy, over the past decade the labour-market position of women in South Africa has shown little improvement — and in some respects has worsened.

As of the second quarter of 2021, women represented 43.4% of total employment, with a labour force participation rate of 54.3%, compared with 64.9% for men — a gap of 10.6 percentage points.

Though women’s participation in the labour market has increased by four percentage points since 2013, from 50.3%, it remains significantly lower than that of men, highlighting ongoing disparities in labour force engagement.

In addition, the burden of unemployment is disproportionately higher for women than for men. While the unemployment rate for men has been gradually declining, with a decrease of 0.7 percentage points quarter on quarter, and 2.6 percentage points year on year, black African women face even greater challenges. As of the second quarter of 2023, their unemployment rate stood at 39.8%, surpassing both the national average and the rates for other population groups. Meanwhile, women remain underrepresented in business and excluded from important decision-making positions.

To bridge the economic disparities, established policies such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995 must be reviewed. This UN charter is regarded as the most effective global policy framework for advancing equality and peace for women. Among its many objectives, it supports the implementation of women’s and girls’ human rights as an integral part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. It also aims to eradicate poverty through involving women in social development.

According to the findings of the gender pay gap report, several issues limit the possibility of successfully implementing gender equity. These include:

• Lack of co-ordination and cohesion among policies established by the South African labour legislative framework. There is a need to recognise and quantify unpaid work, and especially its contribution to the national GDP;
• Failure to account for the complex and intersectional nature of gender-based disparities in the informal sector, in which women play a large role;
• Lack of economic empowerment and skills-training programmes; and
• Lack of support for women-headed households, even though these are statistically recognised.

In terms of legislation, the Employment Equity Act (EEA) and its associated guidelines, such as the code of good practice on equal pay for work of equal value, have failed to address the gender pay gap because of inadequate enforcement of their provisions and limited application by employers.

While the EEA mandates the elimination of historical barriers to employment equity, employers often narrowly interpret the guidelines, focusing only on equal pay for equal work without fully embracing broader principles of equity. What is more, the EEA lacks specific measures to ensure women’s representation in leadership and does not adequately address intersectional discrimination, leading to persistent gender pay disparities.

The gender pay gap report highlights important measures to address problems and promote women’s economic empowerment. These include bridging the gap between formal and informal work, analysing job roles and pay disparities, providing resources for women-owned businesses, and basing human resource management on evidence to ensure fairness.

Despite progress in women’s economic empowerment, many barriers remain to achieving gender equity, especially in the labour market. Women continue to face disparities in pay, professional advancement and access to resources, worsened by structural inequalities and the lingering effects of historical policies. The catalytic strategy highlights the need for co-ordinated policies, support for women in informal sectors and greater representation in leadership roles.

It is up to stakeholders, from small- to large-scale organisations, to be true leaders and put in place policies that benefit men and women equally across organisations and at all management levels. Realistically, the movement for gender pay equity may continue for several years. However, it is only through collective and conscious efforts that sustainable and effective change can be brought about.

• Khanyile is chair of Catalytic Strategy and a board member of the IWFSA. She is also a non-executive director of several large companies, including Discovery, Bidvest and JSE Ltd