Gender equality no longer just an ideal – it’s a strategy for business growth

Gugu Mjadu, executive general manager: marketing at Business Partners Limited

Today, while we have a long way to go before we can close the gender gap, there are enough women in many tiers of management in the business world for credible research to have been done into what effect they have on businesses. By now, a substantial body of research has been done comparing the performance of businesses with many female workers and leaders to those staffed and run mostly by men.

The results, says Gugu, are unequivocal. Study after study shows that businesses with more gender parity do better than those with fewer female leaders and workers. More research will still be done to figure out the exact reasons for the dominance of more gender-equal businesses, but the effect is clear. Businesses with gender diversity show greater turnover and profitability.

Teams with greater gender parity show more creativity and, intriguingly, both men and women report better job satisfaction in businesses with a more equal mix of genders.

The weight of the evidence suggests that the fight for gender equality no longer has to rely only on notions of fairness and justice but will be boosted by the strong business case to be made to employ and promote more women.

Mjadu believes that August, which is designated Women’s Month in South Africa, is a good time for business owners to measure the gender equality inside their own businesses and to consider the advantages of employing and promoting more women.

"Despite the strength of the evidence that has emerged and the progress that has been made over the last few decades, South Africa still has a long way to go before achieving gender equality in the workplace," says Mjadu.

"The number-one obstacle to more equality still remains the wide-spread expectation that women should take care of the household and of raising the children. This explains why gender inequality is worse in workplaces situated in rural areas, as this is where the traditional stance that a woman’s place is in the home is stronger," says Gugu.

In South African cities the idea is far from eradicated. Many women find themselves working full-time jobs and also bearing the brunt of domestic work at home. It still happens very rarely that a father would interrupt his career for a few years to take care of the children so as to allow the mother to return to the workplace.

Apart from old-fashioned gender expectations, other factors also hinder the progress to full equality. Women still have fewer role models than men, and because of the gender pay gap, many women have fewer resources to start their own businesses.

A major obstacle to the progress of women in the workplace is the structure of work, which is still largely based on the idea that you either work on a career, or take care of children, not both. In the vast majority of businesses, working hours are still rigid, working from home is not allowed, career breaks to have children ruin the chances of promotion, and for small businesses, management seldom give thought to the proximity of facilities such as schools and creches.

A business that allows flexible working hours and remote work so that parents can juggle work and child-raising duties will find it much easier to attract female talent. And those that can point to infrastructure such as creche facilities, empowered female managers, and a culture of work-life harmony for staff members, will become sought-after workplaces, says Gugu.

In this way, South African business owners can make a big difference to how soon gender equality is reached, and – if the research is anything to go by – boost their bottom line as well.