Women in the World of Work

Women have needs to fulfill themselves intellectually, contribute to society in a meaningful way and increase the family income by means of holding down a career. Some women are single parents and need to find income for children on their own, whilst others have to increase household income because they are looking after both children and parents.

In South Africa 51% of the population are women and almost one out of three women of working age, is unemployed. Women, however, today still sometimes struggle to carve their career, despite measures of Government to ensure equal opportunities for them.

Barriers to job entry

Women’s progress in the work-place is hindered by limits they put on themselves and limits employers and co-workers put on them. Women who work for companies also experience different type of problems than those who are trying to find self-employment, whilst women in cities also experience different hurdles than women in rural areas.

  • Jobs are scarce in both cities and rural areas

Jobs where employees can work for a company are scarce due to a number of reasons. There are far more work-seekers than jobs. Women must compete against youth with excellent degrees and other workers with work experience for the few posts available. Jobs in rural areas are far scarcer, due to a smaller number of businesses and distances.

  • Life demands

Women often have more demands on them than men, such as having a marriage, family and a job. Women then find it hard to balance the role demands. In some cases husbands have not begun sharing household chores, when the wife works. Employers sometimes put limits on what women can do due to these demands and are of the view that a woman will show less commitment to the job. The upside of this is that women often develop skills to handle a number of tasks at the same time.

  • Family responsibilities

It is known that women often feel more responsible for children and the household than men. Falling pregnant and having children interrupts a career and focuses the attention away from work. Women are sometimes not prepared to travel for work or o take up a higher post,due to family responsibilities and this hinder their progress in the job. If women have children first and then enter jobs, they may have to brush up their skills. Rural women have family responsibilities and must often assist with farm duties.

  • Job and study choices

Women often choose traditionally female jobs, such as services, entrepreneurship roles, or private households. Women choose to study in the softer sciences and not in Business, Science and Technology. Women do not pursue Technical, Trade or Professional work areas, such as Science and Technology, where they can take the leadership due to their expertise. Women do not build up experience on management level. Women are therefore focused in lower level jobs, instead of taking up managerial work.Rural women do not know of career opportunities

Rural women may have less education, vocational training or work experience

and sometimes do not know how to turn their natural know-how into small businesses.

The above is because women do not access employment counselling and get information on careers to make sound career choices.

  • Personal choices

Manyyoung girls fall pregnant and do not finish their education, which hinders them from progressing in the work. Others use drugs, which can also limit their ability to move up the career ladder.

  • Views of the woman employee/work-seeker

Very often women limit their own chances of employment through the views they have of themselves-these views speak through their behaviour and employers pick it up. These views then become the reason for not appointing the woman or promoting her. Women often do not have enough self-confidence, are timid, too soft and take a back role. Women are often caught up in the feminine role not stating their career needs directly, like asking for career advancement or training. Some rural women lack self-confidence and are shy to speak and obtain information to set up a small business. Women then do not build up enough experience in management.Leadership and management roles require competitiveness, decisiveness and forcefulness, and women do not reconcile these traits with femininity. In summary, women are not visible enough in the company. Women suffer even more, since they are more often seen as dependant on their husbands, fathers and community leaders.

  • View of the employer

Employers often have stereotypical views of women as not being able to take leadership or that they will be unavailable for promotion due to family responsibilities.Employers also think that some jobs are more suited for men than women. Employers also hold the opinion that women are emotional and can thus become a problem in the work-place. In men anger is seen as being able to deal with a situation, whilst crying in a woman is seen as a weakness. Women reach the “glass ceiling” where they cannot get promoted. Women also still struggle to get the same pay for the job that men get for the same job.

  • View of co-workers

Women are often excluded from male networks where decisions are made (such as the golf course!)Women lack role models and mentors-women who have made it in the world of work and can guide them.

  • Domestic violence

Some women are exposed to husbands who abuse them, with the result that they lose working hours when visiting doctors or making law suits. Women also do not turn up for work as a result of being ashamed of injuries, or they are upset at the work-place. This can damage their chances of promotion.

  • Sexual harassment

Some male bosses harasses female employees and when the employee takes action, there is sometimes revenge such as being given more work than can be handled, firing the victim, not giving promotion, or making life very difficult at work-the employee then often rather resign.

  • Lack of transport and money

Women do not always have money or transport to look for work. Some have a grant only to live from. Women therefore do not have money to start a small business. Rural women do not always have transport and are often limited to the area where they live.

  • Not reaching out

Women usually have good skills to comfort each other, but do not always stand together to reach their career goals. Rural women need to learn how to stand together and help each other.women often do not realize the empowerment behind working together with other women to gain an income

Top tips for women

What should happen, is that women should take control of their situation and start thinking differently about themselves and their own worth as employees. This is when the thoughts of employers and co-workers of women as employees will also change and they will get ahead in a company! Here are a few tips:

Tip 1:Take an active decision that you are going to change how you see yourself and your chances of getting a job and progressing in your career. No limiting views are going to hold you back!

Tip 2:Convince yourself daily that times have changed and that to get your family out of the circle of poverty, you as woman needs to become active and help the men in your family bring in income. In this way, your family will be better looked after. Keep to your decision and you will be respected in the end for helping!

Tip 3:Identify what you like to do (your interests) and can do (your strengths) that can possibly be used to earn an income. Department of Labour’s Career Counsellors can help with this.Get employment counselling at the end of your schooling and basically at any time you need to make decision about your further career path. Make an appointment with a Careers Counsellor at the Labour Centre closest to you. You can also use the self-help booklets on “Choosing a career” and “Finding the right job for your” on the website

Tip 4:Learn about different careers by visiting career exhibitions and job fairs,

reading books with descriptions of careers or doing research on the internet.

Tip 5:Choose a study field that is not normally chosen by women, such as Science, Technology, a Trade or a Profession to build up special expertise. This will also ensure that you speak from a point of expertise. These are also few work-seekers in these areas, which will increase your chances to get work-see the self-help fact sheet on “Scarce Skills” on the website of the Department of Labour.

Tip 6:Ensure your studies are finalized before you start a family. This is the most important advice any young women can get to ensure she has a good future.

Tip 7:Discuss and sort out with your life partner the benefits of you working to contribute to the household income and that you can have outside interests. Agree how to share household duties and what you will pay as contribution.

Tip 8:In times when you are not working, such as during maternity leave or when you cannot get a job, use your time to do a free short course online (google “free short courses”) in your career field. This will help that you offer the employer more skills when you re-enter work. If you enter work later or re-enter work, make sure to keep up with your field or enter a re-training course.

Tip 9:Work out a work-family balance, such as employing outside services or a domestic help, share responsibilities with a partner, use child care services, rely relatives, scaling down on personal interests.

Tip 11: Ask the Career Counsellor at Department of Labour to assist you with

job preparation, such as writing a CV and interviewing skills as well as information on work ethics. Work ethics is very important skill-employers are often of the opinion that young people do not have the discipline that a regular job requires.

Tip 12:Make your CV stand out from all the many the employer receive-see the

advice on CV-writing and Job-hunting through the Social Media on this

website. When preparing your CV, include a section that sets out your “Personal

characteristics and strengths”.

Tip 13:Arrange flexible arrival and departure times with your employer for when you need time with your children.

Tip 14:Women have tremendous strength in joining other women and have often helped pay for necessities with home industries like baking. Consider something small, working from your home to earn extra income.

Tip 15:Consider part-time work if you cannot find work, but remember that you will get lower pay and few opportunities for training or promotion. You can always carry two part-time jobs or consider a small business.

Tip 16: Start networking with other women in your area, by discussing how

to find work. Joining other women will also help you to keep motivated, to travel and find equipment and materials, to arrange support for your work activities and to keep motivated. As groups you can share equipment, make a larger number of goods and learn from each other.

Tip 17:Join your local women’s group and propose that skills development and

job opportunities be discussed. You can get speakers from Department of Labour or group members can get tasks to investigate these and report back.Invite local business owners, the Municipality or a community development worker to discuss how they can assist you. You can also invite women leaders in your community to give you advice on possible ways of finding an income

Tip 18:Use your own talents (like beading, vegetable-farming, baking) and earn your own income, rather than depend on a company to give you work.

Tip 19:Ask the Career Counsellor of Department of Labour to discuss the

value of setting up a small business or co-operative (where five or more people work together on the same project to find an income) with your group.

Tip 20:Ask the Career Counsellor of Department of Labour to help you find training on how to set up a small business or a co-operative

Tip 21: Ask the Career Counsellor of Department of Labour to refer you to

organizations where you can find money and equipment to set up your small business or co-operative

Tip 22:Consider getting a mentor by looking at other women that made it in a

job-they can take you under their wing and help you with challenges experienced at both the job and the home front. Check with local businesses or organisations whether they have a mentor programme, contact your local Chamber of Commerce and visit exhibitions in your field of expertise where you can be introduced to people that can guide you.

Tip 23: Empower yourself through self-development. Read self-help books or

attend life skills programmes on assertiveness (stating your case), how to enhance your self-esteem, learning to make decisions, set goals and reach them.

Tip 24:Enroll for management courses whilst you are working or even before you obtain work.

Tip 24:Remember that women can offer the employer a different set of skills. They rely stronger on their ability to build relationships, their integrity, diligence, co-operation and sincerity. They are team-oriented. Women are thoughtful in decision-making, considering the grey areas. They look at getting agreement from all staff before a decision is made. They are also multi-taskers.Employers are beginning to realize that these skills are coming into good stead in the work-place. Thus, if these qualities come naturally to you, emphasise them during the interview and provide examples of when you made use of these qualities.

Tip 25: Avoid emotional outbursts at work and never discuss personal issues at work.

People like gossiping and playing power games and can damage your reputation, which will limit your achievement in the work-place. Avoid scandals, office gossip, office cliques and do not become involved in office politics.

Tip 26: Act and dress professionally, but do not groom in public.

Tip 27: Do not call in sick for every trivial illness-this will create the impression that you have no drive or focus.

Tip 27:Participate in social gatherings at work and build your own networks with other women that can positively influence your career.

Tip 28: Contact Department of Labour, Department of Social Development and

Department Rural Development and Land Reform to assist you with work. The Career Counsellors of Department of Labour can also give youinformation on how to register as work-seeker on the database of work-seekers so that you can possibly be matched to available jobs in your area. You can also register online.

How to register online?

To register yourself on ESSA online, you will need to have an e-mail address.

If you do not have an e-mail you can get on for free from online services for example webmail or yahoo or Gmail.

  • Go to
  • Go to online services and click on “Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA)” hyperlink
  • Then you will be directed to ESSA online page
  • On the ESSA page click on “Register Individual” hyperlink
  • Accept the terms and conditions and click submit button
  • Click next
  • Fill in your personal Id number, Surname, Email address in the text boxes provided
  • A new systems-generated password will be sent to your email address. The systems-generated password will include special characters such as @#$^%:*

Enter your own ID number at username and your systems-generated password to Login.

Women need to break down the barriers to their own advancement in their careers themselves. Take responsibility for your own future and change your own views of what you can and should accomplish! This is when your progress in your career will start happening.

SOURCES

1.How real women get ahead: The Woman’s advantage at Work. About.com. http//:humanresoruces.about.com

2.South African Women Entrepreneurs. A Burgeoning force in our economy. A Special Report. The DTI, 2005.

3.Women and Men in US Corporate Leadership: Same Workplace, different Realities: Research Report of Pricewaterhouse Coopers, 2004.