scholarly journals Doing gender well: Women’s perceptions on gender equality and career progression in the South African security industry

2021 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shandré K. Jansen van Rensburg
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
South African ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
Career Progression ◽  
Female Leadership ◽  
Doing Gender ◽  
The South ◽  
Security Industry ◽  
Women’S Perceptions ◽  
Work Allocation

Orientation: Although significant progress has been made globally in gender equality, women still occupy less political influence, fewer leadership positions and yield less control over their careers than most men. Gender inequality is evident in male-dominated work environments such as the security industry.Research purpose: This study reflects on women’s perceptions on gender equality and career progression in the South African security industry.Motivation for the study: In post-democracy South Africa, women are categorised as previously disadvantaged, therefore a priority group in terms of advancement. However, it is still unclear, from the narratives of the women themselves, how their career progression is encumbered in the milieu of the security industry.Research approach/design and method: Through qualitative one-on-one semi-structured interviews, 15 women, working in the security industry, shared their experiences concerning gender equality and career progression. Data were analysed thematically, guided by the context of the gendered security profession.Main findings: The findings reveal that women experience slower career progression than men in terms of rejection and work allocation. Moreover, negative perceptions of female leadership among colleagues was a factor hindering career progression.Practical/managerial implications: This study argues by doing gender well, equality in the security workplace can be obtained. Furthermore, the study encourages South African security managers to recognise how aspects such as rejection, work allocation and a negative perception of female leadership may encumber the career progression of female security professionals.Contribution/value-add: The study contributes to scientific knowledge and discourse regarding women’s perceptions on gender equality and career progression.

Better Late than Never: Lessons from S V Jordan in Strengthening Women’s Participation in Litigation

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 505-518
Author(s):  
Amanda Spies
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
South African ◽  
Sex Work ◽  
Constitutional Court ◽  
Amicus Curiae ◽  
The South ◽  
Women's Participation

In 2002 the South African Constitutional Court rejected the decriminalisation of sex work and for many years the judgment has constricted further debate on the topic. In 2013 organisations such as the Commission for Gender Equality have again publicly committed themselves toward lobbying for the decriminalisation of sex work. The renewed debate has necessitated a reconsideration of the Court’s decision in S v Jordan and this article focuses on the organisations that participated as amicus curiae in the matter. The discussion highlights the importance of organisational participation in litigation and how this participation could provide the context in which to consider future debates on the topic. 

scholarly journals Feminist Pedagogy and the South African Curriculum: The case of Women and Food Security

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Teresa Dirsuweit
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
South African ◽  
Food Studies ◽  
Feminist Pedagogy ◽  
Policy Statement ◽  
The South ◽  
Shock Absorbers ◽  
Working Class Women ◽  
Positive Representations

There is a food security crisis in South Africa and black working-class women are the shock absorbers of this crisis. It follows that where food studies are included in the South African curriculum, the relationship between women and food security should be understood and critiqued by learners. Improvements in gender equality have also been identified as one of the primary drivers of improvements in food security. In this paper, the South African curriculum is analysed in terms of food studies, gender studies and the promotion of gender equality. Using the lens of feminist pedagogy, a set of qualitative indicators were developed to assess the content and praxis of the curriculum. While there is content which deals with gender and with food, these are presented separately. In the Geography and Agriculture curricula, there is a marked lack of focus on gender concerns. This article concludes that the curriculum could be reoriented to include an awareness and critique of the nexus of women and food and that more positive representations of women as active and powerful agents are needed in the South African Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS).

scholarly journals Exploring the Gap Between Male and Female Employment in the South African Workforce

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 37-51
Author(s):  
Elaine Sinden
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
South African ◽  
Senior Management ◽  
Female Employment ◽  
South African Government ◽  
The South ◽  
African Government ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Women In The Workplace ◽  
Equal Employment

AbstractWomen in South Africa have for decades, experienced discrimination in the workplace because certain positions such as top and senior management posts were predominately given to men. If women were employed, they were mostly offered positions at the lower levels of the organisation, or specific jobs such as secretaries or administrative jobs. To address such discrimination, to ensure gender equality is promoted and women are offered equal employment opportunities, the South African government has since 1994 adopted different anti- discriminatory laws to expedite equal employment to improve the position of women in the workplace. To explore the extent to which the position of women in the workplace has changed - if at all - since the dawn of democracy, this paper provides an analysis of women’s employment standing in 2014 in the South African workforce. The goal of this study is to identify employment gender gaps both in terms of employment numbers, as well as employment in different sectors. To explore this objective, the study first provides an overview of some of the anti - discriminatory laws that were put in place by the South African government to promote equal opportunities for all South Africans, especially women. Second, the study develops a conceptual framework based on an analysis of the literature on gender equality and its link to equal employment for women. Finally, the study provides an overview of the South African labour force as at 2014, showing the gap between male and female employment. The findings confirm that despite South Africa’s progressive legislative and policy measures, women remain underrepresented in the workplace, meaning that progress in redressing unfair discrimination has been slow and/or uneven. The findings also reveal that men continue to dominate the workforce, especially in top and senior management positions.

Steve Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Anne Hadfield
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
White Supremacy ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
The State ◽  
African National Congress ◽  
Black Consciousness ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
The South ◽  
Black Consciousness Movement

The Black Consciousness movement of South Africa instigated a social, cultural, and political awakening in the country in the 1970s. By the mid-1960s, major anti-apartheid organizations in South Africa such as the African National Congress and Pan-Africanist Congress had been virtually silenced by government repression. In 1969, Steve Biko and other black students frustrated with white leadership in multi-racial student organizations formed an exclusively black association. Out of the South African Students’ Organization (SASO) came what was termed Black Consciousness. This philosophy redefined “black” as an inclusive, positive identity and taught that black South Africans could make meaningful change in their society if “conscientized” or awakened to their self-worth and the need for activism. The movement emboldened youth, contributed to the development of Black Theology and cultural movements, and led to the formation of new community and political organizations such as the Black Community Programs organization and the Black People’s Convention. Articulate and charismatic, Steve Biko was one of the movement’s foremost instigators and prolific writers. When the South African government understood the threat Black Consciousness posed to apartheid, it worked to silence the movement and its leaders. Biko was banished to his home district in the Eastern Cape, where he continued to build community development programs and have a strong political influence. His death at the hands of security police in September 1977 revealed the brutality of South African security forces and the extent to which the state would go to maintain white supremacy. After Biko’s death, the state declared Black Consciousness–related organizations illegal. Activists formed the Azanian People’s Organization (AZAPO) in 1978 to carry on Black Consciousness ideals, though the movement in general waned after Biko’s death. Since then, Biko has loomed over the history of the Black Consciousness movement as a powerful icon and celebrated hero while others have looked to Black Consciousness in forging a new black future for South Africa.

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