FREE TO READ | Women effecting real change
Women, while competing in almost entrenched patriarchal systems, must begin to lift as they rise
The WEF announced in April that the Covid-19 pandemic has added 36 years to the amount of time it will take to close the gender gap worldwide. This statistic is sobering if you consider the fact that the number of women holding CEO positions on JSE-listed companies is exceptionally low — just 2% of the JSE’s top 100 listed companies have female CEOs and just 11% have female chairpersons.
For the tide to turn and for these numbers to increase at CEO and board level, women must accept that they are not only having to deal with and compete in almost entrenched patriarchal systems but they must begin to lift as they rise.
In this issue, we talk to a group of women who not only understand this but who offer other women, at the start of their boardroom journey, advice around the nuances of breaking down stereotypes. They also share with us the strategies they have in place in their own organisations to see real change happen.
So while the numbers do not yet reflect an equal reality, the commitment by women in leadership roles certainly does offer a glimmer of hope.