CASE STUDY: GENDER MAINSTREAMING $$NEEDS FAST$-$TRACKING$$

According to Unesco, Gender Mainstreaming was defined by the United Nations

Economic and Social Council in $1997$ as "a strategy for making women's as well as

men's concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the policies and

programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men

benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated".

SA women make up $45\%$ of entry$-$level professionals, against $53\%$ in the US$,$ but

representation is the same at the executive level. Although women are making a

significant contribution to the economy, more could be done to fast$-$track their

progress through companies, says an expert in the recruitment industry.

"The business case for gender diversity must be recognised and supported from the

very top of the organisation,$\text{'}$ said Sandra Burmeister, CEO of Landelahni Recruitment

Group, earlier this week. "Management needs to recognise that companies that

celebrate diversity are best$-$placed to develop a flexible organisation that can

maximise business opportunities. Transformation and diversity are not a 'nice$-$to$-$

have'. They are a business imperative."

A recent report by advisory firm McKinsey on women in the economy found that in the

US$,$ structural blocks and embedded institutional mindsets play a major role in limiting

women's opportunities. Lifestyle issues such as the desire for work$-$life balance and

individual mindsets also tended to hold women bock. "SA's legislative framework in

terms of black economic empowerment and the advancement of women has had a

significant effect in addressing structural issues and influencing corporates to be more

gender and equity sensitive$,"$ Ms Burmeister said.

Although many barriers had been addressed by legislation when it came to lifestyle

issues and personal beliefs, women themselves needed to make the shift, she said.

'Women need to recognise and value their own capabilities and experience and keep

their knowledge current through training and leadership development programmes.

$$STADIO Assignment $2024$ Semester $1$ MAN$301$ MANAGEMENT III

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CASE STUDY: GENDER MAINSTREAMING $$NEEDS FAST$-$TRACKING$$

They need to seek sponsors who can help them further their career and to take

advantage of any coaching and mentoring opportunities."

She said it was also important for them to want to feel that their development as

professionals was as important to their organisations as it was to them. "They want to

feel part of a team, they want to be acknowledged for the work they do and they want

to feel they are being paid what they are worth."

Yusuf Bodo, a legal manager at legal insurance company Legal & Tax, said that the

laws had undoubtedly helped to change life for the better for SA's women. Yet the

realities that many women lived with day$-$to$-$day did not reflect the progressive laws

that were in place to protect women and their rights. Women needed to inform

themselves of the rights they had under the law, Mr Boda said. He said there were

too many women who worked in companies where they were discriminated against

or were unaware of their rights or too scored to enforce them.

"Mainstreaming" most generally refers to a comprehensive strategy that involves both

women$-$oriented programming and the integration of women$/$gender issues into

overall existing programmes throughout the programme cycle.

The critical success factors in implementing any Gender Mainstreaming process

involve a political and technical process with an obligation to produce results, not

merely provide the means, calling for:

$$ Political will at the highest level

$$ Support and commitment, including at the individual level

$$ The existence of specific policies relating to equality of the sexes and egalitarian

laws

$$ The involvement of women in the decision$-$making process

$$ Partnership with and the involvement of NGOs which defend women's interests

$$ Time$-$bound strategies to implement the policy

$$ HR practices that are sensitive to gender interests

Source: Adapted from Lazenby, LAA. $($Ed$.)2019.$ General Management. Van Schaik

Publishers. Pretoria. Pretoria.

Note: You are approached by Legal & Tax to implement a pilot gender mainstreaming

project in the company. This pilot will be a benchmarking exercise to show how gender

mainstreaming should be applied in practice.

$$STADIO Assignment $2024$ Semester $1$ MAN$301$ MANAGEMENT III

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$2\mathrm{.}1.$ Outline the relevant forces exerting pressure on Legal & Tax as an organisational

system to conform to gender mainstreaming. $(8)$

$2\mathrm{.}2.$ What type of change in terms of strategic, structural, technological, people, etc.

applies to Legal & Tax regarding women in the workplace? Substantiate your

answer. $(10)$

$2\mathrm{.}3.$ You have been approached by the Managing Director at Legal & Tax. She

informs you that she is experiencing resistance to her latest gender change

initiatives, both from a personal and a general perspect