South Africa has a range of successful business women and entrepreneurs, but what is their impact on business in South Africa? Traditionally, women would stay at home and take care of households while the men were the ones who had careers. While today’s business environment is very different, there’s still much economic empowerment that needs to take place to encourage women’s’ participation in the economy.
Another contributing factor to the lower percentage of female entrepreneurs is gender stereotypes, which affect women of all races, ages and cultures globally. Owning, running and managing a business is still very much seen as something that men should be doing instead of women. Women are also still in the minority in traditionally male-dominated environments such as engineering, technology and science, see fewer female entrants in the work environment.
There are many programmes that aim to change this. McKinsey & Company has issued a report entitled Women Matters, which concluded that more women in business are needed and that women in the work environment are imperative for competitiveness. More organisations are coming to the party, for example, at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, there is a Leading Women Programme which encourages professional networking, offers forums for analysing new business challenges and opportunities and also provides coaching and executive education courses. These are all things needed for women to succeed in the business environment.
Supporting women is crucial to encourage women to be active participants in business, their own businesses and South Africa’s economy. Women entrepreneurs will more than likely make all the difference and this is an economic health indicator to keep your eye on. Booking a corporate speaker can give you, your group or your staff the motivation and insights they need to propel their careers forward. To discuss your requirements further, please click here.
Leave A Comment