Strong Women
Celebrated annually on August 9, National Women’s Day commemorates the historic day in 1956 when around 20 000 women marched on the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest the carrying of pass books. The march was led by the Federation of South African Women, which was known for challenging the stereotype that a woman’s place is in the kitchen.
Safety concerns keep women jobless
For many women, travelling to work and back is a life-threatening business.
Many South African women are unable to work because of the distance they need to travel from their homes to employment hubs such as towns and cities, and the fear they have of being attacked while travelling in the dark. A legacy of apartheid spatial planning is that many townships are removed from places of economic opportunity, which means women reliant on public transport have to leave home in the early hours to get to work on time, and often return home in the dark. With the high levels of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa, this is simply not an option for many women, who know they would be putting their safety at risk by being out in the dark. According to Nonhlanhla Skosana, the community education and mobilisation unit manager at NPO Sonke Gender Justice, GBV is about far more than the horrific trauma it inflicts on victims – it impacts women, and society as a whole, on a number of levels. “Women too scared to travel become financially dependent on their partners. Should the relationship be abusive, they will then find themselves trapped.” She says educated and skilled women are not spared because the high rate of unemployment means many of them cannot find work and are thus also at the mercy of their partners.
“It was worse during the strict Covid-19 lockdown when women were ‘locked’ in with their volatile partners. The directing of health resources to the pandemic also meant that many GBV support services were unavailable. “Another problem is that the information on how to access help is often printed in English, which excludes a large number of women,” says Nonhlanhla.
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The burden of unpaid work on women
The great nine-to-five myth places unbearable strain on women.
South African women generally undertake the lion’s share of household and childcare work, while either informally contributing to the household income or going out to work. Many are buckling under the pressure, with more and more women seeking help for depression. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted society’s reliance on women, both on the frontline and at home, while simultaneously exposing inequalities across every sphere, from health to the economy, security to social protection, says UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. It says that as frontline responders, health professionals, community volunteers, scientists and more, women are making critical contributions to address the pandemic every day. In addition, the majority of caregivers, at home and in our communities, are also women. Ina van der Watt, MD of Universal Corporate Wellness, says the pandemic has placed more responsibility on the shoulders of women, who are juggling a growing number of tasks, from primary homemaker and caretaker, to income earner, stand-in teacher and nurse. Almost double the number of women than men make use of the group’s counselling helpline. This statistic is echoed by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, which reports that more than 60% of its calls come from women.
An International Monetary Fund report released last year showed that despite the hard lockdown bringing more appreciation for the immense amount of work that goes into running a home, worldwide women still do more unpaid household work than men – in fact, globally, this figure amounts to a whopping 2.7 hours per day.
“We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored.” – Sheryl Sandberg
According to a recent UN Aids report, ‘Six concrete measures to support women and girls in all their diversity’, women’s unpaid care work increased exponentially during Covid-19 due to school closures and the burden of caring for older dependents. The report stated that as a result of the pandemic, women were doing two-and-a-half times more unpaid household and care work than men: “While women’s unpaid work subsidises the cost of care that sustains families, supports economies and makes up for a lack of social services, it is rarely treated as ‘work’. School closures increased both childcare and educational tasks, and were typically absorbed by women.” Life-weary women can take heart, however, at the growing global awareness of the amount of unpaid work they do. The phenomenon is being investigated by a number of international bodies with the interests of women at heart and last year, global headlines were made when a Chinese court ordered a man to pay his wife for the housework she had done during their five-year marriage. The landmark ruling was a victory for the many organisations, such an UN Women, who are demanding that a value be put on unpaid work.
Gender inequality still limping along
While inspirational stories abound of women who have triumphed in male-dominated sectors, these should by now be commonplace occurrences rather than headline-worthy events.
Gender inequality is one of the world’s biggest human rights challenges, believes gender and human rights activist Melene Rossouw. “Denying 50% of the population their rights impacts democracy, security, governance, and the economy. While it has been acknowledged that addressing these challenges requires a society-wide approach, a lack of accountability and political will hamper progress,” she says. Melene is the executive director of Women Lead Movement. An attorney by profession, she was selected in 2019 as one of 11 spokeswomen in Africa for the Global Campaign on Gender Equality by US-based ONE Global Campaign and has subsequently participated in global campaigns #YoursInPower and #PassTheMic. “South Africa’s Constitution is hailed as one of the most progressive in the world as it not only includes socio-economic rights, but affords all people equal rights… yet women still face large-scale gender discrimination and inequality in all spheres of society. Women also face extreme violence in all forms on a daily basis. “These challenges collectively place women at a disadvantage and until we address the structural and systemic barriers to equality, women will remain negatively and disproportionately impacted.”
Workplace inequality
Melene says there has been some progress in closing the gender gap in the workplace. “What is critical, however, is not only achieving workplace equality, but workplace equity. Whereas equality provides equal opportunities to all people, equity refers to a proportional representation for the same opportunities that would level the playing field.
“Men still hold the senior and top management positions in both the public and private sectors and even if women attain the highest level of education, nothing will change if men in leadership are not progressive in the equity policies they develop and implement in their workplaces. “Even then, not everything can be remedied with laws and policies, because conscious and unconscious biases are still deeply entrenched in these male-led and male-dominated workplaces. “Therefore, we need to pay attention to subtle cultural and societal norms and how they affect dynamics and decision-making in the workplace. “I often say, if the men do not want to give you a seat at the table, you build your own table and ensure that when you are in a position of power and authority, you empower as many women as you can.” Despite the tremendous service given by women healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, UN Women has found that an average gender pay gap of around 28% exists in the health workforce. It says that women make up the majority of health and social care workers, especially as nurses, midwives and community health workers, and account for the majority of service staff in health facilities, as cleaners, launderers, and caterers.
From homeless shelter to queen of her castle
Think big but start small and keep it simple is a renowned entrepreneur’s advice to South African women.
Penny Streeter is an inspiration. Her tale may be a clichéd rags-to-riches one, but it speaks of determination, perseverance and an ‘I can’ attitude that has seen her go from rock bottom to sky high. Born in Zimbabwe in 1967, Penny was educated in Alberton near Johannesburg but left school at the age of 15. “I had had enough of the restrictive education regime in South Africa,” she says. What followed was a number of highs – during which time Penny was a successful businesswoman, and lows – which culminated in her living in a shelter for the homeless, with three young children in tow. Today, she is a multi-millionaire and one of the most successful female entrepreneurs in South Africa and the UK. As founder of healthcare staffing conglomerate A24 Group and CEO of the Benguela Collection, she has built an empire and earned many accolades along the way, including an Order of the British Empire for ‘services to enterprise’ and the South African Chamber of Commerce’s Business Woman of the Year Award in 2019.
A rocky start
After leaving school and returning to the UK, Penny tried her hand at a number of jobs, including beautician, before landing in the employment recruitment sector. She found she had an affinity for placing people in the right position and she and mom Marion started their own recruitment agency in London in the late 80s. Then the property crash happened and her business went bust – in spectacular style, with Penny owing money to banks and finance companies. “I decided to escape the misery and moved to Joburg with my husband and two children, where I helped my sister, Sally, run Stars Cabaret restaurant in Alberton. It was a dangerous time and running a nightclub-style restaurant put us at constant risk of robbery.”
Penny soon found herself in crisis once again – her youngest daughter, Giselle, contacted meningitis, Penny was pregnant with her third child and her marriage was on the rocks. She once again packed her bags and crossed the Atlantic, arriving back in the UK eight months pregnant and with nothing to her name. “I ended up living in homeless accommodation with my three children. It was a terrible time for me,” she recalls. Determined to do better for her children, Penny once again entered the recruitment industry, working for herself in a corner of a car parts dealership. She started with nothing and instead of overspending, as she had the first time around, she put every penny earned back into the business. To make ends meet, she also began organising children’s parties after hours. Penny’s luck changed when she identified the need for a 24/7 recruitment service in the health sector, to fill a need when a healthcare worker fell sick and was not available to work their shift. Soon, she was supplying emergency and general medical staffing services across England and her destiny as a top businesswoman had been entrenched.
Lessons learned
Penny says the hardships she faced helped her grow. “When I started my first business, I made lots of mistakes. I took out bank loans, bought nice furniture, and leased fancy offices. “I realised that these were actually trappings that were not necessary and my main objective had to just be to make money – and all I needed was a phone to do that. I realised that if I did not help myself, nobody else was going to turn around and help me.”
The challenge of gender bias
Having lived and worked in both South Africa and the UK, Penny has some insight into the unique challenges faced by South African women. She says the male-dominant environment in South Africa makes it harder for women to achieve. “I have noticed that culturally, women are not respected in the same way as men. Women have the primary responsibility for children, schooling, feeding their family, and maintaining a stable home. It is just expected of them. This makes it much harder for them to start their own businesses or to be taken seriously by banks. “However, out of adversity has come some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, so South African women should not give up or be disheartened.”
Penny’s message this Women’s Day If you believe in yourself – anything is possible. Women’s Day is a great time to reflect on where you are in your life and to reset your career or business.
Women in the boardroom
Fortunately, says Penny, progress has been made in addressing inequality in the workplace over the past few years. “The championing of women entrepreneurs and women in senior business in South Africa is coming across loud and clear. Women tend to linger at the back and have to learn to push themselves forward and promote their skills.”
Women have much to contribute in the boardroom. “They have many transferrable skills but sometimes lack the confidence to put themselves forward, as men often naturally take these front positions.” Penny believes women are good at risk management, governance, strategic thinking, are great networkers, and tend to be persistent. They bring diversity to leadership which is important because it brings another perspective to the table.
Women, shake off the guilt!
If you are doing the best you can, then let go of habitual, unhealthy guilt, which can cause self-doubt, shame, and lessen your self-confidence.
Stop feeling guilty, is Refiloe Seseane’s message this Women’s Day. “We shouldn’t feel apologetic about the fact that we cannot be everything to everyone,” says the founder of the women empowerment NPO 18twenty8. She says women should stop feeling torn about the amount of time they spend with their loved ones. “Embrace that being the breadwinner is our way of showing that we care for them. Invariably, this means that we won’t always be physically present. “The women of South Africa should be proud of their work ethic, accomplishments, and expertise in prioritising – and by this I mean ‘juggling’ – the many tasks they need to tackle each week. “Get rid of the notion of work-life balance, because it doesn’t exist,” she says, “and accept the reality of work-life trade-offs. Get reliable support both at home and at work if you are under strain.” Refiloe, who has an Honours degree in economics and a postgraduate certificate in financial economics from Wales’ Cardiff University, is well known for her role as lively Dudu Kunene in Generations. She says South African women have enough to deal with – patriarchy and gender-based violence (GBV), access to business funding and education, and an overload of anxiety – without adding unnecessary guilt to the mix.
Patriarchy and its consequences
GBV receives considerable attention from 18twenty8. Its project, #NOTNEXT, helps high school girls stem the tide of GBV. “We are also in the process of launching a boys and men’s forum to help shift the toxic masculinity narrative of boys and men being aggressors in GBV by providing access to role models, adventure excursions and healing. “We want to see high school boys better equipped to champion girls,” she says. Refiloe is not convinced that young women should shoulder the responsibility for ‘overcoming’ GBV since the majority of the violence is perpetrated by boys and men. “Co-ordinated, proactive and more empathetic efforts between the SAPS and the departments of Social Development, Justice and Women are needed to mitigate the trauma women suffer as a result of GBV.”
Access to funding for education and entrepreneurship
While there may be too few funding opportunities for young women, proactivity is needed to access what is available. Refiloe says women must look for and share funding opportunities from government departments, local and international companies and women’s financial upliftment programmes.
“Use calendar alerts for funding opportunities that recur annually, and ensure you apply on time and that your application is well written.” A financial assistance programme enables 18twenty8 to raise capital through individual and company donations to fund the higher education of young women. The NPO covers tuition fees, textbooks, university accommodation, a living allowance and laptop for young women to complete any undergraduate degree of their choice. “This enables them to enter the world of work without the burden of student loan debt. When young women are unable to service their student loans, adverse credit profiles make it even harder for them to find work in a country with high youth unemployment, because credit checks are often part of the employment process.”
Compromised mental wellness
Women are increasingly suffering from depression and anxiety, says Refiloe. It is important that they find outlets to address how they feel. “Talk about it by telling a friend, family member or other person in your network whom you trust. Write about it by journaling, or get professional help if you are seriously overwhelmed and struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts.”
Women, shake off the guilt!
Women are phenomenal beings who aspire to break the limits and defy the odds, no matter the obstacles they may face. They take on more than their fair share of responsibilities and duties, not only within the home, but professionally and in all other spheres of life. While this alludes to the fact that women are a force to be reckoned with, the Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly affected and disrupted people’s lives. Working from home and home-schooling your children – and redecorating to accommodate both, were previously anomalies for many, but are now the norm for millions of people.While there is an allure in missing the morning traffic, avoiding make-up regimens, and steering clear of the dreaded ‘I have no idea what to wear today’ conundrum, the consequences of the many changes we have faced are far-reaching.
Counselling psychologist Candice Britz, who is based in Sandton, says around 50%–70% of the patients she has seen during the pandemic are women. “We have definitely seen a bit more of a burden on the female population,” says Candice. According to the psychologist, some of the more persistent challenges include adjusting to a new normal environment, working from home and having to negotiate the home space to accommodate professional and personal adjustments, and the impact this has on forced gender roles – with women assuming more responsibility within the household.
The psychological aspect
“There seems to be this burden of increased responsibility that most of the women have been struggling to adjust to when having to make sure that their professional duties are completed, as well as running a household and managing and maintaining children working from home because of home-schooling. “It has been really difficult to find that balance, even when communicating those shared responsibilities.” Candice says there has also been an increase in gender-based violence (GBV), which can be physical or emotional. She says a lack of communication can lead to GBV, whether it is passive or aggressive interactions.
“The other problem is around the economic impact Covid-19 has had. “The pandemic has affected everyone in varying degrees. It then makes sense that there has been an increase in mental health difficulties and challenges. “The other side of the coin is that we’re seeing a lot more people speaking up and recognising the signs of mental health. “In terms of coping mechanisms, it is important to take care of the mind and body. “Take stock of yourself and how you are feeling and if you are struggling, seek out help. Find a counsellor, psychologist, psychiatrist or GP. There are professionals available in both the public and private spheres. “You are never alone, there is always help available.” When asked about the mindset women have adapted to in terms of make-up and professional clothing, Candice explains that there appears to be a relaxation of societal expectations. “From my experience, it seems there is less internal and external pressure in general on women to show up with their ‘full face on’ and appropriate corporate wear due to the new normal of working online.”
The Fashion conundrum
Aspiring fashion designer Lerato Modikwane says this has adversely impacted the fashion industry. Lerato, who is the founder of Fashion Predictor, a business that designs and sells clothing within the informal and formal markets, catering to a predominantly black market, says the effects of the pandemic have been extensive. “When the pandemic hit South Africa, many businesses suffered, particularly the fashion industry,” she says, explaining that the closure of fabric shops and the proliferation of clothing sales affected their bottom line. “As a woman, my biggest challenge was consistency in terms of loyal clients and customers who, during this pandemic, stopped supporting my brand due to retrenchment, unpaid sick leave, or travelling restrictions. “The biggest impact was when events and social gatherings were put on hold. That automatically changed the return profit and had a very negative impact.” However, on the upside, she says the pandemic gave rise to new opportunities for her business too, including the establishment of an online store. Lerato also took advantage of the new normal by designing unique masks cleverly made from fabric off cuts and noted there is a change as women realise their profession cannot be defined by their dress code.
Appreciation for a new normal
Renay Tandy, an industrial communications expert and entrepreneur in public relations and marketing, agrees that there have been some silver linings to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown. Renay and her children Emma (8) and Megan (5) as well as husband Russell, have adapted well to the new ‘live, work and learn from home’ situation. She admits, however, that there were initial challenges. “I think my main focus was my kids and trying to keep them calm, as they had heard a lot of scary stories about the virus, and they thought the worst.” Adapting to an ‘all-in-one-go’ in terms of being a mom, wife, homemaker, and entrepreneur was no easy feat but Renay looked for effective ways to overcome this. “We already offered most of our staff flexi-time, so it wasn’t a huge challenge to set up staff to work from home. However, it was a huge adjustment as a team to learn to work together remotely 100% of the time.
“With a child in Grade 1, and a four-year-old (at the time of hard lockdown), I had to adapt to help them with their schooling, while running a business, cleaning the house, doing all of the household duties, and trying to keep it fun. “I quickly realised that routine was key. We set weekly routines, which included waking up at set times, exercising, and doing chores. “We aren’t lucky enough to have an office at home so we had to be creative. “I turned the spare room into a makeshift office and playroom for the girls, but – in the end – we changed things up to keep it interesting. “Before lockdown, the spare room had a double bed and a few toys in it. We removed the bed and created two ‘work’ areas for the kids. Having the two desks in one room allowed me to work with them together. “The other side of the room became a play area for the kids in their break times, and the mat in the middle of the room was for their exercise and ballet. “The dining room became my husband’s and my work area. “Some days we worked in the playroom office, others days at the dining room table and, on warmer days, we set ourselves up outside. We didn’t restrict ourselves to any kind of ‘normal environment’, and it ended up working for us.” Renay says there were a lot of positives she took from the pandemic. “It [the pandemic] honestly gave me a new perspective on life. Lockdown forced me to slow down, and I have come to appreciate the quiet and family time, without having to rush from one activity to the next. “I hope that life, or at least my life, doesn’t go back to ‘normal’, as I think that ‘normal’ life had lots of room for improvement. We now appreciate small things… and we have come to love our new normal.”
