Call to empower women in leadership
SANDOWN – According to JSE CEO Leila Fourie, despite the fact that women outnumber men in this country, the balance of power and opportunity remains skewed.
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) calls on government and corporates alike to step up their support for women’s economic development in commemoration of International Women’s Day.
The stock exchange hosted its eighth annual Ring the Bell for Gender Equity ceremony virtually on March 8. The celebrations kicked off by ringing the bell and sounding the kudu horn for the markets to open in honour of the initiative.
According to JSE CEO Leila Fourie, despite the fact that women outnumber men in this country, the balance of power and opportunity remains skewed.
“In a country that is so desperately in need of economic growth, we simply cannot afford not to have all hands on deck.”
She added that over the decades, many glass ceilings have been shattered; it is no longer surprising to see female CEOs, cabinet ministers, fighter piolets, miners or truck drivers.
“With each ceiling shattered, there is a young and ambitious girl looking ready to follow that example. We should be proud of every single one of them but we must never forget that not all women are free,” said Fourie.
Keynote speaker and Business Leadership South Africa CEO, Busisiwe Mavuso, added that this year’s theme – gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow – imposes the realisation that without equality, a sustainable future remains out of reach.
Mavuso noted that this is why industries, both local and international, must drive and support women in leadership.
“Our feminine skills of inclusion, deep listening, empathy and intuition, big picture thinking, finding common ground and bridge-building has been what was required to successfully deal with the crisis of Covid-19,” said Mavuso.
“Those skills, previously stigmatised as soft skills, are not soft at all as they are complex to acquire and develop. Through these soft skills, profound social transformation is currently underway.”
Details: Johannesburg Stock Exchange www.jse.co.za
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