University of Stellenbosch and GetSmarter join forces to promote gender diversity in the workplace
Female leaders are good for business.
Research has built a strong case for the advantages of gender diversity in the c-suite. Having a female-friendly mindset behind the steering wheel is a strategic move that can’t be downplayed in an economy where female consumers account for approximately 85% of consumer spending worldwide1, but the benefits don’t stop there.
A Gallup study revealed that female managers are better at engaging employees than their male counterparts.2 The unique strengths of female managers, and their ability to bring a different perspective to the boardroom table, appears to be a winning formula for organisational success.
Despite this evidence, women hold only 28% of senior management roles in South Africa, according to Grant Thornton’s 2017 Women in Business report.3
The socio-economic importance gender diversity in the workplace is evident, but transformation is slow. When Grant Thornton first started measuring this data in 2004, that figure was 26% – that’s a meagre growth of 2% over the course of 13 years.
“Unfortunately, we have a very patriarchal culture in Africa, including South Africa. UNtil we make a concerted effort to change our mindset to the role of women in the workplace, at home and society at large we’re going to continue to battle with inequality in the workplace,” says Lee-Anne Bac, director of Advisory Services at Grant Thornton Johannesburg.3
With those challenges in mind, The University of Stellenbosch Executive Development School has collaborated with GetSmarter to design the Women in Leadership online short course.
The course is designed to equip participants to overcome the unique hurdles that women face in the workplace in order to advance their careers. Participants are encouraged to develop their unique leadership identities, and provided with the tools to contribute to the development of other women in their sphere of influence.
The highly interactive online course integrates media such as video, infographics, and written study guides to provide students with a high-touch online learning experience that students can fit into their busy schedule, and networking opportunities are provided through the interactive discussion forums.
GetSmarter hosted an exclusive networking event at their Observatory campus last month, where Holly Meadows, Editor of Cosmopolitan South Africa, and Thelme Janse van Rensburg, GetSmarter Chief of Talent, spoke to the challenges of female leadership in the contemporary workplace. They were joined on a discussion panel by Dr Babita Mathur-Helm, Course Convenor for the Women in Leadership course. If you’d like to catch the highlights from the evening, a recap video is available on the GetSmarter blog.
If you’d like to equip yourself to promote gender diversity in the workplace, you can register now for the next presentation of the Women in Leadership course, which begins on 4 June.
