Covid-19 pandemic slows fight for women’s rights
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The Covid-19 pandemic has set women back even further as many who work in labour-intensive, low-income sectors have been hit the hardest by lockdown and economic stoppages.
A recent article by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg drew attention to the “double-double shift” Covid-19 is imposing on women. Sandberg said women play a dual role, as income-earners in the professional economic space in addition to being unpaid care providers in their private space.
In situations where domestic violence and physical abuse prevail, often aggravated by male spouses who have lost their jobs and are fast becoming frustrated and feeling emasculated, women are facing more than a “double-double shift”: they are becoming silent, second-round sufferers of the pandemic and an outlet of the anger and frustration. As we celebrate Women’s Month and the milestones women have achieved in the face of huge challenges, the scourge of gender-based violence remains unrelenting.
SA has some of the most progressive laws and policies intended to advance women’s rights and gender equality and yet women are still not equal to their male counterparts. Women are disproportionately represented among the poor, unemployed and hungry. Women are an exploited labour force, marginalised from the formal economy, paid less than their male counterparts for doing the same work and often face inadequate access to essential services such as health care, education, water and electricity.
Progress has been made over the years, but despite these gains many challenges remain. Women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of leadership roles. More women graduate from tertiary institutions in SA than men, but it is not reflected in the gender demographics in the workplace.
Some women marry and raise children, but only a small percentage of women opt for this. Despite women leading the way in education, there are still more men in management and senior management positions than women. Sectors such as construction and engineering remain dominated by males, even where machines have replaced the need for physical strength.
Women’s Month is bittersweet for many women. It is a month in which we try to forget the many challenges facing us, but our daily realities are a constant reminder that the battle is far from over. Young female professionals who aspire to one day lead organisations have few role models, not just in SA but globally. In 2019, the global proportion of women in senior management roles rose to 29%, the highest ...
A recent article by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg drew attention to the “double-double shift” Covid-19 is imposing on women. Sandberg said women play a dual role, as income-earners in the professional economic space in addition to being unpaid care providers in their private space.
In situations where domestic violence and physical abuse prevail, often aggravated by male spouses who have lost their jobs and are fast becoming frustrated and feeling emasculated, women are facing more than a “double-double shift”: they are becoming silent, second-round sufferers of the pandemic and an outlet of the anger and frustration. As we celebrate Women’s Month and the milestones women have achieved in the face of huge challenges, the scourge of gender-based violence remains unrelenting.
SA has some of the most progressive laws and policies intended to advance women’s rights and gender equality and yet women are still not equal to their male counterparts. Women are disproportionately represented among the poor, unemployed and hungry. Women are an exploited labour force, marginalised from the formal economy, paid less than their male counterparts for doing the same work and often face inadequate access to essential services such as health care, education, water and electricity.
Progress has been made over the years, but despite these gains many challenges remain. Women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of leadership roles. More women graduate from tertiary institutions in SA than men, but it is not reflected in the gender demographics in the workplace.
Some women marry and raise children, but only a small percentage of women opt for this. Despite women leading the way in education, there are still more men in management and senior management positions than women. Sectors such as construction and engineering remain dominated by males, even where machines have replaced the need for physical strength.
Women’s Month is bittersweet for many women. It is a month in which we try to forget the many challenges facing us, but our daily realities are a constant reminder that the battle is far from over. Young female professionals who aspire to one day lead organisations have few role models, not just in SA but globally. In 2019, the global proportion of women in senior management roles rose to 29%, the highest ...
