In male-dominated organisations, women have to adopt masculine traits to be perceived as competent. If their character is seen as too feminine, they may be perceived as not good enough to lead effectively.
This demonstrates that women’s ability to lead is often unfairly associated with their gender. For example, a study by Beharrie & Mabitsela, found that women leaders are often judged more harshly for displaying emotions compared to their male counterparts.
Such stereotypes continue to discriminate, belittle, and oppress women by undermining their capabilities to occupy leadership positions. Gender stereotypes are a major contributing factor to women’s underrepresentation in leadership roles in various government departments. These stereotypes also persist in women’s low self-esteem and lack of confidence when taking on leadership roles.
Because of stereotypes and discrimination in the workplace, women find themselves under pressure to conform to gender norms. This pressure causes them to undervalue their performance and leadership skills as well as their self-efficacy, which can negatively affect their success in the workplace. Self-gender stereotypes can affect how women see themselves regarding their confidence, self-esteem and self-identity.
Traditionally, males who grew up in patriarchal societies abdicate their domestic responsibilities, including raising children. This gives males the opportunity to fully commit to their occupations and work effectively. Women, on the other hand, are expected to handle domestic work such as cleaning or taking care of the family.
A 2020 report by the International Labour Organisation found that women spent more hours per day on unpaid care work compared to men, which limits their career advancement opportunities. If care work is affiliated only with women, then achieving gender equality remains a distant goal.
We cannot expect women to perform miracles in raising children, taking care of the house, and still excel in their professional roles without significant support and structural changes.
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Organisations need to adopt a variety of actions to address gender bias
Image: supplied
Gender inequality is evident in the decreasing number of women in senior leadership positions in both government and private sectors across various countries, especially in SA.
Despite legislation promoting gender equality, men continue to dominate in senior management positions; for example, in the department of education, men outnumber women in senior management 56.3% to 43.7%.
When confronted with challenging tasks in the workplace, women are commonly misled into believing they are weak and incompetent. One can argue that the deep-rooted patriarchal culture in our society contributes to some of the challenges faced by women.
In SA, patriarchy affects all racial and ethnic groups. In most households, women are perceived as inferior to men, while men enjoy many privileges as dominant figures.
Social activist Lebogang Ramafoko describes patriarchy as “a system that all of us, men and women of all races, are brought up into. It sets power relations, assigning power to men”.
It is evident from this statement that patriarchy is a serious problem and women have been and are still continuously fighting to break through this system.
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In male-dominated organisations, women have to adopt masculine traits to be perceived as competent. If their character is seen as too feminine, they may be perceived as not good enough to lead effectively.
This demonstrates that women’s ability to lead is often unfairly associated with their gender. For example, a study by Beharrie & Mabitsela, found that women leaders are often judged more harshly for displaying emotions compared to their male counterparts.
Such stereotypes continue to discriminate, belittle, and oppress women by undermining their capabilities to occupy leadership positions. Gender stereotypes are a major contributing factor to women’s underrepresentation in leadership roles in various government departments. These stereotypes also persist in women’s low self-esteem and lack of confidence when taking on leadership roles.
Because of stereotypes and discrimination in the workplace, women find themselves under pressure to conform to gender norms. This pressure causes them to undervalue their performance and leadership skills as well as their self-efficacy, which can negatively affect their success in the workplace. Self-gender stereotypes can affect how women see themselves regarding their confidence, self-esteem and self-identity.
Traditionally, males who grew up in patriarchal societies abdicate their domestic responsibilities, including raising children. This gives males the opportunity to fully commit to their occupations and work effectively. Women, on the other hand, are expected to handle domestic work such as cleaning or taking care of the family.
A 2020 report by the International Labour Organisation found that women spent more hours per day on unpaid care work compared to men, which limits their career advancement opportunities. If care work is affiliated only with women, then achieving gender equality remains a distant goal.
We cannot expect women to perform miracles in raising children, taking care of the house, and still excel in their professional roles without significant support and structural changes.
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The leadership of women can be illustrated by the gender-role theory, which states that people learn and internalise gender roles through socialisation. This means that women grow up being socialised to behave in a particular way.
It is unfair to perceive and evaluate female leaders based on stereotypes that they are more sensitive than males. There is also a belief that affirmative action policies are the primary reason women are chosen for top education jobs rather than meeting the requirements for such positions.
For instance, the department of basic education among other prioritised the appointment of women at the senior management level to comply with the department of public service and administration directive of a 50% women to 50% men ratio.
This suggests that women are employed in senior leadership positions for compliance purposes and not necessarily because they are competent and qualified.
Women should be employed in leadership positions because they are capable and have the necessary knowledge and skills to execute the tasks, not merely because of their gender.
Organisations need to adopt a variety of actions to address the gender bias and preconceptions that give rise to the obstacles faced by women leaders. It is crucial that organisations implement training programmes to increase the self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-efficacy of these leaders.
Creating safe spaces and giving women a voice to discuss the challenges they face in the workplace is essential. Allowing women the space and opportunity to share their experiences and propose solutions is vital to understanding and addressing the issues they face.
As Michelle Obama once said, “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish”. It’s time to ensure that this potential is fully realised in the education sector and beyond.
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