South African Women Who Are Transforming The Future!
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. … It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Western Cape, South Africa (23 August 2021) – Representing half of the global labour force and half of the new graduates produced by higher education each year in South Africa, women provide a valuable source of talent that is often overlooked by employers.
Whether this is due to a lack of opportunities, or a lack of confidence to compete for those top jobs, many women are still struggling to take their rightful seat at the boardroom table.
With that being said, there is no doubt that South Africa has made significant progress towards achieving gender equality since the onset of democracy. It has been encouraging to see so many women taking up leadership positions previously occupied by men.
As Leana de Beer, CEO at Feenix points out, “Traditionally, girls and women are systematically steered away from subjects like science and mathematics throughout their education, which limits their opportunities for STEM-related work opportunities as adults.”
“While I acknowledge the efforts made by some in government and universities to promote gender equality and diversity, I believe that we still lack the necessary resources, organisational frameworks, and a sustained commitment to progress with these issues. Gender equity is as important as gender equality, and if women are not protected, safe to move around, allowed to pursue any type of career and are expected to bear the responsibility of these inadequacies, we won’t ever see thriving societies in South Africa.”
Training initiatives, quota systems, employment practices reforms, and introductions of female role models to young women should all be employed as part of further interventions in the workplace. Using these initiatives can result in employees rethinking their prejudices and adding women to the pool of potential candidates for leadership roles.
De Beer explains that Feenix, together with the students registered on their platform, has managed to raise R80.08 million, with R30.8 million of this amount going to students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related degrees.
“About 49% of this has gone to women, which is a move in the right direction.”
Feenix invited some remarkable women in STEM and other non-typical fields to share their stories.
Modiegi Mokoka
Modiegi Mokoka is a highly skilled basketball player with a BA in Construction Studies and an Honours degree in Quantity Surveying. Despite a few personal and professional setbacks along the way, she is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Building, at Wits University.
While attending career exhibitions at high school and varsity, Modiegi quickly discovered that the Built industry was where she wanted to be.
“I decided early on to take charge of my professional destiny and researched what the jobs were like and what would suit my personality before making my study choices.”
Asked how she got involved in basketball – a sport traditionally dominated by men both as players and as managers – she replied, “In my first week of high school, a matriculant encouraged me to try out. I went, liked the coach, and stayed. Since then, I’ve played at national levels, and I’ve served as the chairperson for Wits basketball for three years. During that time, my biggest mission was to champion women’s basketball.”
Modiegi commented on the challenges facing women in basketball, “I noticed a big change between the male and female leagues at university and professional levels. Management began paying more attention to the men’s teams, while the ladies became a bit of an afterthought. The other big challenge is that, unlike first-world countries, we do not promote that women’s basketball is more skills-based than physical. Changing this direction would do wonders for the sport in general.”
As for what women can bring to basketball and construction, “I believe female mentors will inspire more young women who are just starting out.”
Speaking from personal experience, she says that it will be more beneficial for a young woman to get advice from a woman who has actual experience in the field. “While male mentors are very helpful in teaching practical skills, women have innate insights that are necessary for young women in the industry.”
Lindokuhle Hlati
From studying at the prestigious Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls to tackling Polymer Technology at Nelson Mandela University, Lindokuhle Hlati knows a thing or two about fighting for what she wants in life.
In addition to having a keen interest in scientific research and attending a high school heavily centred on science and math, Lindokuhle had another reason for pursuing this career.
“My interest in scientific research stems from the fact that I was raised by two women who had disabilities caused by diseases that not much is known about. It inspired me to be a researcher as I believe there is so much that is yet to be discovered.”
Asked what her biggest challenges were studying a male-dominated course, she replied: “For me, the biggest challenges are having to constantly prove myself due to my gender. It’s a common perception that women are not expected to make it very far in this field.”
In terms of this sector’s future, she adds, “We need to make these fields more accessible for women, and our collective goal should be to steer away from trying to make women more like men. In turn, we should work to create environments that will enable everyone to enjoy the variety of skills and approaches women bring to sectors of our economy that are traditionally dominated by men.”
Dr Narissa Ramdhani
Dr Narissa Ramdhani, a former activist, who has extensive experience in business, international relations, development, and higher education and is currently the Honorary Consul-General for the Republic of Chile in South Africa, gives her thoughts on her role as a woman in academia.
For Ramdhani, a lasting memory of her time working for former President Mandela is how he constantly reminded everyone he met that women had a critical role to play in all aspects of society. This was in keeping with his commitment to eradicating all forms of discrimination, in particular against women.
“Having worked for President Mandela for almost a decade, I was influenced by his ideals, especially in the areas of human rights, diversity, education, and youth. His view that ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’ is what drove and still drives my passion to develop youth for future global leadership positions, through education and entrepreneurship, especially in a post-covid world.”
Whether on the sports field, in the classroom or as international business leaders, women around the world continue to break glass ceilings. A common factor and the key to their success remains education. It consistently determines the status of almost every development outcome, from health to economic growth, democracy and equality.
“At Feenix, access for all, diversity and collaboration are core to who we are. We believe equity and equality will only happen when we, as women and men, are resolutely dedicated to changing the status quo. We believe that this is the era of change, and it’s happening now,” De Beer concluded.
