By Tanya Olckers
Despite being more educated than their male counterparts, young women face lower employment rates and greater barriers in entrance into the labour force.
On 21 August, a group of women met in Parktown to discuss the reality that many young South African women face in entering the workforce. This was a vital conversation, and certainly one that has to penetrate beyond the walls of a well-lit boardroom.
The Harambee Breaking Barriers Quarterly Report offers a sobering look at the state of employment for youth, and young women in particular, in South Africa. The employment rate as it currently stands in the country reflects that 57% of young women are without jobs compared to 49% for young men.
This comes as women in South Africa are 10% more likely to pass matric than their male counterparts, and 70% more likely to have a degree. Despite being more educated, they still experience low employment rates, higher barriers to labour market entry, and, when they do find jobs, will be paid 6% less than men in the same job.
What we are also seeing in South Africa is that women are employed in low-skilled work more often than men. The sectors where more women are employed in are predominantly community, social and personal services sectors. And when it comes to medium skilled jobs, these are the ones that are most threatened by automation and AI.
The global business sector (GBS) is showing high growth, with an emphasis on hiring women. This is not something that has happened by accident: the sector has used targeted incentive structures to drive up the recruitment of women.
The obstacles that young women face to enter the workforce are many. Transport and data costs are high, they may not have time to actively look for work if they are covering service responsibilities (cooking, cleaning) at home, the cost of childcare while they search for jobs and things such as not having a driver’s license can compound the search for work.
What’s more is that women in urban settings could stand a higher chance of getting work than women living in rural areas. Women who are pregnant do not have much luck with jobs at all. Client or employer bias may also play a part as we have seen with women making inroads in the plumbing sector. Some clients or employers may doubt a woman’s ability to do what has been traditionally seen as “a man’s job”. This in turn casts doubt on the woman refrigeration contractor which ultimately could impact self-esteem.
All of this, and we’ve not even hit the wage disparities between men and women yet.
Essentially, it appears that women lack the very support that they provide for men so that the men can look for work or simply continue working.
Women have lower levels of employment, lower labour absorption and a consistently higher unemployment rate than men. So, what is the solution?
First of all, it’s important to remember that this is not a situation which will magically transform overnight. There needs to be buy-in from society, employers and learning institutions, something that BluLever Education is currently doing with helping young women get a foothold in trades such as HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing and electrical.
Staffing solutions group, Shortlist, conducted some research into gender gaps and green economy. Their recommendation is to include language such as “women are encouraged to apply” in job advertisements, as this is seen to boost women application rates. Trimming down job requirements to just the most important qualifications can also encourage women to apply for roles.
Agriculture has seen a growth in the number of young women participating over the last decade. Initiatives such as those put in place by organisations such as Harambee, BluLever and Kreishandwerkerschaft also contribute to creating pathways for women – especially young women – to start their journey in the working world.
However helpful these initiatives are, or how encouraging various incentives can be, the obstacles do remain, with an enormous amount of work needed to completely clear a path for women to take their rightful places in the working community. This is not a topic for just one conversation, nor is it a topic for one group to engage in. This is a fundamental issue that needs to be on the mind of every CEO, director, manager, HR representative and, indeed, every employer and workplace in the country.
Yes, government does have a role to play in helping women overcome their challenges. Elders and extended family can certainly help as well when it comes to practical issues such as childcare and housework. What is clear, is that this disparity is not going to change with just one element in the change being tweaked. It requires a systematic overhaul of outdated work models and attitudes, as well as a willingness to provide the right kind of support to young women.