Isms, Schisms and Gender Divisions
 

​​Isms, Schisms and Gender Divisions

This women's day we have decided to do a quick comparison on women’s work opportunities between Italy and South Africa. While both countries have constitutions which enshrine gender equality and policies which promote female participation in the economy, cultural and structural dynamics remain in both countries which mean that gender remains an important issue to understand, including in the workplace.

One major indicator is the gender pay gap. In South Africa this pay gap is increasing, especially amongst the lowest and the highest earners in the economy. While in 2008, women earned 89 cents for every rand earned by male counterparts, in 2021 this amount had decreased to 78 cents per rand, meaning that South Africa’s gender pay gap is currently about 22%.

Italy’s gender pay gap of 8.7% has also widened over the last few years, albeit with less alarming intensity than South Africa’s. Italy also does not have as severe a pay gap when comparing it with other OECD countries like the USA, France and Germany. The pay gap is driven by a series of factors, including the fact that women - who continue to play a leading role in homemaking and caregiving - often seek part-time, instead of full-time, work.
Around 32% of women in Italy work part-time, often due to limited childcare services and societal expectations prioritizing family responsibilities. However, Italy has introduced policies to promote gender equality, such as the National Plan for Gender Equality 2021-2026, which aims to close the pay gap and encourage women's participation in STEM fields .

Meanwhile, Employment Equity Act aims to promote workplace diversity and equality, and women are increasingly represented in various sectors, including mining and finance. Entrepreneurial opportunities are also growing, with initiatives such as the SheTradesZA hub supporting women-owned businesses.

However, alongside these reasons for gender imbalances in the workplace and the efforts being made to ameliorate unjustified inequities, there are also less palatable facts including that in South Africa only a third of management positions are held by women and that even in the same job, women earn less than their counterparts. In Italy, women's labour force participation rate is around 56%, significantly lower than the European Union average of 67%. In South Africa, women’s labour force participation rate stands at 50%. South Africa’s lower number should however be understood within a context of much higher unemployment and thus lower overall participation rate. In comparison to the 50% participation rate of women, men’s labour force participation is 66% in South Africa

Women in South Africa face significant challenges, including a high rate of gender-based violence (also receiving significant public attention in Italy) and limited access to education and training. Despite these obstacles strides have been achieved towards levelling the playing fields. For example the public service’s percentage of women in senior management increased from 13% in 1998 to a present figure of 42%.

This Women’s Day we collectively draw our attention to how our two countries continue to strive towards improving women's work opportunities, yet systemic barriers and cultural norms remain persistent obstacles. We would like to wish all a peaceful break tomorrow and urge everyone to take up the cause of promoting equal access to opportunities for all.