๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐งโ๐ฌ ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐.
๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐งโ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค.
๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐, ๐จ๐๐ญ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ.
Bias is a natural mental shortcut we all have and is shaped by our experiences, environments and cultures. It can be unconscious or overt, and in the workplace, it often shows up in subtle yet powerful ways: who gets hired, who gets promoted, who gets heard in meetings or who is overlooked.
More often than not, women and marginalised individuals pay the price.
Despite all the corporate talk of diversity and inclusion, the numbers tell a different story. The employment and pay gaps between men and women in South Africa remain stark, and the so-called commitment to
equity is often more about compliance than change.
Workplace diversity is legally mandated in South Africa, and many organisations tend to focus on ticking boxes rather than transforming cultures. The employment rate reflects this imbalance: men are still significantly more employed than women with rates sitting at
48% and 37% respectively.
For the women who are employed, gender bias remains a daily reality. One of the most visible manifestations is the persistent gender pay gap. Women in South Africa earn, on average,
12% less than their male counterparts for the same work.
Beyond pay, women regularly face microaggressions: being interrupted or spoken over, having their competence questioned, or being sidelined for leadership roles based on outdated gender assumptions.
These biases donโt just affect individual experiences, they shape entire systems. They influence hiring practices, leadership pipelines, team dynamics and workplace culture. In turn, this influences who gets a seat at the table and whose voice is valued when decisions are made.
