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Interventions to promote gender equality in the mining sector of South Africa
Abstract
This research study explored workplace challenges that women in the South African mining sector still face despite progressive gender sensitive regulations. The purpose of the research was to come up with evidence-based recommendations on how to promote sustainable gender equality in South Africa's mining sector. A survey approach was used for the research, with a total of 2 365 women working in the mining sector being interviewed. The main challenge faced by the women was lack of career progress followed by discrimination in decision making and in remuneration. Women attributed these challenges to their immediate supervisors and company policies. A key lesson from the research was that legislation can be a useful tool in mitigating workplace challenges for women and reducing gender inequality in the mining sector but it is not a sufficient intervention. The study recommends that deliberate steps should be taken to facilitate and impart skills to women that they need to progress up the employment level hierarchy. This should be done while at the same time opening up opportunities of higher responsibilities for women to hold.
... Quantitative studies are comparatively rare (8 articles) and mainly consist of surveys directed towards mining employees in specific contexts (such as organization/country) (cf. Kaggwa, 2020) or the use of existing aggregated statistical data, such as those provided by national statistical governmental agencies or the ILO (cf. Atakhanova and Howie, 2022). ...
... Grossman and Gullo, 2022) Sector studies predominantly focus on national and international contexts or the major mining industries within a region or nation. In part, they share the same focus as many workplace studies, investigating women's experience of working in masculine mining organizations and the various challenges and barriers women encounter (see, for example Baruah and Biskupski-Mujanovic, 2021;Kaggwa, 2020). Their aim is predominantly explorative and/or cumulative, using statistical data, closed-and open-ended questionnaires or interviews to understand the various challenges and barriers women face in their work and the extent/regularity of certain phenomena (such as sexual harassment, wage disparities, and discrimination) (see, for example Kansake et al., 2021;Baruah and Biskupski-Mujanovic, 2021). ...
... The study concludes that the discriminatory structures facing women are visible in wage disparities, insufficient support in relation to family leave and situations where prejudice and discrimination against women subtly and overtly impact careers and the possibility of reaching top positions in the organizational hierarchy. Similarly, the impact of gender barriers in a South African mining context is explored by Kaggwa (2020), who concludes that the main challenge faced by women is a lack of career progress, discrimination in decision procedures and remuneration. Exploring the perceptions of barriers amongst women in mining in Africa, Kansake et al. (2021) find a high level of dissatisfaction amongst female stakeholders in African mining organizations due to the prevalence of harassment, income disparities, gender-based discrimination, unclear career paths and unsupportive work colleagues. ...
This article reviews the expanding research field of gender in industrial mine work and organizations. The findings show that the literature provides nuanced insights into the prevalence of men and masculinities in industrial mine work as related to masculine mining ideals and patriarchal family structures, gendered practices and processes within mining organizations, the strategies of marginalized identities, and counterproductive attempts to increase equality and diversity in mining. Signs of potential change were also identified in the form of empowered women in mining and alternative mining masculinities. Articles focused on women and mining in specific organizations and national contexts dominate the field, with a more heterogeneous array of articles that empirically and theoretically expand on the earlier literature. Few studies elaborate on intersectionality, various forms of masculinity and the doing of gender within various professions and occupations in mining organizations. Future research should expand the theoretical framework of gender in mining organizations and broaden its empirical base through comparative approaches, quantitative and mixed methodologies, and a renewed focus on the dominant group in mining organizations, i.e., men.
... Resources Policy 70 (2021) 101962 homemakers, and as dependents on males (Pugliese, 2020). Kaggwa (2020) also revealed that gender disparity in the mining sector of South Africa is being accentuated by unsupportive supervisors and unfavorable company policies. This leads to career stagnation, and discrimination and remuneration imbalance towards women. ...
... These groups seek to undertake training, mentorship, networking, and research to attract more women to the industry and retain those already working there (Sakyi-Addo, 2019). Studies such as Lauwo (2018), Pugliese (2020), Perks and Schulz (2020), and Kaggwa (2020), have also suggested gender policies and regulations reforms to encourage diversity and promote gender balance in the mining industry. Further, some mining companies are also committed to integrating gender equality, inclusion, and women's economic empowerment into aspects of their operations (Macdonald, 2017). ...
... Rickard et al. (2017) stated socio-cultural reasons and gender stereotyping as reasons for the low participation of women in large-scale mining. In South Africa, Kaggwa (2020) observed that despite the progressive gender sensitive regulations in the mining sector, women encounter challenges such lack of career progress, and discrimination in decision making and remuneration. Even though progressive efforts are being made to promote gender balance and inclusion in the mining industry, the aforementioned challenges still prevail. ...
The global mining industry is male dominated. In the US, women constitute 13% of the mining workforce and 16% of mining related college programs. Similar trends exist globally. Efforts are being made by educational institutions, mining companies and professional organizations to attract women to the industry to achieve a gender inclusive industry. Such efforts have yielded minimal dividends partly due to insufficient reliable data on challenges confronting female miners. To provide empirical data to guide such efforts, we undertook a survey to understand the reasons for low female participation in the industry with participants from Ghana, USA, Ireland, Canada and other countries. The survey sought to identify challenges faced by female mining stakeholders and availability of support facilities for handling these challenges. Open and closed ended questionnaires were administered through online platforms. The responses were analyzed quantitatively using summary statistics and qualitatively using thematic analysis. About 38% of the respondents expressed satisfaction with their current jobs. The high dissatisfaction rate stems from lower salaries compared to male counterparts (29%), gender-based discrimination (53%), sexual harassment (37%) and sexual demands during hiring (17%). The key hindrances to a gender inclusive mining sector have been grouped into seven themes including discrimination, harassment, gender ideologies, and lack of support. We propose a four-way mind map model requiring commitment from government, companies, chambers of mines, and employees to ensure a gender inclusive mining industry.
... Women in mining suffer career barriers (cf. Bryant and Jaworski 2012;Chinga 2020;Heimann et al. 2023), unequal pay (Valadares et al. 2022;Kaggwa 2020;Ledwaba and Nkomo 2021) and hostile work environments (Kansake et al. 2021;Perks et al. 2021) while work continues to be organized according to an ideal of the male worker in terms of shift work, fly in/fly out localities and physical requirements attuned to a male body (cf. Mazer et al. 2022;Eveline and Booth 2002). ...
... Retention of women in mining also seem to be affected by wage inequity (Valadares et al. 2022;Kaggwa 2020;Ledwaba and Nkomo 2021) as well as hostile work environments, rather than hazardous physical environments, where male colleagues' subjects women to sexual harassment or even sexual violence (Kansake et al. 2021;Perks et al. 2021). Sexism and sexual harassment in the natural resource industry in Canada are described as rampant in fieldwork and mining operations, in comparison to office-work (Baruah and Biskupski-Mujanovic 2021) Similarly, sexual harassment impeding women's working life is described in Australian, South African, Swedish and Chilean contexts (Eveline and Booth 2002;Kansake et al. 2021;Ringblom 2022;Salinas & Romani 2014)(see below). ...
Questions of how the mining industry can address gender imbalance and inequality are recurring and increasing across the sector. Neglecting how gender affects organizational processes, work environment and work, risks reproducing, rather than transforming the organizational culture and processes that uphold masculine culture and male domination in the industry. The aim of the article is to give research-based suggestions to the industry - companies and policy-makers - on how the results of gender perspectives in research on mining organizations can contribute to inclusive and innovative work environments, organizational cultures and processes in mining. Based on an extensive review of previous research on gender in mining, the study concludes that possible transformative change, through new technology and new forms of organization, may enable organizations to shift the gendered structure of mining. A shift toward automated mines and increase of industrial mining due to the demands of the green transition will lead to new types of jobs and new forms of organizing mining work. Within these changes lies a possibility to transform gendered structures in mining.
... As noted by Zárate (2020), the primary conflict women encounter relates to their self-fulfillment, a situation reflected in the present analysis since the aspect that received the highest weight was related to the sacrifice of personal aspects due to working in the mining sector. That is, there is a feeling among the women surveyed that their work in the mining sector may be limiting their ability to reach their full personal and professional potential, which coincides with Kaggwa (2020), who details that women face very significant challenges, such as career development and growth and discrimination in the management structure, as well as a marked wage gap in relation to the opposite gender. Similarly, Pactwa (2019) mentions that the mining sector remains highly masculinized, which limits or obstructs job opportunities for women who have studied in STEM miningrelated fields. ...
Labor dynamics have changed in recent years, and women have increased their participation in various activities within the production and business industries. One of these sectors is mining, which presents both challenges and opportunities to promote gender equality and decent work. In light of this, the objective of the present study is to identify the limitations faced by women in the mining sector, framed within personal, family, social, and labor aspects, in relation to their educational level. Due to the nature of the study, a cross-sectional, descriptive, and non-experimental investigation was proposed. The sample consisted of more than 50 companies distributed throughout the Mexican Republic, with a total of 316 female workers in the mining sector. The main results show greater limitations in labor and family aspects. Moreover, educational levels directly affect how women perceive the impact of working in mining on the various areas in which they operate.
... While men continue to receive a disproportionate share of the economic benefits, women bear the negative effects of mining (Mercier, 2011). Together with the structural issues of unfair social norms and attitudes, the social belief systems, and cultural and religious practices in patriarchal societies tend to exclude women from participating in the main activities of ASM (Kaggwa, 2020) and therefore, women's economic opportunities in ASM are limited, and their voices are muted. Labour dynamics, for example, can be the basis for exploitation due to the power imbalance experienced by women miners (Rushemuka and Côte, 2024). ...
... This was seen through lower pay for women or the pattern of gender and age inequality in employment status at a South African mine (Boihang and Yessoufou, 2022). Other indicators of marginalization ranged from a lack of career advancement opportunities (Kaggwa, 2020) to the toxic masculinity experienced by women at LSM sites, lack of support from management and lack of flexible working arrangements for women who were parents or caregivers (Mkhatshwa and Genc, 2022). All these led to fewer women joining the LSM workforce and or advancing to senior/top management and well-paid positions. ...
... The limited employment opportunities for female-headed households were due to their childcare responsibilities and the lack of suitable accommodation for family members in the mining sector. This conclusion aligns with the findings of Kaggwa [25], Kotsadam and Tolonen [27], and Pugliese [37], which highlighted the challenges faced by women and female-headed households in the mining sector, impeding gender equality. Additionally, Fitawek and Hendriks [19] stated that members of male-headed households had a higher chance of securing local employment through rural investments in developing countries. ...
... However, it is worth noting that women had multiple identities and opportunities to have a voice. Most of the women research participants were identified using other categories, for example, they were identified as mothers/parents (Hilson, 2012;Metta et al., 2023), artisanal miners (Munir, 2022;Serwajja and Mukwaya, 2020), LSM employees (Botha et al., 2012;Kaggwa, 2020), traders (Andrews et al., 2022), or gemstone or mineral traders (Bashwira and Cuvelier, 2019; Lawson and Lahiri-Dutt, 2020). They reported the loss of income amongst PWDs. ...
... Due to their disproportionate participation in the food production and caregiving sectors, women are particularly vulnerable to environmental degradation (Buss et al., 2021;Zolnikov, 2020). In contrast, it is observing that mining activities in the Global North are subject to more rigorous regulations and exhibit superior enforcement mechanisms, encompassing environmental regulations as well as safeguards for the well-being of workers (Kaggwa, 2020). In the Global South, it is commonly observing that women tend to be inadequately represented in positions of leadership and decision-making authority, both within the mining industry itself and in the governmental bodies responsible for overseeing mining operations (Crespí-Lloréns et al., 2021;Xia et al., 2019). ...
Research on “Gender and Mining” is growing significantly over the past few decades, reflecting a rising awareness of the significance of gender dynamics in the mining industry. This study aims to fill knowledge gaps by examining how gender diversity in the mining industry influences gender relations and gender equality, by analyzing the potential for gender-sensitive policy formulation in the mining industry and its implications for achieving gender equality (SDG 5) and decent work and economic growth (SDG 8). The paper employs a review research methodology to investigate and evaluate a total of 250 articles retrieved from the SCOPUS database, spanning the years 1956 to 2023. The study’s findings suggest a proposed conceptual framework that elucidates the significance of gender-sensitive policy formulation in the mining industry, highlighting the importance of gender diversity across the industry and the promotion of gender dynamics and social justice with a focus on seven key themes. These initiatives can result in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 8. The study concludes by providing broad-level implications for researchers, policymakers, stakeholders, and practitioners.
... The emergence and upsurge of violence and conflict in the small scale mining sector has gained traction over the past decade. Though artisanal small scale mining has some economic benefits, there are reports that violence against women miners are on the rise and men are accused for being perpetrators one way or the other (Kaggwa, 2019). The resource conflict over mining proceeds has some gender dimensions that need to be interrogated. ...
This study sought to understand how ordinary villagers in the artisanal mining areas of Insiza District, where Emthonjeni Women's Forum implemented a program titled 'Women as strategic partners in peacebuilding', are affected by the violence and conflicts emanating from the illegal and artisanal mining in the proximities of their villages. The project sought to strengthen resilience, social cohesion and women's security in socio economic and political conflict as well as strengthening knowledge of local women and traditional leaders on the referral pathways of addressing GBV, including the strengthening of stakeholder coordination in conflict mitigation, transformation and resolution. While men, boys, girls and women all experience violence in varying degrees, it was found that women feel the effects of violence and conflict the most as they experience it as direct victims, and vicariously when their husbands or sons participate in violent activities. This is because they bring their troubles home to the wives or mothers who often have to address the problems or live with the consequences of the men's actions. Gender is often one of the key determinants of what social spaces and opportunities might be available or not available to society or family. Therefore, people's vulnerability is shaped by their gender although other factors may also contribute to it. Most societies are constructed in such a way that women and children have the least power and natural rights and are therefore regarded as weak and powerless. They are especially vulnerable to violence as they are often unable to defend themselves or outrun perpetrators of violence. Lawlessness and violence in wards one and two of Insiza District, as in most parts of the country, are driven mostly by groups of armed young men-often 'outsiders', those who are not ordinarily residents of the two wards or from Insiza in general, who appear to act with impunity.
... Despite progress made since the end of Apartheid, poverty levels remain high, with a large portion of the population living in poverty or facing extreme economic hardships (Singh & Chudasama, 2020). Several studies have confirmed that poverty has remained high since independence (Gumede, 2019;Jansen et al., 2015;Kaggwa, 2020). Statistics South Africa (2017) also carried out a review of non-money metric poverty dimensions and inequality. ...
Background: Efficient service delivery has been one of the top priorities of the new democratic government in SouthAfrica since 1994. The government created a three-tier government system: national, provincial, and local government.This was meant to improve service delivery by decentralizing the provision of services. Objective: The study examinesthe decentralization process and the challenges South African municipalities face regarding service delivery. Setting:South African municipalities. Methods: This article uses content analysis. The documents identified for review andanalysis include municipal reports, journals, textbooks, newspapers, and various policy documents that document thedecentralization process in South African municipalities. Results: The study shows that human resource challenges,poor financial management systems, corruption, and maladministration are among the major causes of poor servicedelivery in South African municipalities. Conclusions: The study concludes that human ills are at the center of thefailures exhibited by South African municipalities. To be functional and to provide quality services, municipalities mustaim to increase community participation, adopt good leadership styles, and hire qualified personnel. Contribution:The study proposes strategies through which the factors that inhibit the provision of quality services can be addresse
(12) (PDF) Complexities of Service Delivery in South African Municipalities: The Diagnostic Potential of Decentralization. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377216793_Complexities_of_Service_Delivery_in_South_African_Municipalities_The_Diagnostic_Potential_of_Decentralization [accessed Jan 31 2024].
... Women are required to possess the skills that could help them progress in their careers. 24 Mosomi used the Post-Apartheid Labour Market Series data for the years 1993 to 2015 to examine how the gender pay gap evolved in South Africa. 25 The study determined that at 23% to 35%, the median pay gap between men and women was significant. ...
This study unveils the role of gender issues in the professional advancement of women in learning institutions. The study investigated the status of women’s professional advancement in South African learning institutions and identified the obstacles encountered by women in advancing professionally in these institutions. The study examined the work environment in learning institutions when women are in leadership positions and discussed male employees’ perceptions of female colleagues and superiors. The research used a primary data-gathering technique and a qualitative data-collection tool in a descriptive research strategy under the interpretivist research philosophy. The study’s target population included both women and men in learning institutions in South Africa. The participants were chosen for interviews using the purposive sampling technique. Following the thematic analysis approach, the findings revealed that there are several opportunities for women to progress in their careers at South African educational institutions, as well as several leadership roles. They are also given increased trust and responsibility. Some participants believed that there are no barriers that prevent women from advancing professionally in educational institutions whereas others believed that existing barriers are primarily caused by individual issues, a lack of support, cultural issues, and concerns about sexual misconduct. When women are in positions of leadership, the perception of the workplace atmosphere is equivocal. While certain participants felt that jealousy made the workplace hostile, others believed that the environment was inviting and provided opportunities for female employees to advance. Finally, it was indicated that the paradigm for empowering women in South Africa must emphasise seizing chances, providing a guiding structure, recognising efforts and successes, and eliminating patriarchy. This study contributes to the existing discourse on the role of gender in the career advancement of women. Keywords: Gender Equality, Inequality, Learning Institutions, Women’s Professional Advancement, Gender Roles
... Their results indicated that even with the adoption of industry 4.0 technologies, non-technical factors such as public policies, gender stereotyping, and norms remain prevalent and hinder the participation and retention of women in the mining workforce. Other authors have identified similar challenges, such as gender roles (Pugliese, 2020), lack of career advancement, gender bias, wage disparity (Kaggwa, 2020), discriminatory labor legislations, lack of safety gear, mining equipment, and sanitary facilities (Perks and Schulz, 2020), hazardous work conditions, security concerns, remote worksites, and gender-based violence (Kansake et al., 2021) as contributing factors. However, previous studies on workplace culture do not associate identified challenges with the degree of gender segregation in the mining industry. ...
This research aims to test the hypothesis that the low retention rate of women in the mining industry is caused by workplace culture and policies established due to gender segregation. A quasi-experiment is developed to determine the cause-and-effect relationship between gender segregation-inspired culture and the retention of women. The experiment considers the impact of the job type and the operational environment. The analysis provides information on factors that cause low retention of women in the industry, the extent to which gender segregation plays a role, and insights that allow actionable and measurable changes in the industry.
... Their results indicated that even with the adoption of industry 4.0 technologies, non-technical factors such as public policies, gender stereotyping, and norms remain prevalent and hinder the participation and retention of women in the mining workforce. Other authors have identified similar challenges, such as gender roles (Pugliese, 2020), lack of career advancement, gender bias, wage disparity (Kaggwa, 2020), discriminatory labor legislations, lack of safety gear, mining equipment, and sanitary facilities (Perks and Schulz, 2020), hazardous work conditions, security concerns, remote worksites, and gender-based violence (Kansake et al., 2021) as contributing factors. However, previous studies on workplace culture do not associate identified challenges with the degree of gender segregation in the mining industry. ...
This research aims to test the hypothesis that the low retention rate of women in the mining industry is caused by workplace culture and policies established due to gender segregation. A quasi-experiment is developed to determine the cause-and-effect relationship between gender segregation-inspired culture and the retention of women. The experiment considers the impact of the job type and the operational environment. The analysis provides information on factors that cause low retention of women in the industry, the extent to which gender segregation plays a role, and insights that allow actionable and measurable changes in the industry.
... While attention to mining's impacts on women as workers has increased in recent years (Lahiri-Dutt 2022), this area remains understudied. In particular, detailed empirical research on industrial mining's local employment benefits remains somewhat scarce (Caron and Asselin 2020;Cox and Mills 2015;Kaggwa 2020;Parmenter and Barnes 2021;Salomon 2015). Research on women mineworkers in the Global South often focuses on artisanal and small-scale mining (Jenkins 2014; c.f. Kotsadam and Tolonen 2016), where women are employed in much higher numbers (up to one third globally, according to a 2002 estimate from Hilson) and face greater health and safety risks and a general lack of regulation and protection, relative to the industrial mining sector. ...
This paper compares Inuit and Kanak women's participation in nickel mining employment in Canada and New Caledonia through a focused examination of three nickel mines: two in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada and one in the Northern Province of New Caledonia. Since the recent construction of two new nickel refineries, New Caledonia has experienced a dramatic feminization of its mining workforce across traditional mining employment and service-related employment. In Canada, meanwhile, despite targeted efforts by industry and community organizations to facilitate Inuit women's entry into nickel mining, women's participation in mining remains relatively low and stagnant. This paper first presents a comparison of employment data at all three mines to illustrate the dramatic divergences in demographic composition of the workforces. Second, drawing on interviews with key informants and historical context, we explore key factors that explain this divergence in Indigenous women's employment. We argue that Kanak women's access to mining employment is enabled by, one, the central place of mining in Kanak struggles for self-determination and, two, the daily commuting structure at the mine. In Nunavik, by contrast, limited Inuit control over mining development and the fly-in fly-out employment structure limit Inuit women's access to mining jobs. Despite these divergences, however, Indigenous women in both contexts face gendered expectations related to social reproduction that pose logistical and social barriers to their long-term participation in the industry.
... Other scholars have also used FPE to examine women's contribution to small-scale mining and sustainable rural livelihoods in Latin America [31], Asia [32,33] and Africa [34,35]. These scholars found that women are disadvantaged in decision-making processes and negotiations of land tenureship and sharing of royalties emanating from resource extraction. ...
Oil and gas discovery in Ghana since 2007 has attracted the interest of many international and local actors, including transnational corporations. Despite an expected ‘oil boom’, the industry has perpetuated exclusion and poverty in communities in the neighbourhood of extractive activities in a manner that is particularly gendered, which is a reflection of the enclaved and exclusionary nature of the industry. This paper employs the theoretical framing of feminist political ecology to examine the gendered disparities in the sharing of benefits and access to coping mechanisms. The paper relies on data from fieldwork conducted in Ghana in 2019 to explore how the power and agency of varying stakeholders result in differentiated impacts of the hydrocarbon industry on communities. We present evidence suggesting that gendered inequalities – which are further sustained by entrenched local cultural practices and norms – determine who has access to, manages, and uses resources in a particular context. Considering that the gendered and intersectional impacts of mainstream economies remain poorly understood, this paper contributes to the existing scholarship on both the outcomes of Ghana's hydrocarbon industry and feminist political ecology theorizing.
... So far, women workers are underrepresented in the mining sector. A large number of studies addresses gender equity issues in the mining sector (see e.g., Eftimi et al., 2009;Johansson and Ringblom, 2017;Kaggwa, 2020;Reeson et al., 2012). According to Botha (2016), cases of sexual abuse and harassment are still prevalent in this sector. ...
Several European countries plan to phase out coal-fired power plants in order to reach their greenhouse gas abatement targets. Additionally, the phase-out will bring about so-called ancillary effects or co-effects. In our study, we focus on the co-effects induced in the countries that export coal to Europe. Furthermore, we examine the ancillary effects imposed on China as a major supplier of technologies (like solar energy technologies) that will replace coal-fired power plants. Using a combination of an input-output model, econometric analysis and employing the concept of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, we assess impacts of coal phase-out policies on environmental, economic, and societal dimensions. Our results show that despite negative impacts on income and employment in coal-exporting countries, a phase-out of coal-fired power plants is linked with multiple positive effects. In particular, we observe improvements in water management and biodiversity conservation, reduced release of pollutants, and improvements on a societal level. However, even if we consider a reduction in the use of coal in the European steel production sector as an additional challenge, these positive impacts on coal exporting countries remain rather small. The same applies to the effects we observe for China.
... More recently, Kaggwa (2020) used a survey approach to analyse gender equality in the mining sector and finds that women suffered more discrimination compared to men. In addition, Kaggwa (2020) also finds that the main challenge faced by women was the lack of participation in decision making process and career progress. This confirms gender inequality as well as the inequality of opportunities between men and women. ...
There are many questions related to poverty in South Africa that remain unsatisfactorily answered. Given the poor performance of the South African economy, including declining per capita incomes and increasing unemployment, since 2010 or so, it is important to examine poverty dynamics in the recent years. Many recent studies in this regard have relied on 2015 data, and do not examine all the three interrelated aspects of wellbeing viz. poverty, human development and inequality. In this context, this paper uses all the five waves of the National Income Dynamics Study and employs different poverty and inequality measurement techniques to investigate poverty dynamics, human development and inequality during the post-apartheid period in South Africa. The estimates suggest that although poverty was declining prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the African/Black population group is the most affected by poverty. The phenomenon of feminisation of poverty is also verified based on the evidence of increasingly more women in poverty than men. The proportion of population experiencing multiple deprivations , measured by the Multidimensional Poverty Index, have not changed in the post-apartheid period. Similarly, human development has not improved during this period. South African society continues to be one of the most unequal societies in the world. The paper argues that the inability to sufficiently reduce poverty, unemployment and inequality results from the weak performance of the South African economy. In the same vein, it is the structure of the South African economy that has kept the levels of human development low and income inequality high.
... Extractive industries have played a vital role in promoting economic development by providing resource inputs to the industries to produce commodity products and export them to the foreign market [1]. More than 60% of the women in abundant resource economies directly contact the resource market and depend upon it to satisfy their families' basic needs [2]. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is no exception, and is endowed with natural resources, including mineral resources, gas, and oil reserves used to export as primary goods and balance its national account [3]. ...
Women have a right to excel in all spheres of activity. However, their roles are mainly confined in the resource extraction industry due to masculinity bias. African women are considered exemplary cases where women have low access to finance and economic opportunities to progress in the natural resource industry. This study examines the role of women’s autonomy in mineral resource extraction by controlling ecological footprints, financial development, environmental degradation, economic growth, and changes in the general price level in the Democratic Republic of the Congo data from 1975–2019. The autoregressive distributed lag estimates show that in the short-run, women’s autonomy decreases mineral resource rents; however, this result disappears in the long-run and the positive role of women’s autonomy in increasing resource capital is confirmed. Ecological footprints are in jeopardy from saving mineral resources both in the short- and long-term. Financial development negatively impacts mineral resource rents, while women’s access to finance supports the mineral resource agenda. The positive role of women in environmental protection has led to increased mineral resource rents in the short- and long-term. Women’s social and economic autonomy increases mineral resource rents in the short-term, while it has evaporated in the long-term. The Granger causality has confirmed the unidirectional linkages running from women’s green ecological footprints, access to finance, and women participating in environmental protection to mineral resource rents in a country. The variance decomposition analysis has shown that women’s economic autonomy and access to finance will exert more significant variance shocks to mineral resource rents over the next ten years’ period. The results conclude the positive role of women’s freedom in the mineral resource sustainability agenda. Thus, there is a high need to authorize women through access to finance and economic decisions to restore natural resource capital nationwide.
... The effect was felt in South Africa too. South African legislation prevented women from working underground up to 1996 (Kaggwa, 2020). Although there are now equal political rights and economic access for all women, the historical legacy remains. ...
The social aspects of mine closure remain a challenge to the mining industry. Its tendency to deal with problems towards the end of a mine’s life cycle, rather than planning for them from the start, is partly responsible for the gendered impact of mine closure. Using documentary evidence, the literature on how mining affects women, and
the history of discrimination against black women in South Africa, we examine South African policy on women in mining and how mine closure affects them. The paper contributes towards a more nuanced understanding of the social aspects of mine closure. We recommend a more comprehensive policy focus on the local and regional social consequences of mine closure for women.
... To analyse their experiences, I consult the extensive corpus of research on women in the industrial extractive sector elsewhere in the world. More specifically, I draw on this literature to discern parallels and divergences with specific case studies in other countries (Benya, 2016;Lahiri-Dutt, 2006a, 2006bKaggwa, 2020;Rolston, 2014), and to contextualise my findings within broader overview studies identifying global challenges that women in industrial mining are confronted with (Eftimie et al., 2009;Jenkins, 2014; Lahiri-Dutt, 2012; Perks and Schulz, 2020). Ultimately, I show how specific companies' practices, together with other elements as well, linked to the different situations of the women (social and economic background, family support, level of education, marital status and roles within the couple), to the country's features (market conditions, legislation and gender diversity policies, wider beliefs and stereotypes) or to global expectations on women (the essentialist perception on female technical incompetence or, on the contrary, greater reliability), play a role in individual choices and life stories. ...
Mining companies of the past and present have promoted specific roles for men and women through their management practices. In DR Congo, first colonial and then state-owned companies naturalised the role of men as employees and breadwinners. At the same time, women were assigned responsibility for reproduction and were understood as being financially dependent on men's salary, either that of their fathers or husbands. By contrast, some LSM (large-scale mining) companies today support gender equality programmes, mainly to improve their corporate reputation. Drawing on the literature on women in the industrial extractive sector elsewhere in the world, I show how these discourses and processes continue to produce Congolese Copperbelt mines as masculine spaces at different levels. I then move to the ethnographic component of the paper by arguing that new investors’ gender practices and equality policies are not easily implemented in the area. On the contrary, they have to confront a region marked by the paternalistic social policies of mining companies in the past, which have entrenched a certain gender hegemony. Through the biographies of different women involved in the industrial mining sector past and present, I show the effects of mining companies’ policies on gender roles in Haut-Katanga Province.
... Hilson et al., 2017;O'Faircheallaigh and Corbett, 2016), although we purposely focused only on LSM studies. A major proportion of those were studies on rural communities in Asia (Behzadi, 2019; work by Lahiri-Dutt in multiple years; Grobmann et al., 2017;Mukherjee, 2014); Africa (Akiwumi, 2011;Kaggwa, 2019;Kotsadam and Tolonen, 2016); and Oceania (Lozeva and Marinova, 2010;Mayes and Pini, 2014), with fewer empirical contributions in Latin America (Brain, 2017;Himley, 2011). FPE analyses of LSM effects on livelihoods found, among other things: (1) women's disadvantage in negotiations between mining companies and land tenure-related communal organizations; (2) undermining of women's roles as food and clean water providers due to environmental impacts and/or work overload when they participate in LSM; and (3) gender inequities in wages, working conditions, and career advancement in mining jobs (Lozeva and Marinova, 2010). ...
Women’s participation in large-scale mining (LSM) has been increasing in Mexico and worldwide; however, few comprehensive studies exist on the socioeconomic effects of mining on women depending on the specific roles they play in this activity. The objective of this study was to analyze, from a feminist political ecology perspective, the effects of mining on women in a rural community in Sonora State, in arid northwest Mexico, a region with important participation of LSM in the country. For this purpose, we developed a mixed methods approach combining literature review on gender and LSM, semistructured in-depth interviews, and analysis of secondary government data. Most literature on women and mining treats them conceptually as a homogeneous social group or focuses on only one role women play in mining. We address this gap by identifying several roles women can play in their interactions with the mining sector and then analyzing and comparing the effects of mining associated with these distinctive roles. In doing so, we unravel the gendered complexities of mining and highlight the socioecological contradictions embedded in these dynamics for individual women who are faced with significant trade-offs. Mining can provide economic and professional opportunities for women of varying educational and socioeconomic levels in otherwise impoverished and landless rural households. At the same time, women are unable to, as one interviewee phrased it, “break the glass ceiling even if using a miner’s helmet,” especially in managerial positions. Extraction of natural resources in the community is accompanied by the extraction of social capital and personal lives of miners. We give voice to the social–ecological contradictions lived by women in these multiple roles and offer potential insights both for addressing gender-based inequities in mining and for avenues toward collective action and empowerment.
... There is no doubt that the participation of women in this study would have strengthened the findings of this thesis more so as the literature has shown that women experience the consequences of resource extraction differently from men (Jayasinghe and Ezpeleta 2019, Kaggwa 2019, Lahiri-dutt 2008, Reeson, Measham, and Hosking 2012, Sharma 2010). This may suggest that the limited participation of women in this study may throw conclusions drawn from this study in doubt. ...
Managing natural resources continues to be a major challenge in resource-rich developing countries. This has produced a rich scholarly literature examining the paradox between resource endowments and negative socio-economic outcomes, commonly referred to as the resource curse. There seems to be a consensus that the core problem is one of poor resource governance. If resource governance can be improved, it might be possible to minimise or avoid the trap of the resource curse. Consequently, efforts have been put into promoting better governance of natural resources by improving revenue management, transparency in extractive activities and institution building. In recent years attention has turned to promoting community engagement as part of the effort to improve resource governance. It is the relationship between community engagement and resource governance policy strategies to manage extractive resources that provides the focus for this thesis.
A growing weight of scholarly opinion has emerged supporting the view that community engagement in governance processes improves livelihoods, empowers communities, resolves conflicts and promotes resource and/or environmental conservation. For many governments and regional bodies in Africa the real and potential significance of community engagement has prompted its integration into their resource governance policies. This has been particularly pronounced in the area of renewable resources governance where governments have been open to ideas about community engagement. But in the area of extractive resources there has been considerably less emphasis placed on meaningfully integrating community engagement into the governance of extractive resources.
In Tanzania, there appears to have been a concerted effort by the government to initiate and promote community engagement strategies in the extractive resources sector as part of its policy reforms. However, questions arise as to what the government means by ‘community engagement’ and how it has sought to promote that. Exploring these questions forms the central thread of this thesis, which in turn involves pursuing answers to several other questions, such as: What policies have been developed and implemented by the government to bring about effective community engagement in natural gas governance? To what extent have these policies succeeded in realising the government’s aims? What might be the strengths and limitations of current government-community engagement arrangements? To address these questions, this thesis has adopted a qualitative case study approach informed by a libertarian socialist framework.
The findings from this study show that the government frames community engagement in natural gas governance around two main issues: 1) economic participation, and 2) infrastructure safety and protection. Its strategies for engagement centre upon creating economic benefits and ensuring sector stability. While these are mostly in line with many of the expectations of the local communities in Mtwara and Lindi, these communities want more than just economic benefits. They want to participate in and influence decisions about natural gas development and, more importantly, about how they benefit from gas projects. In this respect, and despite the government’s formal statements and policy frameworks, it appears that the government has not empowered the communities in the ways anticipated by those communities. Rather, the evidence suggests two things. First, that the engagement is experienced by the communities as manipulation rather than as genuine participation in decision-making. Second, the government’s idea of community engagement is seen as a means to serve the government’s own agenda. In part this is accentuated by the fact that there is no requisite government policy for engagement in decision-making processes as the only policy framework in place caters for economic participation.
Hence, this thesis concludes that there is a need for a formal community engagement policy to be developed and implemented that is not simply focused on economic participation. Rather, such an engagement policy should provide a framework to define and guide community engagement in ways that empower communities to be part of the planning and decision-making processes in the governance of extractive resources. This would also enable the government to add real meaning to its goal of economic participation in ways that would assist it to achieve balanced socio-economic development and well-being and improve Tanzania’s chances of avoiding the trap of the resource curse.
... Hilson et al., 2017;O'Faircheallaigh and Corbett, 2016), although we purposely focused only on LSM studies. A major proportion of those were studies on rural communities in Asia (Behzadi, 2019; work by Lahiri-Dutt in multiple years; Grobmann et al., 2017;Mukherjee, 2014); Africa (Akiwumi, 2011;Kaggwa, 2019;Kotsadam and Tolonen, 2016); and Oceania (Lozeva and Marinova, 2010;Mayes and Pini, 2014), with fewer empirical contributions in Latin America (Brain, 2017;Himley, 2011). FPE analyses of LSM effects on livelihoods found, among other things: (1) women's disadvantage in negotiations between mining companies and land tenure-related communal organizations; (2) undermining of women's roles as food and clean water providers due to environmental impacts and/or work overload when they participate in LSM; and (3) gender inequities in wages, working conditions, and career advancement in mining jobs (Lozeva and Marinova, 2010). ...
This literature review examines the potential of African feminist philanthropy to improve the working conditions of women in South Africa's mining industry. Despite legislative measures promoting gender equality, female miners continue to face significant challenges, including discrimination, harassment, and inadequate facilities. This review investigates how African feminist philanthropy, grounded in solidarity and collective action principles, can address these issues. Key themes encompassed the status of women in mining, barriers to gender transformation, and African feminist philanthropic models. The findings indicate that African feminist philanthropy, focusing on African-led solutions and intersectionality, could potentially drive substantive changes. However, further research is required regarding their practical implementation.
In this conference presentation, I examined the potential of African feminist philanthropy to improve the working conditions of women in the mining industry. Despite the existence of legislative frameworks aimed at advancing gender equality, women miners continued to face persistent challenges, including discrimination, harassment, and inadequate facilities. The presentation drew on a literature review that investigated how African feminist philanthropy—grounded in solidarity, collective action, and African-led approaches—could serve as a mechanism for structural change. The analysis focused on three core themes: the status of women in the mining sector, the barriers to gender transformation, and models of African feminist philanthropy. The findings suggested that this approach, particularly when informed by intersectionality and local knowledge, held significant promise for transformative change. However, further research was identified as necessary to explore the practical implementation of these frameworks.
Purpose
This paper aims to critically examine how dual-listed multinational enterprises (MNEs) that are embedded across multiple national contexts interact with other actors to shape the diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) narrative, outcomes and the associated dynamics of social change in the mining industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use data from the publicly available sustainability reports of two global mining conglomerates with dual-listing structure, Rio Tinto and Anglo American, alongside prevalent DEI regulations in the UK, Australia and South Africa to understand how DEI discourse and practice and the corresponding role of key actors have evolved since 2015. The authors combine a case study approach with topic modelling and qualitative content analysis to critically analyse the linkage between actors’ stated posture and actions in their DEI field and their impact upon various exchange relationships within the mining industry exchange field over the period 2015–2021.
Findings
The analysis revealed three broad phases of evolution in the DEI involvement of the MNEs emphasizing on diversity, equality and inclusion, respectively. Both firms progressed at a different pace across the three phases highlighting the need for a systemic perspective when addressing DEI concerns.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the earliest to adopt an issue and exchange field perspective towards examining the complexity of DEI. Taking a critical performative stance, the authors argue that for improving convergence between MNEs’ DEI rhetoric and reality and to advance DEI in new ways organizations and policymakers must devise structural interventions in the DEI field that substantively impact MNEs’ industry exchange field relationships.
The liberties and safeguards for women and girls are laid forth in international human rights accords like the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). States who ratify these agreements are legally required to put policies into site to restrict harassment opposed to women and promote women's equality in a range of social contexts, including governance, labor, health care, and academia. To encourage gender equality through international law, this literature review analyses both the successes and failures. As stated in numerous international agreements and treaties, gender equality is a vital human right. The study looks at how far gender equality has come in the world, how international law might be used to solve gender gaps, and the ongoing issues that prevent gender equality from being achieved. The study also looks at significant court rulings and cases that have helped advance women's rights and the recognizing the existence of gender-based discrimination is against the rules of international law. To incorporate gender perspectives into policy and decision-making processes, it also examines how gender mainstreaming and gender-responsive budgeting have emerged. The paper cites several obstacles to the successful advancement of gender equality through international law despite these developments. Gaps in execution and enforcement of cultural and societal norms that uphold discrimination against women, and the prevalence of gender-based violence are some of these issues. The report emphasizes that to solve these challenges, there needs to be better cooperation between nations, international organizations, civil society, and other stakeholders.
Every country seeks to assure development that satisfies the requirements of the current generation without jeopardising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This concept was proposed in the World Commission on Environment and Development’s report, Our Common Future as Sustainable Development (SD). All United Nations members adopted the seventeen goals in 2015 to accomplish the SD. These goals are referred to as sustainable development goals (SDGs) and include 169 targets that must be met by all countries by 2030. The mining sector is critical to achieving the SDGs. While Africa is endowed with much mineral wealth potential for achieving SDGs by 2030, most of these countries are facing the problem of the “resource curse” together with other socioeconomic, environmental, and political challenges, such as civil war and extreme poverty. This review examines pertinent past and current studies to provide an overview of the relationship between the mining sector and SDGs in Africa. Relevant data and information were collected, selected, evaluated, interpreted, and presented in themes, graphs, and tables from diverse bibliographic sources, such as the Web of Sciences, Google Scholar, and grey literature. This study revealed that mining does not involve a single primary point of interaction
with a single SDG. Instead, it contributes to multiple goals at the same time. This is because mining operations and businesses have numerous beneficial and negative effects on communities, ecosystems, and economies. It contributes to eliminating extreme poverty, reducing hunger, and improving human health and education in communities. It generates foreign revenue and creates jobs, allowing governments to enhance their socioeconomic infrastructure. However, the mining industry is still overwhelmingly male-dominated, and contributes to environmental problems such as climate change and other social constraints such as political instability.
The aims of this study were to investigate the factors that influence women's engagement in technical positions in the South African mining sector and to determine what could be done to promote their successful participation. A convergent parallel mixed-methods research design was used to ascertain the factors that facilitate, inhibit, and influence engagement. In the quantitative phase of the study, questionnaires were circulated to women employeees; and in the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with employer representatives, most of whom were human resource personnel. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the three-factor structure (vigour, dedication, and absorption) of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale fit the sample data reasonably well. Although there is room for improvement, respondents demonstrated acceptable levels of engagement in their work. On the other hand, the qualitative findings showed that employee engagement is impacted by unfavourable working conditions, work-life balance, and the mining industry's male-dominated work culture. The findings showed that employee engagement should be elevated to a core human resource function. To increase the participation of women in mining, human resource professionals are encouraged to collaborate with mine supervisors, managers, and employees to develop programmes that promote employees' absorption in and dedication to their work.
Purpose – We develop a conceptual framework as a basis for thinking about the impact of extractive industries and emancipatory potential of alternative accounts. We then
review selected alternative accounts literature on some contemporary issues
surrounding the extractive industries and identify opportunities for accounting,
auditing, and accountability research. We also provide an overview of the other
contributions in this special issue.
Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on alternative accounts from the popular and social media as well as the alternative accounting literature, this primarily discursive paper provides a contemporary literature review of identified issues within the extractive industries highlighting potential areas for future research. The eight papers that make up the special issue are located within a conceptual framework is employed to illustrate each paper’s contribution to the field.
Findings – While accounting has a rich literature covering some of the issues detailed in this paper, this has not necessarily translated to the extractive industries. Few studies in accounting have got “down and dirty” so to speak and engaged directly with those impacted by companies operating in the extractive industries. Those that have, have focused on specific areas such as the Niger Delta. Although prior studies in the social governance literature have tended to focus on disclosure issues, it is questionable whether this work, while informative, has resulted in any meaningful environmental, social or governance (ESG) changes on the part of the extractive industries.
Research limitations/implications – The extensive extractive industries literature both from within and outside the accounting discipline makes a comprehensive review
impractical. Drawing on both the accounting literature and other disciplines, this
paper identifies areas that warrant further investigation through alternative accounts.
Originality/value – This paper and other contributions to this special issue provide a basis and an agenda for accounting scholars seeking to undertake interdisciplinary research into the extractive industries.
Keywords - accounting; corruption; accountability; social license to operate; sustainable
mining; extractive industries; alternative accounts.
Paper type - Conceptual paper
Although gender diversity has been an increasingly important criterion for investors screening for environmental, social and governance metrics, it has long been a challenge for the mining sector, given its strong legacy and reverence for masculine identity. Mining has consistently continued to significantly lag other industries and cutting across all levels of employment. Moreover, there is reported evidence of notable variations amongst different regions in the matter of gender diversity adoption. We investigate these issues through a qualitative empirical study of self-reported narratives of the 24 largest mining companies spread across eight regions. We find that stronger gender diversity performance is invariably evidenced in a higher degree of coherence between articulated diversity aspirations and specific diversity initiatives. While this interlinkage is more likely symptomatic than causal, we argue that a commitment to stated position drives strategic action and in turn stronger performance. On the contrary, lack of coherence between aspirations and action is likely reflective of a superficial approach to diversity management that in turn tends to derail the diversity agenda.
While South Africa shares some characteristics with other middle-income countries, it has a unique economic history with distinctive characteristics. South Africa is an economic powerhouse with a significant role not only at the southern African regional and continental levels, but also as a member of BRICS. However, the country faces profound developmental challenges, including the ‘triple challenges’ of poverty, inequality and unemployment. There has been a lack of structural transformation and weak economic growth. Ongoing debates around economic policies to address these challenges need to be based on rigorous and robust empirical evidence and in-depth analysis of South African economic issues. This necessitates wide-ranging research, such as that brought together in this handbook. This volume intends to provide original, comprehensive, detailed, state-of-the-art analytical perspectives, that contribute to knowledge while also contributing to well-informed and productive discourse on the South African economy. While concentrating on the more recent economic challenges facing the country, the handbook also provides historical and political context, an in-depth examination of strategic issues in the various critical economic sectors, and assembles diverse analytical perspectives and arguments that have implications for policymaking.
This paper seeks to develop a framework to identify, analyse, and assess the mining industry's key challenges in terms of environmental, operational, and social issues. For each issue, 15 challenges have been identified from experts’ opinions and from the relevant literature; each is examined in a real-world industrial setting. South India's mining industry is utilized to categorize and to determine crucial challenges based on an identification of their causal relationships. A fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) is used to assess and rank the challenges of each issue. Results reveal that climate change, lack of availability of capital, and fair wages are the top challenges in the environmental, operational, and social issues, respectively, in India's mining industry. The proposed method is found effective in attaining the causal relationships and ranking among the identified challenges. The outcomes help decision-makers and industrial managers to take remedial actions such as adopting new technologies and innovations to protect the environment, improve the operating conditions, and facilitate social benefits to resolve the mining industry's challenges.
Mining as occupation in South Africa was traditionally reserved for men only and mining law prohibited women from being employed in operations underground. In South Africa, new mining legislation aimed to rectify previous inequalities and disadvantages in the mining sector and specifically provides for the inclusion of women in core mining activities. Although women’s participation in the industry has slowly risen since the introduction of the Mining Charter and related government equity legislation, women are still at the periphery of the industry. Furthermore, white women continue to dominate the professional positions in mining and black women tend to engage mostly in manual work and artisanal mining. This research aimed to determine perceptions regarding workplace opportunities for women working in core mining positions. Findings are being drawn from empirical work undertaken at a platinum, phosphor and copper mine. The quantitative and qualitative research paradigms were used. It is evident from the research that specific attention should be given to the career development and progression of women working in the core business of mines. Practical recommendations are made which could be implemented and used by mining companies to overcome some of these issues. © 2014, Mediterranean Center of Social and Educational Research. All rights reserved.
Orientation: Despite various liberalisation and feminisation processes with regard to gender and sex roles, traditionalistic typologies, especially in terms of occupational roles, are seemingly very reluctant to disappear from relevant theoretical discourses, as well as in practice. One of the main issues remains the terrain of physical work. Although women all over the world have been involved in mining activities for centuries, the mining industry has not been an obvious career choice for women. In South Africa, new mining legislation aims to rectify previous inequalities and disadvantages in the mining sector and specifically provides for the inclusion of women in core mining activities. Although well intended, women’s involvement in the core business of mining also exposes them to the various hazards related to mine work.
Research purpose: This research determined perceptions regarding the health and safety of women working in core mining positions.
Motivation for the study: Currently there is a paucity of published data regarding health and safety challenges pertaining to women employed in the core business of mining.
Method: Quantitative and qualitative research paradigms were used (mixed method research design). Quantitative data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire. Qualitative data were collected by means of individual interviews and group interviews.
Main findings: From the literature review and the empirical findings it is evident that various factors (physical work capacity, anthropometry and body composition, personal protective equipment, treatment during pregnancy and security measures) need to be considered to ensure the health and safety of women employed in core mining positions.
Practical/managerial implications: It is evident from the research that exceptional attention should be given to the promotion of the health and safety of women working in the core business of mines to sustain their involvement in the mining sector.
Contribution: Practical recommendations are made to address health and safety concerns of women employed in core mining activities. These can be implemented and used by various stakeholders in the mining sector.
The global economic downturn coupled with recent changes in UK law have led to a sizable reduction in public sector funding. As a result, both public and private sector organizations are under greater pressure to provide evidence of their activities in promoting equality and diversity in their use of public sector funds. This requirement poses a particular challenge for the UK construction industry, which remains largely White male dominated. Empirical data gathered from a series of semistructured questionnaires and focus groups that have received managerial and soft skills training are analyzed and discussed in this article in an effort to establish the organizational cultural obstacles that women face in working in the UK construction industry. The findings outline that White male‐dominated organizational cultures, inflexible work practices, and a lack of supportive networks serve as obstacles to women in the UK construction industry. This study concludes with recommendations for the expansion of training opportunities for women to encourage workforce diversity within the UK construction industry.
The book introduces us to a cohort of women miners at a large underground coal mine in southern West Virginia, where women entered the workforce in the late 1970s after mining jobs began opening up for women throughout the Appalachian coalfields. The work goes beyond anecdotal evidence to provide complex and penetrating analyses of qualitative data. Based on in-depth interviews with including social relations among men and women, professional advancement, and union participation. She also explores the ways in which women adapt to mining culture, developing strategies for both resistance and accommodation to an overwhelmingly male-dominated world. 1 app.
The division of labor by sex appears to have been universal throughout human history. In our society the sexual division of labor is hierarchical, with men on top and women on the bottom. Anthropology and history suggest, however, that this division was not always a hierarchical one. The development and importance of a sex-ordered division of labor is the subject of this paper. It is my contention that the roots of women’s present social status lie in this sex-ordered division of labor. It is my belief that not only must the hierarchical nature of the division of labor between the sexes be eliminated, but the very division of labor between the sexes itself must be eliminated if women are to attain equal social status with men and if women and men are to attain the full development of their human potentials.
Purpose
Seeks to undertake research of Generation X women in high technology in order to determine what type of corporate environment would support their needs for professional success, personal fulfillment, and sustain longer‐term employment.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative study looked at high‐potential Generation X women (born between 1965‐1980) within the high‐technology industry and explored their relationship with work which means how they interact with bosses, peers, subordinates, and the corporate culture.
Findings
The study found that, for Generation X women, personal fulfillment was intrinsically connected to professional success, and that they wanted support from their companies in terms of mentors for guidance and development, opportunities to excel, recognition for efforts, relationships, and flexibility to achieve work/life balance.
Research limitations/implications
The sample size was small and, while the research applies to the high‐technology industry, care would need to be taken in wholesale application to all industries. The way Generation X women perceive the importance of work/life balance carries implications for corporations in terms of training, development, promotional practices and corporate culture.
Originality/value
If companies can provide a cultural environment to support attainment of professional success and personal fulfillment as defined by these women, it may provide a link to longer‐term employment, reduced employee turnover, and improved bottom line corporate performance.
Includes bibliographical references.
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