Subscribe

The gender gap done differently

Men tend to be more interested in studying and working in professions that pay higher average salaries than those of women, says Nicol Myburgh, head of HR business unit at CRS Technologies.


Johannesburg, 30 Jan 2019
Nicol Myburgh, Head of HR business unit at CRS Technologies.
Nicol Myburgh, Head of HR business unit at CRS Technologies.

Ranked 19th (out of 149 countries) in the 2018 Global Gender Gap Report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), South Africa is ahead of the curve when compared to many other nations.

The question is raised, does the gender gap exist, and, if so, why? However, it is different to what many people think. Nicol Myburgh, Head of HR business unit at CRS Technologies, examines this in greater detail.

"The gender gap is largely a perceived one due to a number of reasons, one being personal preference. I consider a gender gap to be when a man and woman in the same job, with the same qualifications, skills, experience, and so on, are treated differently. It is not the generic approach of looking at income and finding the one group to make more money than the other."

Different approaches

According to Myburgh, the WEF report indicates women are more inclined than men to obtain their qualifications in arts and humanities, health and welfare, social sciences, and journalism and information. Men, on the other hand, generally prefer agriculture, forestry, fisheries, veterinary, business, admin, law, engineering, manufacturing, construction, ICT, natural science, mathematics and statistics.

"The key here is that men tend to be more interested in studying and working in professions that pay higher average salaries than those of women. Furthermore, a report in the US has found that female business owners there make less than their male counterparts because money is not their primary motivator."

According to a Rochester Institute of Technology study, women place a higher premium on shorter work weeks, proximity to home, fulfilment, autonomy, and safety. The study also shows that women are more likely to leave the workforce for periods of time to raise their children.

When they return, they are more likely to seek less-demanding and more flexible jobs, which often pay less. Interestingly enough, the Census Bureau's American Community Survey reveals that single, childless women earn more than their male counterparts of the same age in major cities across America.

Government's role

"Even though the 2018 Global Gender Gap Report shows that personal preferences see some industries being dominated by females, there is still a difference when it comes to the size of an organisation. For example, large corporates usually have policies, committees, and plans in place to ensure equal representation throughout the business, while SMEs do not."

For its part, government introduced the Employment Equity Act that regulates equity in the workplace. It prohibits unfair discrimination on grounds of race, gender, pregnancy, marital status, family responsibility, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, HIV status, conscience, belief, political opinion, culture, language, birth or any other arbitrary grounds. The Act also promotes equality with the aim for businesses to reflect the demographics of the country on all occupational levels.

Additionally, the B-BBEE codes were introduced as an affirmative action measure, making it exceedingly difficult to do business without complying with them.

"In South Africa, there is an enabling environment to move beyond the traditional perceptions of what a gender gap is. In conclusion, the Employment Equity Act is well written and enforces its code of good practice on 'equal pay for work of equal value' well."

Share

CRS Technologies

CRS Technologies is an established national provider of solutions and services to the growing human resources (HR) and human capital management (HCM) industries.

CRS Technologies began operations in 1985 and quickly established itself as a technology solutions house with all the skills and resources required to help clients manage HR, people management and payroll administration, among other disciplines.

The company is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is fully invested in Africa's labour market, from both an employer and employee perspective.

The business offers best-of-breed solutions that centralise, streamline and harmonise what are otherwise disparate functions.

Its innovation is based on the principle that in order to be of value, it must be reliable, easy to use and understand, and actually remove the complexities of people optimisation in the workplace.

CRS has established itself as a leader in the market, underpinned by the offer of an HR platform that provides seamless integration capabilities to multiple platforms and ERP systems.

It maintains a close eye on developments in legislation and other labour-related trends that impact HR and HCM, and its mandate is to inform clients of these changes and how they will influence markets going forward.

Editorial contacts

Bernice Houston
CRS Technologies
(+27) 11 259 4700
berniceh@crs.co.za