When women joined the workforce, they joined a pre-existing, all-male environment, and a culture built predominantly around masculine traits. Fast forward to today, where women have taken huge strides to become equals in the workplace; a workplace designed by and for men, where women have adapted by exaggerating their more masculine traits (think individualistic, tough, self-reliant, confident, assertive), and oppressing their feminine ones (think empathetic, nurturing, collaborative, creative, intuitive) in order to fit in, to equally compete, and to achieve success.

Nonetheless, progress has been made. However, post-pandemic, we run the risk of this progress regressing based on the higher impact the pandemic has had on women. Additionally, the ‘Great Resignation’ currently taking place is seeing a large number of women leaving the workforce; not changing jobs, but actually opting out of the workforce, due to working environments that are not serving them best as women.

Even without this setback, there’s a lot still to be done - pay equity and representation in upper management and leadership positions are just two of the most obvious examples of the obstacles yet to be overcome. In order to advance, or accelerate, the Women Agenda in South African organisations (and the world), inclusive leadership needs to be the top priority.