understanding & bridging the divide from girls to women

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S O U T H A F R I C A T H O U G H T L E A D E R S H I P F O R U M

Understanding & Bridging the Divide: From Girls to WomenA discussion on preparing girls for roles of greater responsibilities as women

Johannesburg, South Africa, November 11, 2014

Understanding and Bridging the Divide: From Girls to Women 2

WelcomeAn Introductory Note From Catherine C. Smith, Founder and President True Blue Inclusion

In November, 2014 South Africa leaders in business, academia and the public sector came together in a first-ever forum to focus thinking on the talent pipeline for Black South African women. The first day of the three-day conversation was a unique panel that set up all subsequent discussions. It paired three young South African women – each just finishing secondary (high school) education – with seasoned women leaders. The resulting lively exchange of ideas, information and opinion with forum participants was stunning for its candor, insight and practical applications. On the following pages, we share that enlightening dialogue. It was important to dedicate time to have a more nuanced discussion with younger women specifically. This group deserves its own voice and its own set of unique solutions.

What are the challenges young South African women face as they become career-minded adults? We found there is no clear answer. But the three young - women who made the conversation real and relevant – Thato, Charity and Bongintando from the Mandela Legacy School Program brought home the importance of leaders being advocates for young women specifically. They are often dismissed, but there is no denying the potential they have.

Listening to the narratives of people who seek to have their voices heard is the first step of respect. It’s an action that says, “I hear you, and I value you.” Without the contributions of the young women panelists, any conclusions arrived at by the forum participants would have been speculative at best.

In particular, I want to thank Lindo Mandela for her leadership, commitment and support in helping young women see the possibilities and opportunities that wait for them. I want to also thank our corporate panelists – Jo-Ann de Wet, Senior Director of Operations, McDonald’s and Videsha Proothveerajh, Country Manager, Intel South Africa, who was also the corporate host of the event.

Regards,

Catherine C. Smith


After two decades of democracy in South Africa, economic transformation, Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) and employment equity for Black South Africans are still not widely achieved. This situation is an ever more pressing social concern affecting all Black South Africans. It prevents many from entering the job market and moving into decision-making roles and key leadership positions, both in the corporate sector and in higher education institutions. Women are the most severely impacted, faced with both systemic racism and sexism.

This one-day forum highlighted the challenges and barriers that prevent girls and young women from excelling at school, at universities and at colleges; from entering the job market; and from progressing in the talent pipeline and building successful careers. It explored how the corporate sector can contribute to finding practical solutions for these challenges. Participants and attendees included a wide range of corporate leaders with experience in initiatives for the empowerment of women, leading academics, and three young women from disadvantaged backgrounds in their final school year before entering university-level higher education.

A unifying recognition was that gender inequality and Black disadvantage start in early childhood, continue through school and often remain well into young adulthood. Inequality and disadvantage prevent success in tertiary education and career training, and successful transitioning into the job market.

Young women need support through a range of initiatives to build both character and skills sets in order to achieve and reach their career goals. While ongoing educational opportunities are the most important factor here, affirming mentoring and role modelling also play a crucial role. They greatly help cultivate motivation, a positive self-identity, a sense of hope and possibility, and a vision of an optimistic future. Companies can play a vital enabling role in this process through initiatives such as youth and community programs, job creation, holiday programs, internships, job shadowing, in-house training, gap year opportunities, entrepreneurship enabling projects, and youth-oriented marketing strategies. Networking and firm commitment from companies to this process are essential.

Executive Summary

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This panel discussion with a focus on the empowerment of young women was the opening event to the three-day Thought Leadership Forum on Creating a Black South African Talent Pipeline, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in November 2014. The panelists were Lindo Mandela, Director of Stakeholder Relations at the Mandela Legacy Foundation; Videsha Proothveerajh, Country Manager for Intel South Africa; Jo-Ann de Wet, Senior Director of Operations at McDonald’s South Africa; and three young women in their final year at school (called Matric) who were completing their last year on the Mandela Legacy’s school program. Catherine Smith, Founder and President of True Blue Inclusion moderated the panel.

Intel, a company with a strong record of building initiatives to uplift young women, as demonstrated by their outstanding program Girls Who Code, sponsored the discussion. Drawing from this and related experience, Rosalind Hudnell, VP of Human Resources and Global Chief Diversity Officer at Intel, saw an opportunity for a more specialized discussion on the needs of girls and women in the debate around Black economic empowerment in South Africa.

Introduction

Videsha Proothveerajh, Country Manager for Intel South Africa, talks about her passion for improving opportunities for women and girls.


BLACKECONOMICEMPOWERMENTWITHAFOCUSONWOMEN

After twenty years of democracy in South Africa, huge political changes and many other advances have moved forward. But economic transformation has not yet occurred in a significant enough way to achieve Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), employment equity and meaningful citizenship. Two decades after the end of apartheid, many Black South Africans are still being excluded from full economic participation. This is especially true for decision-making roles and key leadership positions in the corporate sector, as well as in higher education institutions. Moreover, it is women who are most severely impacted, faced with both systemic racism and sexism. To address this, the forum looked into the barriers that are keeping girls from excelling at school, entering the job market, progressing in the talent pipeline and reaching their career goals. If this situation continues long-term, it poses a threat to social peace and stability.

CHALLENGESANDBARRIERSFACEDBYYOUNGWOMENONTHEIRCAREERPATHS

Gender inequality and Black disadvantage often start in early childhood. The situation continues through poverty-induced adverse social circumstances, poor schooling in urban townships and rural areas, lack of positive role models and gender stereotyping. Early interventions are extremely important. Program for school leavers already are too late in many instances. Girls and young women are more effected than young men, as males are often more direct and assertive than females, playing to gender roles.

Inequality and lack of equal opportunities for young Black women, particularly into tertiary education and the workplace, are negatively affecting the talent pipeline. All universities and colleges in the country run bridging programs, but often the gaps resulting from disadvantaged schooling are too wide for students to succeed in spite of such interventions. And so the poverty continues and curtails many dreams. Furthermore, the system often does not help girls transition successfully from school into a career; they need support and encouragement from high school through tertiary education into their first career.

The apartheid legacy that restricts career opportunities for Black people to only a few professions is being slowly overcome. However, despite many Black youths now benefitting from very good and equal schooling and tertiary education, disadvantage is still the status quo for far too many, with huge economic problems restricting the realization of their career aspirations.

The three young women on the panel – Charity, Thato and Bongintando – added more personalized insights. They talked about being aware of the importance of cultivating a positive self-image in spite of difficult circumstances. They also discussed the need to develop their own identity and career plan if they were to succeed. They realized that belief in oneself and one’s abilities to overcome adversity are as important as any other circumstance.


THEWAYFORWARD–HOWTHESECHALLENGESCANBEMITIGATED

Everyone who viewed the panel discussion of the three young women clearly saw there is much talent, potential and spark in this highly important next-generation South African population. The panel exhibited an optimism and enthusiasm for their future. However, many challenges exist, and they need to be faced with a sense of realism and honesty.

Buildingcharacteranddevelopingskills-whatyoungwomenneedtobesuccessful:

• The foundation for career success is education. Given the lack of improvement in public sector school education in the past twenty years, the majority of next-generation Black youths are still severely disadvantaged in career prospects. A wide range of excellent private schools exists, but cost and financing options restrict access for much of the population. Young Black women need every opportunity to get the best possible basic education through scholarships and private initiatives, of which The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Gauteng province is a stellar example.

• Education must develop essential skill sets. Leadership skills are the most important. But another key set should be communication skills so young women can converse meaningfully, tell their stories, and formulate a vision for the future.

• Youths need mentors and positive role models. They are very impressionable and need counseling and guidance.

• Learning good core values starts at an early age, and leads to success in later life.

Zindzi Mandela congratulates the young panelists for their contributions to the discussion.


• The path to elevation and success starts with a vision and hope for a brighter future. Young women need a sense of possibility, the ability to see way beyond the circumstances they grow up in and a vision of where they can see themselves go.

• Successful youths show a sense of curiosity and a desire for self-development, the desire to learn and lead.

• The young panelists recognized that they, especially as young women, need to develop inner strength and character through self-knowledge, self-motivation and self-identity (instead of being identified and labeled by others). They need to create a vision for themselves in society and in the world.

• Young women’s capabilities are recognized through confidence and assertiveness rather than arrogance. There is no shame in admitting what you don’t know.

• The ability to develop a vision for oneself is the first step to success. It’s followed by determination, taking the right decisions and making use of opportunities.

WhatcompaniescandotoassistthedevelopmentofyoungwomeninSouthAfricabycreatingcareeropportunitiesandvisionsofpossibilityandhope:

• It is essential that the corporate sector promotes equality and empowerment of women in the workplace.

• Companies can expose young women to different career paths and job opportunities in their sector. That helps them to create a vision for themselves beyond their own circumstances through learning about possibilities and to develop hope that they can change their lives in spite of their backgrounds.

• Companies can create and engage in youth development programs.

• Many such dedicated projects to uplift and facilitate the professional growth and development of women, and especially young women, already exist. Examples are Intel’s GirlsWhoCode, the Mandela Legacy school program, McDonald’s local women’s leadership network, Avon Justine’s empowerment programs for women and direct selling initiatives, and the ‘Adopt a Learner’ foundation.

• Participants agreed that networking between companies and people who offer youth development programs is very important. A lot more companies need to get involved and bring potential to the forefront. The critical question remains how companies can help each other to create employment for young people. As a start, information should be shared about initiatives that companies and organizations have in place to assist young Black South Africans, and specifically women.

• Early intervention and exposure of young women to different work environments through school holiday programs, internships, work shadowing opportunities such as ‘CEO for a day’ and ‘Take a girl child to work,’ as well as gap year opportunities are excellent initiatives.

• Young people, and specifically young women, need positive role models and mentors with successful career paths. These can be women who have ‘made it’ and fulfill leadership roles. However, men can play an equally important role in mentoring young women leaders. Although mature mentors can impart valuable experience and wisdom, the age gap between mentor and mentee does not necessarily have to be big - young adults in their twenties with career achievements can be role models and mentors. Age, race and gender are not defining factors for many people seeking mentors. More important are expertise, commitment and dedication to helping the mentees reach their goals.


• Black people who have made it in the world of work should tell their stories. This gives encouragement to others that anything is possible.

• To facilitate the transition from school or tertiary education institution to the work place, in-house and in-employment training are often critical. Companies can offer young people qualifications and experience while already being employed, and thus grow strong talent internally. This benefits both the young employees and the company.

• Companies are often well-placed to engage in community projects in their surrounding communities (a good example is Chevron’s engagement with the poverty-stricken settlement called ‘De Noon’ near their refinery in Milnerton, Cape Town). Such initiatives demonstrate the willingness of the corporate sector to give something back and make a social contribution to neighboring disadvantaged communities. Companies can embark on training programs and creating employment opportunities for youths with aptitude into functions they never thought possible, such as artisans. This often uplifts the whole community.

• Through feedback from young people, companies have been inspired to make changes to their image to become more attractive to the youth, dubbed the ‘swag’ factor. Companies do well to be flexible and not neglect their (potential) young client base and are well advised to research and adjust their marketing strategies and products to the needs and desires of the youth and young adults. Companies need to be curious about young people and employ younger marketing agencies to know what products appeal to the youth market and how to market to young people like Millennials. This might mean changes in their marketing strategies and displaying a stronger social media presence.

• Young talent from both urban and rural locales must have access to opportunities in the industry.

• At the more advanced stages of women’s careers, executive searches can be carried out to source and attract talented women for leadership positions.

• Young women should also bear in mind that there are many attractive careers in the higher education sector, both on the academic and the support services track, where women scholars and thought leaders are much needed.

• The panelists agreed that in companies the focus should be more on people rather than on products. Customers buy people before they buy a product; people are the heart of business.

• The young women were adamant that what they need in the work place is respect between employer and employee and to be seen and valued as human beings.

• Besides the search for employment, a strong focus must also be on encouraging and supporting entrepreneurship. Youths must think of ways of working for themselves. This is an increasing need in today’s world of work.

As the discussion came to a close, company participants animatedly searched for ways to hold themselves and their companies accountable in supporting young Black women, and how to inspire halls full of youngsters rather than individuals. The event ended for both panelists and participants with a shared feeling of hope and eagerness to make a difference, with full knowledge of the obstacles.


AGOODNEWSSTORYRESULTINGFROMTHISEVENT

During the panel dialogue, the young woman named Charity mentioned her intention to take a gap year in 2015 after finishing school to better explore her career options. Lerato Ndoro, Head of Human Resources at Avon Justine South Africa and a forum participant, sprang into action to offer Charity an opportunity at her company to do just that, while also giving her the chance to earn some income at the same time. Avon Justine empowers South African women through the direct-selling earning opportunity as well as through their commitment to other worthy causes such as Avon’s Violence Against Women program, the iThemba Breast Cancer Crusade and Justine’s Thuthukisa Together initiative.

The opportunity at Avon for Charity is action-based right from the start. Avon will register Charity as a representative and teach her the earnings model. The goal is to assist her to become an entrepreneur, to improve the financial situation of the family and to empower other women in the community. The experience should build her personality over a period of time, through the countless interactions she will have including access to the company’s world class training programs.

Panelists Charity, Thato and Bongintando are offered advice and opportunities by Lerato Ndoro (left),

Avon South Africa’s Head of Human Resources


PARTICIPANTS

Allison Binns, Diversity Analyst, Chevron Corporation

Celia Burke, Diversity & Inclusion Fellow, True Blue Inclusion

Jo-Ann de Wet, Senior Director of Operations, McDonald’s

Letitia de Wet, CEO Enactus, South Africa

Ashley Dutt, Branch Director, DuPont

Madeleine Goerg, Program Officer, German Marshall Fund

Dr. Martin Hall, University of Salford, Vice Chancellor

Walter Hurdle, Global Chief Diversity Officer, AIG

Miriam Lopez, Senior Diversity Advisor, Chevron Corporation

Guy Lundy, Principal, Odgers Berndston

Tebogo Maenetja, HR Director, BP Southern Africa

Lindo Mandela, Director of Stakeholder Relations, Mandela Legacy

Zindzi Mandela, President of Mandela-Msomi Trading Enterprises and South African Ambassador to Denmark

Zondwa Mandela, Founding Director, Mandela Legacy Foundation

Nyami Mandindi, CEO, Royal HaskoningDHV (Pty) Ltd.

Benjamin Memani, Group Director of Human Resources, Protea Hotels, Marriott

Refilwe Moletsane, Compliance Officer, AIG South Africa

Sechaba Motsieloa, Corporate Affairs Director, McDonald’s

Lerato Ndoro, Head of Human Resources, Avon

Ntosh Ntlokwana, Mandela Legacy Foundation

Dr. Mamokgethi Phakeng, Vice Principal: Research and Innovation, UNISA

Vanessa Phala, Executive Director, Transformation and Social Policy, Business Unity South Africa (BUSA)

Videsha Proothveerajh, Country Manager, Intel South Africa

Shashi Rabbipal, Manager, Transformation Strategy Deployment, Chevron South Africa

Catherine C. Smith, Founder and President, True Blue Inclusion

Dr. Sabie Surtee, Director, HERS-SA

Cindy B. Thomas, Regional HR Director, Africa & Indian Ocean, Hilton Worldwide

Carlton Yearwood, Principal, True Blue Inclusion

EXPLANATORYNOTES

Apartheid – the political system in South Africa (1948 -1994) based on racist policies of segregation

BBBEE – Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment

BEE – Black Economic Empowerment

BlackSouthAfricans – under current labor legislation referring to Africans, Coloreds (mixed race) and Indians

Employmentequity – effort and labor legislation aimed at having the population demographics reflected in the workplace and employment

Matric – final exam of the school career after twelve years of schooling

TheOprahWinfreyLeadershipAcademyforGirls – Gauteng Province, South Africa http://www.owla.co.za/

Appendix

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True Blue Inclusion 301 Tingey Street SE, PH 33, Washington, DC 20003

www.trueblueinclusion.com

understanding & bridging the divide from girls to women

Leadership & Management