SAICA:Women’s Day Conference

2013-08-16

In 2004 a Catalyst study called “The Bottom Line: Connecting Corporate Performance and Gender Diversity” found, amongst other things, that  "Companies with the highest representation of women on their top management teams experienced better financial performance than companies with the lowest women’s representation." This finding held for both return on equity (which was 34% higher) and total return to shareholders (which was 35% higher). The obvious assertion made here is that gender equality and possibly more importantly, the diversity that comes with it is not only a must for society but also essential for corporate success.

Gender equality in the workplace has come a long way. Since the Woman Suffrage movement at the dawn of the 20th century, through the iconic images of female mechanics building tanks and repairing fighter planes in World War 2 and regular milestones of first female business and government leaders, the acceptance of gender equality in the workplace has been fought for step by step, all the way to the appointment of Marrisa May as CEO of Yahoo! in 2012 - while pregnant. 

The job, however, is far from done. In fact, Grant Thorton's International Business Report (IBR) on women reported that only one quarter of top decision-making roles in South African businesses was filled by women while 21% of South African businesses surveyed in 2013 had no women in senior management positions. 

So what does this mean for the future of aspiring business women looking to grow their careers, experience and marketability? Where can you manage your own career path and keep yourself “in the market” and available to head-hunters, recruiters and future employers, without having to rely on an external agent to do the job for you? 

Careersuite.co.za, managed by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), is a site offering support and guidance for like-minded business women and is a tool with which women who have financial capability at any level – from clerical to chartered accountants can manage their career and move up the desired corporate ladders. This unique career portal provides competency assessment, psychometric and other career tools, tailored CVs in three smart formats and ongoing exposure to career vacancies and other developments in the field, all in one location. The portal is designed to allow members to improve their capabilities, and hence their marketability, throughout their careers, while keeping them abreast of all the opportunities available in the accounting services industry. It’s a great tool for women who have decided to place their careers front and central, but also for those who decide to take a break to build families, or who decide to work from home or half-day. If you are a woman who wants to be in charge of your life wherever that path takes you, it’s worth keeping in touch, and in the market.  Visit careersuite.co.za. 

Woman Reinventing Leadership is another opportunity for women in business to meet and be inspired, at a SAICA hosted women’s leadership conference – on 29 August at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways. The aim of the conference is to inspire and empower women and to explore the unique value that women leaders bring. With a keynote address by Dr Mamphela Ramphela, the one-day conference will present ideas directed at creating awareness and training female leaders to take charge of their personal development and re-invent themselves in business and society. (For bookings visit SAICA.co.za). 

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