By Sma Mathibeli, Calvin and Family Group CEO

The number of women in C-suites has increased, but surveys reveal that the women present in these boardrooms remain voiceless. 

South Africa is said to have higher female representation in leadership than global averages. Over 40% of our parliamentary seats, for instance, are occupied by women, and 47% of senior management roles are also held by women, according to accounting and audit firm SNG Grant Thompson. 

However, women remain voiceless. Studies conducted in South Africa and globally paint a consistent picture that women do not feel supported enough to be true representatives of women in their respective workplaces. Research attributes this self-imposed atrophy to various factors, which I have encountered myself, even in executive spaces.

Women who present adverse opinions in a male-dominated gathering are often tagged as “problematic” and called unpleasant nicknames behind their backs that are usually synonymous with frigidity or reference their lack of femininity. On the other hand, agreeable women are likely to be well-received and favoured during annual performance reviews.

What grieves me is when misogyny is masked as adherence to one’s culture. A Black woman such as myself has unfortunately heard too many times from Black men in power how “westernised” I am  for daring to speak up in the Boys’ Club when I should “shut up and let the men speak.” 

The number of women in influential roles may have risen on paper, but the experience of women on the ground still smells of the eighties, where women were valued not for their intellect but their compliance with male dominance, their appearance and age. In 2024, Women Influence+ made a groundbreaking discovery that nearly 80% of women surveyed across 46 countries experienced ageism as a barrier in their career growth, with more facing it later in their careers than when they were younger. 

While I believe that the onus is on organisations to defeat the stubborn, greasy hands of sexism, especially with the many blueprints available to them, such as the UN’s Women’s Empowerment Principles, individual actions can be impactful too. Here are some proposed solutions. 

A well-known one often mentioned in such discussions is the Amplification method practised by the female employees of the Obama administration. In short, female staffers intentionally repeated the ideas of fellow female colleagues to further drive home a point and prevent the idea from being stolen by their male counterparts. The theory fascinated academics and caught the attention of the critically acclaimed Harvard Business Review, which did its own study and consequently sang the method’s praises. This study found that not only did this method validate the original speaker, but it also had the secondary effect of painting the “validator” as a team player since they aimed to amplify another’s idea instead of their own. 

Similar to the first point, this suggestion also emphasises the power in numbers. I believe that if women in the workplace rally together in their individual departments and companies to discuss their grievances and ways forward that answer their specific areas of concern within their respective organisations, this will have several potential benefits; the creation of a creative pool of solutions as opposed to a few by one person, the psychological strength those women will feel in this solidarity and the unstoppable force of a group of women speaking in one voice against injustice. I am reminded of the isiZulu saying “Wathinta abafazi, wathinta imbokodo”. This is often erroneously translated to “You strike a woman, you strike a rock.” The better translation is that if you strike women [plural], you strike a rock. 

To further embolden us, we need to take a page out of the human resource handbook by keeping undeniable evidence of our value. This means that when you speak in boardrooms, you not only speak from a gut feeling but from past results that are evidence of your capabilities. Saying, “I believe this will work because 70% of the clients said this in a survey I helped conduct”, or “latest research shows that the entire industry is pivoting to…” is better than “I believe it will work.”

My argument is not that women should be in silos or receive special treatment. Men, and their unique perspectives, are needed. The goal is not separation but to fix the imbalance of power and freedom in the workplace.

As women who already have a seat at the table; the decision-making, imported oak table, let us ensure that we represent the interests of the women below us and strive to create a better culture that even future women will enjoy when we have left. 

Over and above meeting diversity metrics, women should feel confident to speak loudly and should be respected regardless of their gender, age, marital status, or culture. This is the bare minimum.

 Sma Mathibeli is the Group CEO at Calvin and Family