Indicators of Female Empowerment

D07 5

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Abstract

Female empowerment in the workplace remains a critical issue in South African employment situations. This paper presents a culturally sensitive instrument that has sufficient sensitivity to reveal subtle discrimination against women in a textile industry in deep rural South Africa. As tool used in an empirical study it identifies seemingly insignificant indicators of discrimination against women and provides suggestions for the improvment of equity and empowerment that from the outside one would not have thought would make a significant difference in empowerment levels. The conclusion is reached that empowerment of women can be achieved through traditional interventions such as affirmative action and complete equality between gender groups in appointments. But, it is also concluded that significant empowerment of women can be achieved through making very small but significant changes in the work environment. Guidelines in this respect are provided that expand the knowledge and understanding that is necessary to promote gender equity in the workplace.