Women continue to encounter systemic barriers in leadership—connected to biases, unequal opportunities, and complex work environments. While many organisations introduce flexible policies or DE&I initiatives, lasting change hinges on a holistic, culture-first approach.
1 - Address women’s leadership challenges and essential competencies
Equip female leaders with tailored support—through targeted training, mentoring, on-the-job coaching, and clear development of strategic thinking and organisational complexity skills. Research shows that the most common hurdles are establishing credibility, managing across the organisation, negotiating, and influencing others.
2 - Encourage intentional career choices (agency)
Women must be encouraged to own their career trajectories—shaping conversations, setting goals that align with their values, and balancing professional and personal roles with intention. This counteracts cultural conditioning and empowers self-directed leadership development.
3 - Rethink systems and challenge assumptions
Individual-level interventions aren’t enough - organisational systems must shift. Identify and address systemic biases in development, promotion, scheduling, networking, and expectations. Leaders should foster workplace environments that prioritise gender parity and psychological safety.
4 - Offer flexible, women-focused leadership development
Allow women the opportunity to participate in leadership development - whether via virtual or in-person programs, all-women or mixed-gender cohorts - with executive sponsorship and dedicated time to learn and reflect.
5 - Build the right networks for women
Relationships are essential. Support women in building networks of mentors, sponsors, coaches, and champions who can open doors and share critical insights. Explicit organisational support is needed to fill gaps in access to these networks.
South African connection: local leadership gaps & systemic bias
While global conversations around women in leadership are gaining momentum, South Africa still faces deeply rooted leadership disparities - despite having progressive constitutional and employment equity frameworks.
- Underrepresentation at the top:
Despite ongoing efforts to improve gender diversity in leadership, the underrepresentation of women at the top levels of JSE-listed companies remains a significant challenge. As of 2025, women make up approximately 20-22% of directors on JSE-listed boards, a moderate increase from previous years, but still far from parity. The number is even lower at the CEO and chairperson levels, with women continuing to be severely underrepresented in these top executive roles. The representation of women in CEO roles on the JSE remains below 10%, highlighting a narrowing pipeline that restricts women from advancing to the highest levels of corporate leadership. - Systemic bias:
Gender stereotypes, rigid workplace cultures, and unconscious bias often inhibit women's mobility into decision-making roles. For women of colour, these barriers multiply due to intersectional discrimination that affects access to high-level networks and visibility. - Workplace inflexibility:
Many professional environments still fail to accommodate the dual roles women often carry - as professionals and primary caregivers. Flexible work arrangements and leadership development programs tailored to women’s needs are largely underdeveloped in both corporate and public sectors. - Unequal access to mentorship:
South African women often report limited access to influential sponsors or mentors who can advocate for their advancement. Most mentorship structures are informal or male-dominated, excluding many women from meaningful growth opportunities.
Call to action: creating enabling environments for South African women leaders
To unlock the full potential of South Africa’s female talent, business leaders, HR practitioners, and policymakers need to act on the following:
- Audit organisational culture
Review leadership practices, promotion pathways, and decision-making norms to identify structural barriers that may disadvantage women—particularly mothers, Black women, and those in non-urban areas. - Invest in targeted leadership development
Design and support programs that intentionally focus on building women’s leadership capabilities - with access to coaching, exposure to strategic projects, and sponsorship from senior executives. - Formalise mentorship and sponsorship programs
Move beyond informal mentorship by creating structured, measurable sponsorship initiatives that ensure women are not just mentored but actively advocated for at decision-making tables. - Champion flexibility and work-life integration
Introduce flexible, hybrid work policies and leadership pathways that allow women to grow without compromising other life roles - especially critical in sectors with rigid hierarchies. - Elevate women’s voices
Build internal platforms, forums, and thought leadership programs that amplify women’s contributions and perspectives in strategy and innovation.
Sources & References
- Center for Creative Leadership (2024, February 1). Retaining & Developing Women Leaders: 5 Steps for Success CCL
- Regent University blog (2024, August 7). Collaborative Leadership: Lessons from Women Executives — highlights South African leadership context and traits like emotional intelligence and resilience.regent.ac.za
- Reddit community discourse (2024). Insights from South African women on mentorship, flexibility, and workplace culture.Reddit