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08 April 2021 | Story Nonsindiso Qwabe | Photo Sonia SMall

How has COVID-19 further widened the gender inequality gap in the workplace?

This was the central question addressed during the first instalment of a webinar series on Gender and Social Justice hosted by the Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice at the University of the Free State (UFS). The webinar, which was hosted on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus on 29 March 2021, featured Prof Pearl Sithole, Qwaqwa Campus Vice-Principal: Academic and Research; Advocate Nthabiseng Sepanya-Mogale, Commissioner at the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE); and Tholo Motaung, skills trainer, moderator, and gender activist at the Vaal University of Technology as panellists. 

Prof Sithole said COVID-19 revealed the disparity that still exists between men and women in the workplace. “COVID-19 has been the magnifier. We’ve modernised quite a lot, but we’re still unequal in terms of gender. Why are we not progressing in terms of women moving forward towards equality when there has been so much progressive thinking in the political space, social justice space, as well as in the kind of feminism we have had in academia? Why are we actually not winning the battle of just regarding each other as equals?” 

Women hardest hit by COVID-19 lockdown

Advocate Sepanya-Mogale said the lockdown revealed the gender gap mostly through the significant impact it has had on South African women.

In 2020, 34% of the country’s workforce comprised women – a sharp decline of 9,8% from 43,8% in 2018.
“This decline is alarming and a clear indication of who becomes the first victims, but that is hardly talked about. A lot of women have experienced resistance from industries they had been serving diligently,” she said. She said women were often faced with the burden of integrating their work with increased care responsibilities for their children and sometimes also the elderly as primary caregivers. The double responsibility placed on women continues to re-enforce gender roles in our societies and further pushes away the success of closing the gap on gender equality prospects in our society.

Advocate Sepanya-Mogale said women were the hardest hit in most industries. In the beauty and tourism industry; air transportation; informal trading; and healthcare sector to name a few, women bore the brunt the most. “Women are the biggest employees on all economic levels in South Africa, especially the low-income and unskilled levels,” she said.
She said as the spread of the virus was likely to continue disrupting economic activity, all sectors of society needed to get involved and play their part.

“As disease outbreaks are not likely to disappear in the near future, proactive international action is required to not only save lives but to also protect economic prosperity. Academic institutions are authorities in terms of opening up new discussions, leading new debates, and putting critical issues at the centre of the table. Let us all do what we can so that we empower our people relevantly for the times we’re living in.”

News Archive

Popular SABC presenter joins the UFS
2007-03-05

Former Lesedi FM Current Affairs presenter, Mr Mangaleso Radebe, has joined the University of the Free State's (UFS) Strategic Communication Division as from today, Monday 5 March 2007.

Mr Radebe is an experienced journalist having worked for the SABC for almost 11 years. He started with the SABC as an intern in 1995 on the now defunct Good Morning South Africa television breakfast show in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.

He also had stints as a general news reporter, sports reporter, freelance producer for SABC Africa, news writer and presenter for the SABC2's Sesotho news bulletin. He joined Lesedi FM in Bloemfontein four years ago as a presenter/producer for Current Affairs programmes.

In his new job at the UFS he will be responsible for media liaison, together with Ms Lacea Loader, with print and electronic media in Bloemfontein and nationally.

According to the Director: Strategic Communication at the UFS, Mr Anton Fisher, the UFS is proud to welcome Mr Radebe as member of staff and look forward to his contribution during this exciting phase of the UFS’s history.

Media release
Issued by: Anton Fisher
Director: Strategic Communication
Cell: 072 207 8334
5 March 2007
 
 

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