Creating a new generation of women

According to the South African Construction Industry Status Report and the South African Women in Construction (SAWIC), only 9% of individuals employed by the construction industry in South Africa are women and of these 76% hold clerical positions. Transformation in the construction and built environment, although improving over the last decade, still has some way to progress. Women are not necessarily as familiar with the industry and the opportunities and roles available. The industry remains less attractive than other sectors.

It is the responsibility of women in leadership to encourage others to consider opportunities they deemed unavailable to them. To do this we need to ensure that at a young age future woman leaders are both exposed to these opportunities as well as supported in their development. Of specific focus for me is the promotion of maths and science for young girls to allow students to pursue a career in the infrastructure sector. At Group Five, for example, we adopted several Dinaledi Schools in various provinces for five years as part of our support for the National Department of Education Programme aiming to increase maths and science matriculants.

At the onset of my career I too knew very little about the construction and infrastructure sector. I studied towards my CA (SA) qualification and subsequent to completion of my training contract was offered a position to join my then client, Group Five, and thus started my passion for construction. In my ten years with the group I have come to appreciate the extensive roles and opportunities available in the sector, whether relating to operational or support functions. The opportunities are immense and range from engineering to quantity surveying, property development, commercial, legal, project finance, financial management, information technology, auditing to name just a few.

There's no need to limit your career choices

With such a wide range of opportunities available, like any other industry, woman need not limit their career choices. In addition the significant value add of this industry is that its benefit to society is enormous in terms of provisioning of public and private infrastructure - it's a wonderful industry to be if you passionate in delivering tangible benefit to the people of South Africa the rest of the African continent.

It is women that can drive sectors such as the construction sector to start supporting women focused initiatives. At Group Five for example we are involved in a number of initiatives aimed at empowering young women. The 'Basadi' program for example aims to develop and empower female employees within the group as well as women owned businesses within the Construction and Built Environment value chain. In addition the programme's third focus is that of community which includes focusing on the development of young girls. For example we work with the Future of the African Daughter project (FOTAD) - a girl-child development project, which provides assistance and guidance and skills to teenage girls who come from previously disadvantaged areas and townships.

It's a sector in which you will learn a great deal

An added advantage of the sector is the phenomenal experience and learning ground that it provides. The sector is very cyclical thus require constant strategic focus and management action depending on the point of trading cycle it finds itself. It requires a high level of professional judgement and estimates, it is known to be high risk yet with very low operating margins. It is operationally tough. All these aspects provide an invaluable learning ground as the industry is surely more challenging than most. Pleasingly it remains human capital intensive which provides the opportunity for employment of both unskilled and skilled resources.

There is no reason why women cannot play a more significant role in this sector. My advice would be to invest in education, work hard as this provides returns and be willing to surround yourself with good mentors and leaders. I have been very fortunate to have had leaders who have mentored me and guided me, and I appreciate the contributions that these people have made to my career. These mentorships were unofficial and interestingly and unintentionally my mentors have all been men. Support structures play a critical role in developing both young men and women.

Don't allow gender bias to deter you

I have also been very fortunate to work with a team that has been supportive and respectful to my role. However we do understand that there will always be cases of gender bias, I encounter it daily, if not within the organisation then with those I come in contact with, but there is no need to allow this to define your performance. I have found that with hard work demonstrating tangible results I have been recognised for my performance and my gender has not affected this.

I have been asked whether the way women are defined in society (ideas of woman being emotional and weak) are a deterrent to performance. I have found that in my experience of working with woman in leadership that they have mostly been strong, respected for their contribution, consistent and fair. Any softness has been more empathy than emotion and has added to the management and leadership style with employees respecting and appreciating that leadership demonstrates humanity if a situation calls for this.

In conclusion, women need to acknowledge the contribution that they can make within their roles in leadership and the decisions that they can influence to help improve the lives of other women and future generations to come. With commitment and dedication we can aid to the transformation needs of our society drive the increase of women employment in all sectors.

BWASA

The Businesswomen's Association of South Africa (BWASA) is reputed to be the largest and most prominent association of business and professional women in the country, representing a powerful group of decision makers and leaders. Its main aim is to advance member's interests and to lobby for further participation in the economy. It is also an effective platform for career enhancing initiatives such as training and mentorship schemes and serves as an important networking forum.

BWASA is a non-profit, voluntary association with members from around the country, working through various strategic partnerships.

It dates back to 1979 with its roots in the Executive Women's Club and has a proud history of advancing women's interests in the business field. More recently, as part of its on-going efforts to strengthen the role and recognition of women in South Africa, BWASA committed itself to spearheading an Economic Gender Advocacy Programme which is specifically linked to developing the content of the new Women Empowerment and Gender Equity Bill and creating a Charter for Women's Empowerment.

BWASA also publishes the South African Women in Leadership Census. The Census is the only analytical publication of this nature in South Africa that measures gender equity and equality in corporate South Africa.

BWASA uses awards to recognise achievement, dedication, commitment and progress. Established in 1980, the Businesswoman of the Year Award (BWOYA) is a major event in the annual South African business calendar. Awards are presented in both the Corporate and Entrepreneurial categories following a comprehensive nomination and judging process to select finalists and eventual winners. Importantly, Regional Business Achiever Awards (RBAAs) are also presented every year to recognise the achievements of women in business in local and regional environments. These awards actively seek to identify, acknowledge and cultivate entrepreneurs, corporate and professional women leaders in the various regions.

One of BWASA's top priorities is to improve access to business education. Many valuable bursaries have been awarded over the years to students enrolled in post-graduate universities or technikons. These were all a result of proceeds from the annual, prestigious Businesswoman of the Year Awards.

Significantly, the important work carried out by BWASA would not be possible without the vital support and contributions of corporate sponsors, partners and other donors. The association is continually seeking opportunities to partner with organisations in order to achieve its business objectives.

For more information on the organisation go to www.bwasa.co.za.