30 March 2004

South Africa has the third-highest proportion of companies employing women as senior managers, and the eighth-highest proportion of women in senior management posts, according to a survey by accounting and consulting firm Grant Thornton.

The latest findings from the annual Grant Thornton International Business Owners Survey reveal that 75% of businesses in South Africa employ women in senior management positions, in contrast to the global average of 59% - giving SA the third-highest proportion of companies employing women as senior managers.

The survey also reveals that 26% of total senior management posts in South Africa are filled by women, beating the global average by 7% and placing South Africa eighth in the world.

Leonard Brehm, Grant Thornton's national chairman, said the survey results were "indicative of progress made by women during our 10 years of democracy", but cautioned: "There is still a long way to go."

While six in 10 of the companies surveyed internationally included at least one woman in a senior management position, remarkably few women have penetrated the overall ranks of senior managers: internationally, women occupy less than a fifth (19%) of senior management posts available.

Internationally, the survey found, Russia has the highest proportion (89%) of companies where women occupy a management role, followed by the Philippines (85%). Both the US and Mexico are on a par with South Africa at 75%. Bottom of the pack are The Netherlands and Pakistan (27%), Japan (29%) and Germany (33%).

According to the survey, Russia is the only country to approach full gender parity, with 42% of management posts held by women, followed by the Philippines at 39%. "It is striking in the US, for example, that although 75% of businesses employ women in senior management positions, women only hold 20% of total senior jobs", Grant Thornton said in a statement.

"At the other end of the scale, Japan and the Netherlands have the lowest results on both counts. In Japan a mere 8% of the senior management are women, whereas in the Netherlands the figure is marginally better at 9%."

SouthAfrica.info reporter

	Jeanette Hern, partner at Grant Thornton and the first woman to sit on the firm's national council (Photo: Grant Thornton)

	Women in business Women in business census 2004 SA's high-flying businesswomen

	Grant Thornton