Her own experiences and a desire to improve work environments through intellectual activism have shaped Prof Anita Bosch’s path. Anita holds the research chair dedicated to the study of women at work at the Stellenbosch Business School.
Prior to joining Stellenbosch University, she was the lead convenor of the Women in the Workplace research programme at the University of Johannesburg, where she also taught and held several leadership roles. Before her university career, she worked and held leadership positions in accountancy, human resource development, and pay systems in the private sector.
She is the author and editor of several public reports, including the Womensreport.africa, Women on South African boards: Facts, fiction and forward thinking; Gender pay gap guide for the already converted; and Winds of change: Trade as a catalyst for board gender diversity. Before embarking on an academic career and after several years in the corporate world, Anita and her partner decided to start a family.
That’s when she realised that she had to make different choices than her male peers. “I wasn’t unhappy about it, but I was frustrated that I couldn’t participate in the work environment like I wanted to anymore,” she recalls. As a child, Anita was encouraged to believe that she could be whatever she wanted to be, and she wasn’t willing to merely accept the status quo.
“I searched for coaching opportunities to help me make sense of it all, and then did training so that I could act as a coach for others. It feels as if the field of women at work came to me as a result of my experiences. It is part of the path I followed and who I am.”
She realised that she could do research through the lens of women and make meaningful contributions to improve work environments for both women and men.
Anita believes events such as International Women’s Day are important to address the undercurrents in dialogues about women and their roles in government, business, society and households.
“Every time I wonder whether it is really necessary to celebrate Women’s Day, I remind myself of the generation that came before me and the incredible work they did to open pathways for my generation, and I realise that my generation still has a huge role to play to make things easier for my daughter and son’s generations.”
According to Anita, there seems to be an assumption that there is a leadership prototype, and if you don’t fit that mould – and most women don’t – you aren’t regarded as a good leader.
The theme for International Women’s Day 2023 is #EmbraceEquity and during her talk on 8 March she will touch on the difference between equality, which focuses on diversity, and equity, which focuses on inclusion. She argues that if systems and practices don’t change to promote inclusion, women, especially those serving on boards or in leadership roles, will continue to leave companies, strengthening the stereotype that women “don’t have what it takes”.
“Young women must realise that they are entering an environment that isn’t necessarily built for women but that they can contribute by fostering inclusion. They don’t have to be victims of the system,” she concludes.
- Anita is part of a panel of incredible Matie women who will discuss the topic, ‘The Gender Gap: Creating Transparenc for Women to Thrive’ on 8 March.
- To commemorate International Women’s Day that is celebrated across the globe on 8 March, the Stellenbosch Women Alumnae Network (SWAN) is shining the spotlight on our remarkable women, not just for a day, but for the entire month of March.
- Read more here:
https://console.vpaper.ca/stellenbosch-university/swan-iwd23_eng/
