Abstract
Gender and racial inequalities remain recurrent narratives at the forefront of global sustainability discourses across the globe (Mashilwane, 2019). Although employment figures in South Africa (SA) indicate an increase in the number of women entering the workforce over the last decade, women continue to be underrepresented in senior management positions in the private sector (Zikode, 2020). The most recent global gender gap report estimates that it will take another 267.6 years for women to achieve equal economic participation and opportunity (World Economic Forum, 2021). Historically, as Britton (2006) shows, black women have experienced more challenges and inequalities than others, and this has hampered their career development and advancement even further. Against the theoretical background of organisational responsibility, global sustainability objectives (GSOs) and strategic thinking, there has been an increasing call on private sector organisations to uphold their commitment to the achievement of gender equality (GSO number 5), in particular. With regards to employee development, executive coaching (EC) has become a very useful and effective tool for career advancement and personal development of employees (De Vries & Van den Brink, 2016). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the status of black women empowerment in SA, according to a selected group of certified executive coaches (ECs). The hypothesis for the study is that there is insufficient investment in the empowerment of black women through EC by organisations in SA. The study uses quantitative methodology to conduct a survey among a sample of a selected group of certified ECs in SA. The aim is to enquire about their clients’ needs, expectations, opportunities and/or obstacles, with a specific focus on their black female clients. The key finding of the study is that even though there is some commitment from private sector organisations to promote black women’s careers, it is not yet sufficient to mark a shift in black women empowerment that aligns with the achievement of the GSOs. Another significant finding is that EC is predominantly funded by black women themselves, rather than by their organisations, indicating that there is a critical gap to be filled in this area. The study recommends that organisations should consciously work towards black women empowerment as part of their strategies, by formulating organisational policies and procedures that can give these women an equal chance to advance their careers. To this end, organisations also need to implement formal measurement mechanisms to assess black women empowerment initiatives, and to continuously hold themselves accountable for reporting on them to their stakeholders. The benefit for doing so is indisputable, as Sandberg (2019) shows in his report on the advantages of women empowerment: “When women lead, firms win.
M.A. (Strategic Communication)