Abstract
The fourth industrial revolution has ushered in a technological era which promises a broader and quicker transfer of data and information captured in modern day systems than the third industrial age. This era promises great opportunity throughout numerous spheres of life with its greatest shortcoming being imparting the necessary skills and education on workers so as to survive in this era. The focus of this investigation is centred on the inequalities that women continue to face in the world of employment and the policies such as affirmative action and treaties that have been implemented to nullify these prejudices. Throughout history, women have succumbed to unequal working conditions as a result of unequal pay when compared to their male counterparts which further includes gender based acts such as harassment. To this end, women still face less favourable working conditions to that of men. The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the influence of the fourth industrial revolution on the future of the inequalities women face in work while analysing and deconstructing the implications of the Employment Equality Act alongside treaties as tools to reduce gender inequality in employment. The importance of higher education and skills development as solutions to alleviate the inequities women face in working conditions were investigated. A fundamental study further evaluated how legal reasoning interacts with social hierarchies based on gender and gender based implications. In doing so, the writer was able to assess the gender gaps experienced between men and women in employment. A law reform approach through work policy introductions were suggested in attempt to find solutions to aid women in work. Fundamental research was utilised in analysing the introduction of the fourth industrial revolution and the social impact it would have not only on women nationally but in African communities as well. The research study revealed that despite policies like the Employment Equity Act and the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development being implemented to aid in achieving equality for women in work, closing the gender based gap would prove challenging. The reason hereto is because men still dominate industries like Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (or STEM fields) which are important for growth in an evolving society thus hampering the sustainable development of women. A country like South Africa, and most 4 | P a g e likely the rest of the African continent, will struggle to adapt to the advances imposed by the fourth industrial revolution due to a lack of resources and tools such as reliable infrastructure and electrical driven technologies to accommodate the new industrial age. Despite the suggestion of improving skills development and higher education in our society, unemployment and patriarchy still serve as obstacles toward achieving equal rights in employment for our women. In short, for newly suggested policies to work in light of the fourth industrial revolution, a legal and social reform will have to be adopted in society as a whole.
LL.M. (Commercial Law)