WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT: Gender equality – Is it a myth?
In the past three years New Zealand has actually slipped backwards in terms of female representation at senior business management levels, according to the 2007 Grant Thornton International Business Report. In 2004, its survey ranked us as equal fourth among nations surveyed with a proportion of 31 percent. That figure has now dropped to 24 percent and we’re in 10th place behind countries like the Philippines, Russia, China and South Africa. More than a third (37 percent) of the 150 Kiwi businesses included in the global survey had no women in senior management: 40 percent had just one. It’s not that the country lacks female talent – or even that it goes unrecognised – more that business seems to lack the will to create an environment that encourages female participation at senior levels. The problem is most evident when women want to return to work after having children. Moving from full-time mum to full-time manager isn’t the best option for many but there’s not a lot of choice. Part
