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Women leaders in local government in South Africa : trends, challenges and opportunities
Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613799226277889 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Adams, Kay-Dee |
| author2 | Pillay, Pregala |
| author_browse | Adams, Kay-Dee Pillay, Pregala |
| author_facet | Pillay, Pregala Adams, Kay-Dee |
| author_sort | Adams, Kay-Dee |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description |
Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131998 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:52.972Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131998 Women leaders in local government in South Africa : trends, challenges and opportunities Adams, Kay-Dee Pillay, Pregala Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership. Women in politics -- South Africa Women politicians -- South Africa Local government -- South Africa Women -- Social conditions -- South Africa Sex discrimination -- Political participation -- South Africa Leadership in women -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Adams, K. 2025. Women Leaders in Local Government in South Africa: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch Univeristy [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/2ca6c6ab-4b28-4498-b2da-8b2d7e85882c ENGLISH SUMMARY: Although South Africa has witnessed a number of women being appointed in the local sphere of government, the underrepresentation at both the senior and middle-management levels persists. As the lowest sphere of government, it is mandated to adapt to and implement all national policy directives including gender equality (Mpofu, 2021). Local government provides a great window of opportunity to rectify the imbalances of the past and to empower women because they are affected the most by poverty due to inequality. The government formulated a comprehensive legislative framework, which mandates that women be empowered as well as participate in their own development. Although several pieces of legislation have been implemented to empower women, none have produced the anticipated outcomes. Hence, it can be inferred that women continue to be considered inferior to occupy senior management and leadership positions in local government compared to men (Mpofu, 2021). The adopted qualitative research methodology sought to explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities related to women in leadership roles at the local sphere of the South African government. Furthermore, the extent to which existing processes enable active participation in municipal systems including viable alternative interventions to reinforce the process was also investigated. The data was gathered from the two case studies, namely, Drakenstein and Stellenbosch Municipality. Purposive and convenient sampling was utilised to conduct semi-structured interviews with four (4) senior participants in senior management positions from both municipalities and online surveys were completed by twenty-nine (29) women in administrative positions at the Drakenstein and Stellenbosch Municipalities. The findings of this study revealed that historical norms, a lack of gender sensitivity, and the notion of male dominance is still embedded within the local sphere of government. However, bot the Drakenstein and Stellenbosch Municipalities are taking strides forward by implementing existing employment and gender equality policies and processes to allow so that women can have an equal opportunity to occupy senior management positions. On an individual level, as emerged from The online surveys and interviews revealed that four prominent elements are required which would motivate more women to pursue leadership positions at the local sphere of government, for example, through mentoring, access to information, networking, and training. According to the reviewed European studies, this model can be referred to as the MINT-model. Public awareness and acceptance of gender representation on a societal level could enhance representation of women in leadership positions and political life in local government. Existing studies have revealed a gap in the prioritisation and scrutiny of the extent to which current legislative frameworks and strategies include equality and equity to enable women to participate in governance in senior leadership positions. This study examined existing policy framework of the participation of women in local government and insight gathered from local officials in top management positions. It is recommended that current mechanisms and alternative new strategies be strengthened so that women can be represented through a multi-faceted approach including more supportive organisational cultures; enforce institutional and legal frameworks; establish mentorship and networking opportunities; promote education and develop skills; and change the perception and acquire the buy-in from their male counterparts. This could enable a cultural shift in terms of the role of gender within the local sphere of government in South Africa and society as a whole. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Alhoewel daar in Suid-Afrika ’n toename was in die aantal vroue in plaaslike regering, bly daar steeds ’n onderverteenwoordiging van vroueleiers in senior- en middelbestuur. Daar rus ’n verpligting op die Suid-Afrikaanse plaaslike regering om alle beleidsvoorskrifte, insluitende die beginsel van geslagsgelykheid, na te kom. Plaaslike regering bied ’n enorme geleentheid vir die regstelling van wanbalanse en die bemagtiging van vroue, aangesien hulle die nadeligste getref word deur armoede as gevolg van ongelykheid. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Regering het ’n omvattende wetgewende raamwerk ontwikkel wat verseker dat vroue bemagtig word en aan hul eie ontwikkeling meewerk. Met al die wetgewing in plek het vrouebemagtiging, soos in die Suid-Afrikaanse Grondwet beoog, nog nie die verlangde resultate gelewer nie, soos bewys deur die feit dat vroue, vergeleke met mans, steeds minderwaardig bly wat betref die inneem van leierskapsposisies in plaaslike regering (Mpofu, 2021). Hierdie kwalitatiewe navorsingstudie het gepoog om die neigings, uitdagings en geleenthede wat verband hou met vroue in leierskapposisies in plaaslike regering in Suid-Afrika te ondersoek, en die mate waarin bestaande prosesse die aktiewe deelname van vroue aan munisipale stelsels toelaat, met inagneming van lewensvatbare alternatiewe intervensies om dit te versterk. Die data-insameling vir hierdie studie is in twee vorme uitgevoer met die datasteekproef van die twee gevallestudies insluitende Drakenstein Munisipaliteit en Stellenbosch Munisipaliteit. Doelgerigte en gerieflike steekproefneming is gebruik om semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude uit te voer met vier (4) deelnemers van beide munisipaliteite in senior bestuursposisies tesame met aanlyn opnames wat deur nege-en-twintig (29) vroue in administrasie binne Drakenstein en Stellenbosch Munisipaliteite voltooi is. Gepaste taal is gebruik met die onderhoude en opnames van deelnemers, waaruit data aangeteken, getranskribeer en ontleed is om bevindinge, aanbevelings en slotopmerkings te lewer. Bevindinge van hierdie studie het getoon dat historiese norme, 'n gebrek aan geslagsensitiwiteit en die idee van manlike dominansie steeds in ons politieke plaaslike regeringstruktuur ingebed is. Drakenstein en Stellenbosch Munisipaliteite toon egter vordering in die neem van aanspreeklikheid in hul strukture deur bestaande indiensnemings- en geslagsgelykheidsbeleide en -prosesse af te dwing om meer vroue in staat te stel om gelyke geleenthede te he vir senior bestuursposte, spesifiek "manlik-oorheersende" bestuursposte, ooreenkomstig met hul kwalifikasies, vermoens en wilskrag om in daardie posisies te slaag. Op 'n individuele vlak, soos blyk uit die opnames en onderhoude wat gevoer is, is gevind dat vier prominente elemente vereis word waarvan die samewerking dit moontlik maak dat meer vroue gemotiveer word om meer leiersposisies in plaaslike regering na te streef: mentorskap van vroue, inligting, netwerke vir vroue en opleiding. Soos afgelei van literatuur en 'n oorsig van Europese studies, kan hierdie model die MINT-model genoem word. Gesamentlik kan die toename in openbare aanvaarding en bewustheid van geslagsverteenwoordiging op 'n samelewingsvlak lei tot verbeterde verteenwoordiging van vroue in leiersposisies en politieke lewe in plaaslike regering. Die studie het getoon dat historiese hindernisse, ’n gebrek aan geslagsensitiwiteit en die idee van manlike dominansie deur die kombinasie van literatuur en empiriese komponente steeds in ons politieke plaaslike regeringstruktuur ingebed is. Ons munisipaliteite maak egter vordering deur aanspreeklikheid te neem in hul strukture deur bestaande indiensneming en deur geslagsgelykheidsbeleide en prosesse te implementeer ten einde meer vroue in staat te stel om gelyke geleenthede tot posisies, spesifiek “manlik gedomineerde” bestuursposisies, in ooreenstemming met hul kwalifikasies, vermoens en wilskrag om in daardie posisies sukses te behaal. Op ’n individuele vlak, volgens die opnames en onderhoude, is bevind dat vier prominente komponente samewerkend lei tot meer vroue wat gemotiveerd is om na meer leierskapsposisies in plaaslike regering te streef: mentorskap vir vroue, inligting, netwerkskepping vir vroue en opleiding. Soos afgelei uit die literatuur en ’n beskouing van Europese studies, staan hierdie model bekend as die MINT-model. Die toename in openbare bewustheid van geslagsverteenwoordiging op ’n samelewingsvlak kan meewerkend aanleiding gee tot ’n verbeterde verteenwoordiging van vroueleiers in plaaslike regering en politieke lewe. Reeds bestaande studies bied 'n leemte vir die prioritisering om die omvang te ondersoek waartoe huidige wetgewende raamwerke en strategiee inklusief is vir gelykheid en billikheidskwessies deur vroue in staat te stel om deel te neem aan bestuur in senior leiersposisies. Hierdie studie het begin met gevolgtrekkings gemaak uit die assessering van bestaande beleidsraamwerk rondom vroue se deelname aan plaaslike regering en die insigte wat verkry is van plaaslike amptenare in topbestuursposisies in plaaslike regering en stel aanbevelings voor vir die verbetering van huidige meganismes en alternatiewe nuwe strategiee wat versterk die verteenwoordiging van vroueleiers deur 'n veelsydige benadering, insluitend: meer ondersteunende organisasiekulture, versterkte handhawing van institusionele en wetlike raamwerke, mentorskap- en netwerkgeleenthede, die bevordering van onderwys en vaardigheidsontwikkeling, en die persepsieverandering en inkoop van hul manlike ewekniee wat kultuurverskuiwings in terme van geslagsrolle binne plaaslike regering in Suid-Afrika en die samelewing as geheel sal toelaat. Masters 2025-05-12T09:48:31Z 2025-05-12T09:48:31Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131998 Stellenbosch University xiii, 102 pages : illustrations, maps, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Women in politics -- South Africa Women politicians -- South Africa Local government -- South Africa Women -- Social conditions -- South Africa Sex discrimination -- Political participation -- South Africa Leadership in women -- South Africa UCTD Adams, Kay-Dee Women leaders in local government in South Africa : trends, challenges and opportunities |
| title | Women leaders in local government in South Africa : trends, challenges and opportunities |
| title_full | Women leaders in local government in South Africa : trends, challenges and opportunities |
| title_fullStr | Women leaders in local government in South Africa : trends, challenges and opportunities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Women leaders in local government in South Africa : trends, challenges and opportunities |
| title_short | Women leaders in local government in South Africa : trends, challenges and opportunities |
| title_sort | women leaders in local government in south africa trends challenges and opportunities |
| topic | Women in politics -- South Africa Women politicians -- South Africa Local government -- South Africa Women -- Social conditions -- South Africa Sex discrimination -- Political participation -- South Africa Leadership in women -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131998 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adamskaydee womenleadersinlocalgovernmentinsouthafricatrendschallengesandopportunities |