GUATEMALA

Having collated data from survey questionnaire and interviewees, the research also assessed the City’s EE framework against identified success factors of gender equality. The purpose of the assessment is to ascertain if the City’s EE framework complies and aligns to proposed catalysis measures for meeting gender equality in the work environment. As previously mentioned, the City’s EE framework consists of the Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality Policy Discussion Document (2004); Employment Equity Policy (2005); Employment Equity Plan for City of Cape Town 2010-2015 (2009); Employment Equity Plan for City of Cape Town 2015-2019 (2015); and Women Empowerment Strategy for Staff within the City of Cape Town (2009). In the prevailing chapters, findings indicated that adopting ideal and compatible measures is fundamental for strategies and or processes to be effective. Misalignment and

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adoption of incomparable measures can render the most effective frameworks ineffective if the context and environment is not ideal.

In chapter two it was highlighted that gender equity and gender equality happens within a number of contexts, and influenced by different subjects and domains. Moreover, it identified that there are a variety of measures and indicators essential in addressing gender inequality in the labour market. Areas predominantly essential in fast tracking and yielding substantive measures of gender equality and women’s empowerment entailed, inter alia, developing and or creating employee proficiency; access to resources and opportunity; and providing security by balancing power relations. Furthermore, the gender equality discourse accentuated that gender equality intensive institutions develop policies, strategies, and or initiatives guided and influenced by gender mainstreaming objectives; create partnerships conducive to promoting gender equality buy-in from all stakeholders; capacitate and strengthen individual and collective approaches of empowerment for women. It is not sufficient to propose and strategies on the process to address gender inequalities when the environment is not conducive to the implementation. For substantive outcomes, frameworks need contextualised environments, approaches, measures, and so forth. Contextualisation necessitates that the environment, either the culture of the institution and or practises be conducive to the process.

Gender equality encompasses, and is inclusive of a number of multifaceted subjects; therefore, the City’s framework should adopt a scope that caters to such. To successfully meet and implement substantive gender equality, gender equality measures must assume a multi-faceted, multi-dimensional, and multi-sectoral approach. Strategies ought to be comprehensive to address issues of gender discourse, such as creating gender inclusive organisational cultures; implementation of gender mainstreaming approaches; inculcate a culture of diversity management in City practises; prioritisation of gender equality that transpires in substantive buy-in from staff and management. In light of the above, effective implementation of gender equality transpires in the cooperation and coordination of various components that

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recognise the interdependence and interrelation of the components within gender equality.

The City’s EE framework aligns, refers, and confers to affording individuals with skills capacity; resources and opportunity; and to some of the measures and indicators essential in meeting gender equality. The City formally subscribe to some of the key measures indicated as essential criterion for closing the gap in gender equality and working towards achieving gender equality. However, even though the City’s EE framework subscribes to the measures as indicated in the gender equality discourse, it does not entirely subscribe to the measures in its practise. Findings noted that the gender equality measures are adopted in principal but lacked effect in implementation. As such, the research findings noted that the City’s challenge predominantly ascended in the process of implementing the EE framework of the gender equality discourse scope. The City’s measures, strategies, and EE redress tools operate in silos, whilst the context of the City’s organisational culture and levels of buy-in from stakeholders has not created nor prompted gender equality. A conducive context requires that the City re-engineers its organisational culture and practises; develop gender equality implementation approaches aligned to gender mainstreaming approaches; and inculcate diversity management in its practises.

Moreover, the research findings also note that the City’s EE policy highlights that senior management (Executive Directors and Directors) should spearhead the EE agenda, which is inclusive of gender equality within the City. Consequently, the EE policy not only creates a buy-in and advocacy role for management in achieving gender equality, it simultaneously sets management as key drivers of the process. It is management’s responsibility to create an enabling environment that is gender sensitive and meets the specific gender needs of women and men; capacitate to transform culture and practices of the City; develop partnerships both internally and externally; and impact on the internal human resource policies to ensure the empowerment of female employees and the promotion of gender equality. Furthermore, chapter four indicated that the City’s EE framework does not prescribe specific action plans and implementation strategies

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to attaining gender equality. It has strategic objectives that align to the attainment of gender equality in the City as a collective.

Nonetheless, that the universal approach adopted by the City’s gender policy framework perpetuates poor levels of implementation of identified gender equality measures and plans. In the findings of the research investigation, the paucity of specific actionable plans emerged as a challenge in effectively implementing gender equality measures. Paucity of measurable goals and action plans reduced gender equality measures to intangible outcomes provided lip service. Management in the respective directorates has been given the mandate to develop detailed action plans, implementation strategies that are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timeous) and contribute to the holistic gender equality target of the City. However, in practise this process has not been adhered to, hence some departments have succession plans, gender forums whilst others do not have them. Given management’s role as per the EE framework in spearheading gender equality, management’s paucity of prioritising gender equality perpetuates poor implementation and the minimal trends in effecting substantive gender equality in management levels. Some of the identified measures management has lacked in prioritising included, inter alia; talent management; skills transferal; application of EE compliant procedures in the recruitment and selection process; and developing and investing in skills audits, PDPs, succession plans, skills shortage through education, training, and development as a key lever of workplace diversity.

Additionally, the EE framework similarly states that the City must create and encourage an organisational culture built on the foundations of diversity and promotes equitable representation of persons from designated groups at every occupational level of the City. However, the City’s current overall occupational level statistical breakdown indicates this has not been met. Women are still predominantly underrepresentation in senior positions, whilst men are overrepresented in this area.

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This chapter discussed the inferential interpretation and analysis of the findings generated from DGIS practitioners’ surveys, individual interview discussions and the City’s EE framework. The analysis and interpretation identified, explored, and correlated DGIS practitioners’ perception on the progression of women into management positions, that of the City’s EE framework, and of interviews with two senior DGIS practitioners and three managers of the City. The responses of DGIS practitioners and interviewees have been categorised into different themes that are related, interrelated, and/or independent. Furthermore, data findings deduced the research variables through correlations.

Overall, there were complementary notions between assertions of interviewees and that of DGIS practitioners’ survey responses on the subject of the advancement of women into senior management positions in the City. Therefore, data generated from the interviewees, the DGIS practitioners’ survey and staffing profile data indicated that there was paucity of fairness in treatment between men and women, as well as in the enjoyment of rights, entitlement, responsibilities, and opportunities. Conversely, interviewees views were predominantly that gender equality in the City was minimal and internal practises and culture had an influential process in the levels of the advancement rates. As a result, there is a slow pace of advancement of women into senior management position and interviewees asserted that the City could do more if the necessary measures are adopted and effectively implemented. In the next chapter, the implications of the findings will be discussed to determine if there is any correlation to the existing gender equality literature.

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