Tourism industries around the world continue to be dominated by women, who make up between 60% and 70% of the global tourism labour force.
In South Africa, the imbalance is even greater, with unofficial estimates putting the number at closer to 80%. And yet, here as elsewhere in the world, women remain vastly under-represented as owners and managers, with the majority of senior and decision-making positions still being held by men.
This must change, says Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane.
“One of the devastating things that the COVID-19 outbreak has exposed, is the vulnerability of women in the economy,” she says. “This is because the majority of women who are economically active are in the services sector and this is the sector that has been hard hit by the pandemic.”
Therefore, South Africa’s COVID-19 various rescue and recovery plans must include a wide focus on gender equality and empowerment.
Rosanna Caira, founder of the Women in Tourism Summit, agrees.
“Diversity and inclusion are more important than ever before,’ she says.
“While COVID-19 has impacted people everywhere, women have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, which has proven a veritable “she-recession.”
In addition to gender disparities, Caira points out that less than 1.5% of all hospitality industry executives around the world are Black. “Now more than ever, it is our collective imperative to provide skills and networking to help advance women, especially women of colour, in everything we do and every decision we make.”
One local initiative driving this change is the Eastern Cape Chapter of Women in Tourism, a business-led, government support platform which was established in 2018 with the purpose of driving transformation in the tourism sector.
Women in Tourism’s objectives include:
• Ensuring that women in the tourism sector are respected, recognised, represented and rewarded;
• Creating and mobilising platforms for women to network and expand their business and professional horizons;
• Driving transformation;
• Facilitating access to information, business resources and opportunities within the tourism sector;
• Providing leadership for young women who have entered or planning to enter the tourism and hospitality sectors;
• Lobbying government and other stakeholders on barriers for the advancement of women in the tourism and hospitality sectors; and
• Identifying mechanisms to address the various barriers women face in the tourism sector.
To find out more about this group or to get in touch visit https://womenintourism-ec.co.za/
