Investigating barriers to career advancement for women in the South African Tourism Sector

Abstract

Gender inequalities persist across all economic sectors, and women do not have the same economic opportunities as men. According to the World Bank, the tourism sector offers significant opportunities for women's empowerment by allowing them to advance to positions of leadership and entrepreneurship. The study aimed to determine whether barriers to career advancement of women (family responsibilities, work environment, qualifications, flexible working hours, work from home) differ significantly from the latent variables of leadership of WIT, motivation of WIT, and empowerment of WIT. The study was quantitative and descriptive, allowing researchers to assess the impact of leadership of WIT, motivation of WIT, and empowerment of WIT on women's career advancement in the SA tourism sector. Non-discriminative snowball sampling was used to collect the primary data (n = 250), and the questionnaire was distributed online via email and social media platforms as indicated in the findings of this study. Results confirm that barriers to career advancement of women have a significant effect on the latent variables of Leadership of WIT, Motivation of WIT and the Empowerment of WIT. This study aimed to fill a knowledge gap concerning women in the tourism sector in SA and to add to the growing international conversation on the barriers to career advancement for women in the tourism sector.

Geslagsongelykheid duur volhardend voort oor alle ekonomiese sektore heen en vroue kry nie dieselfde ekonomiese geleenthede as mans nie. Volgens die Wêreldbank bied die toerismesektor aansienlike geleenthede vir die bemagtiging van vroue deur hulle toe te laat om tot leierskap- en ondernemerskapposisies te vorder. Die doelwit van hierdie studie was om te bepaal of die belemmeringe tot vroue se beroepsbevordering (gesinsverantwoordelikhede, werksomgewing, kwalifikasies, inskiklike werksure, van die huis af werk) op ’n beduidende wyse van die latente veranderlikes van leierskap van VIT (vroue in toerisme), motivering van VIT en bemagtiging van VIT verskil. Die studie was kwantitatief en beskrywend van aard en het navorsers in staat gestel om die impak van leierskap van VIT, motivering van VIT en die bemagtiging van VIT op die vordering van vroue in hul beroepe in die SA-toerismesektor te evalueer. Nie-diskriminerende sneeubalsteekproefneming is gebruik om die primêre data (n = 250) te versamel. Soos in die bevindinge van die studie aangedui, is die vraelys aanlyn per e-pos sowel as deur middel van sosiale media platforms versprei. Die bevindinge het bevestig dat die belemmeringe tot beroepsbevordering van vroue ’n beduidende effek het op die latente veranderlikes van leierskap van VIT, motivering van VIT en die bemagtiging van VIT. Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om die kennisgaping aangaande vroue in die toerismesektor in Suid-Afrika te vul sowel as om ’n bydrae tot die groeiende internasionale gesprek oor die belemmeringe tot beroepsbevordering vir vroue in die toerismesektor te lewer.

Ukungalingani ngokwesini kukhona kuwo onke amacandelo ezoqoqosho, kwaye abafazi abafumani amathuba afana nawamadoda kwezoqoqosho. Ngokokutsho kweBhanki Yehlabathi, iWorld Bank, icandelo lezokhenketho linika amathuba amahle kakhulu ekomelezeni abafazi ngokubavumela ukuba banyukele kwizikhundla zobunkokheli nokuba ngoosomashishini abaqalayo. Esi sifundo sijolise ekufumaniseni ukuba ingaba imiqobo yokunyukela ngentla kubafazi (uxanduva lwekhaya, iimeko zasemsebenzini, imfundo, iiyure zokuphangela ezivumela iimeko ngeemeko, ukusebenzela ekhaya) yahluke kakhulu na kwiimpawu zobunkokheli ezimayana ezifana nobunkokheli kubafazi abakukhenketho (iWIT), ukukhuthazeka kweWIT, ukunikwa amagunya kwiWIT. Esi sifundo salandela indlela yophando ngokobuninzi bamanani nokucacisa, apho kwavunyelwa ukuba abaphandi bavavanye ifuthe lobunkokheli beWIT, ukukhuthazeka kweWIT, kunye nokunikwa amagunya kweWIT ekunyukeleni ngentla kwabafazi emisebenzini yecandelo lezokheketho eMzantsi Afrika. Kwasetyenziswa uhlobo lokusampula apho isampulu ekhethwe kuqala ikhetha abanye abathathi nxaxheba ngokwayo ekuqokeleleni idatha yokuqala (n = 250), kwaphinda kwahanjiswa uluhlu lwemibuzo ngeeimeyile nakumaqonga onxibelelwano njengoko kwaboniswa kokufunyaniswe kolu phando. Iziphumo zangqinisisa ukuba imiqobo ekunyukeleni ngentla kwabafazi emisebenzini inefuthe elinamandla kwiimpawu ezimayana ezifana nobunkokheli beWIT, ukukhuthazeka kweWIT, kunye nokunikwa amagunya kweWIT. Esi sifundo sasijolise ekuvaleni isikhewu kulwazi olumalunga nabafazi abakwicandelo lezokhenketho eMzantsi Afrika. Enye injongo yayikukongeza kwincoko ekhulayo kwihlabathi jikelele malunga nemiqobo esendleleni yokunyukela ngentla kwabafazi kwicandelo lezokhenketho.