Exploring the Representation of Women in Technical Roles at a South African Performing Arts Entity

Abstract

Low levels of female representation are found when it comes to technical roles within the South African performing arts industry despite improved numbers in the overall representation of females within the industry across different occupational categories. Employment in the core functions of the performing arts entities is therefore still predominantly male. The research aimed to explore the representation of women in a performing arts entity. The feminist, social dominance and patriarchy theories were used to conceptualize the research phenomena and interrogate the findings in this study. The research adopted a qualitative case study approach, using one-on-one in-depth interviews. The sample of participants included management and employees in the technical business unit, selected through convenience sampling and a complementary snowball sampling technique. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, which engendered themes and sub-themes, substantiated by verbatim quotes from the interviews. Although the research findings indicated an unequal representation of females in technical roles and their absence in management positions within the entity, female presence was found to enhance teamwork and diverse views, which consequently improved team performance. The study found that barriers to female representation include unequal gender representation, the nature of work, and the work-life balance. The study established policy recommendations for the industry, including flexible-hour strategies and childcare facilities, among others.