Gender Disparities in Employability in the Tourism Sector Post-COVID-19 Pandemic: Case of South Africa

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the chapter lies in identifying the challenges that female employees in the South African hospitality industry will face in the context of the economic impact of the COVID-19 lockdown. Design: With this aim, we developed a questionnaire that has been filled by 101 hospitality professionals in order to explore the work security and perceived opportunities of people working in hospitality in South Africa. Findings: Our findings confirm that South African women feel more uncertainty about their occupational future and are more afraid that they will not find a job within the tourism sector, even though it is one of the sectors where female employment is higher. Research Limitations: The study was limited by the lack of literature regarding impact on gender disparities due to lockdown and the relative short period of time during which the data were collected. We recommend that future research should measure long-term effects of COVID-19 pandemic on this issue. Practical/Social Implications: In order to alleviate the damage done by the post-COVID-19 lockdown on the South African tourist and hospitality industries policies addressing the accessibility of female workers to the job market need to be urgently developed and implemented. Originality: Ours is the first research ever focussing on the gender inequalities in the tourism labour market in South Africa.