Women in Leadership Positions in South Africa: The Role of Values

Abstract

There is a dearth of literature that focuses on women leaders' values. This article aims at making a contribution to this under-researched area from a South African perspective. Using a sample of respondents from different elite sectors in South Africa, it first analyses the difference in values between men and women in the sample. It then disaggregates the data to single out South African women parliamentarians, to see if their values differ from the rest of the sample. The article compares the values and attitudes of women and men elites on the following issues: values around certain moral issues, a set of questions on gender equality and a set of questions on confidence in different important institutions, and finally, how men and women elites rank different challenges facing Africa. Our findings highlight the difference between the values and attitudes of men and women elites in South Africa, but also between men and women parliamentarians.