An increase in the participation of women in the South African labour market makes it imperative that the opinions and experiences of South African working women should be heard. Fair pay, equal treatment and safe and family- friendly workplaces are some of the issues that should be addressed in order to reshape workforce policy so that women can be employed and fulfil their potential.

Abstract

An increase in the participation of women in the South African labour market makes it imperative that the opinions and experiences of South African working women should be heard. Fair pay, equal treatment and safe and family- friendly workplaces are some of the issues that should be addressed in order to reshape workforce policy so that women can be employed and fulfil their potential. The purpose of this article is to compare the views of working women on certain issues in the workplace. The women were divided into four categories, namely chartered accountants, human resource management practitioners, nurses and a group representing a variety of other occupations. The major issues dealt with are the extent to which they are experiencing jog satisfaction; the extent to which they are experiencing problems in their jobs; their main expectations about their jobs; suggested changes to the workplace; and career barriers. The aim was to establish possible common areas and to compare the results with similar studies carried out in the United States of America and Australia.