Show up as yourself - Nompumelelo Mabena, Nelson Mandela Children's Fund

Nompumelelo 'Mpumi' Mabena, HR business partner and change specialist at the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund

With a Masters in Industrial Psychology, Mabena focuses on uncovering systemic issues and fostering employee engagement to create high-performing organisations that thrive on collaboration and innovation.

Her career path has lead her through a host of renowned companies, such as Accenture, FNB, the ManpowerGroup, and Primedia, where she has sought make a meaningful difference in the world of human capital management by building positive work environments, fostering employee well-being, and driving organisational change.

"I made the conscious decision to become an industrial psychologist to assist organisations, employees and executives manage the ever-changing world of people and organisational culture," says Mabena.

"I have always believed that when executives pay attention to the voice of its employees and engage them from a place of vulnerability and understanding, you will create an innovative and highly efficient team."

This Women's Month, Mabena chats to us about believing in ourselves to overcome barriers and achieve gender equality in the workplace.

We’re quick to praise women for succeeding in male-dominated industries, but forget to acknowledge entire women-led sectors, such as HR and education. (Research indicates that over 70% of HR jobs are held by women, with between 70-90% of teachers being women.) Why do you think this is?

There are a multitude of reasons why this is this case, but in my case, I can mention those that come to mind:

1. Media recognition – Men are generally good at “blowing their own horns”, which leads to the media publishing success stories in high profile male-dominated sectors.

2. Roles/industries that have been historically viewed as women-dominated, are seen as less prestigious, which then leads to such roles/industries not being recognised accordingly and the contribution of women is then not viewed in as high a regard as it would be for male-dominated roles/industries.
   
3. Sectors such as HR and education are not viewed as big contributors to the bottom line when compared to sectors such as finance or engineering, and therefore do not get the same level of attention.
   

Do you feel women seek out these high EQ positions as a natural progression of a nurturing instinct, or have patriarchal structures corralled women into these roles?

These roles have historically been viewed as “women fit” roles, leading to patriarchal structures channeling women into such roles, which has led to more women building careers in these fields of study. Furthermore, barriers to entry have been made higher for women in some male-dominated industries to deter them pursuing careers in those industries.

We must also keep in mind that some of these roles are more natural for women to fit into, due to their nurturing instinct.

How can we achieve gender equality in the workplace without resorting to tokenisation?

• Discussions and forums need to be created, where individuals can make meaningful contributions in a safe space and ideas are implemented accordingly.
  
• Gender representation, pay and career progression need to be monitored so that disparities can be identified and corrected.
  
• Coaching and mentoring to assist women in new roles and equip them with the necessary skills to advance in their careers.
  
• Develop and enforce policies that address pay equity, career development and support.

What can women do to positively stand out among male applicants in the job market?

It’s simple, women need to show up as themselves in the workplace. Being genuine is what will set women apart from men instead of trying to mimic men. Coupled with this is ensuring that they deliver as expected in their roles.

If you could change one thing in the corporate world to assist women become the most successful version of themselves, what would it be?

Women need to stop having the imposter syndrome and just believe more in their abilities and carry out their ideas with courage and conviction.

What is your Women’s Month message to young women entering the working world?

The opportunities are there for young women. They just need to grab them and not wait to be handed over these opportunities. Young women are also at an advantage of entering the working world where technology can enable them to have quicker turnarounds and allow them more time to focus on working on new ideas and innovations in the workplace. This then allows them to be viewed as more strategic contributors, which enhances recognition amongst their male counterparts.