Absolute Media
August 2012 is Women's Month!
August 2012 is
Women’s Month
What is Women’s Month all about?
By the middle of 1956 plans had been laid for the Pretoria march and the FSAW had written to request that JG Strijdom, the current prime minister, meet with their leaders so they could present their point of view. The request was refused.
The ANC then sent Helen Joseph and Bertha Mashaba on a tour of the main urban areas, accompanied by Robert Resha of the ANC and Norman Levy of the Congress of Democrats (COD). The plan was to consult with local leaders who would then make arrangements to send delegates to the mass gathering in August.
The Women’s March was a spectacular success. Women from all parts of the country arrived in Pretoria, some from as far afield as Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. They then flocked to the Union Buildings in a determined yet orderly manner. Estimates of the number of women delegates ranged from 10 000 to 20 000, with FSAW claiming that it was the biggest demonstration yet held. They filled the entire amphitheatre in the bow of the graceful Herbert Baker building. Walker describes the impressive scene: Many of the African women wore traditional dress, others wore the Congress colours, green, black and gold; Indian women were clothed in white saris. Many women had babies on their backs and some domestic workers brought their white employers’ children along with them. Throughout the demonstration the huge crowd displayed a discipline and dignity that was deeply impressive (Walker 1991:195).
Neither the prime minister or any of his senior staff was there to see the women, so as they had done the previous year, the leaders left the huge bundles of signed petitions outside JG Strijdom’s office door. It later transpired that they were removed before he bothered to look at them. Then at Lilian Ngoyi’s suggestion, a masterful tactic, the huge crowd stood in absolute silence for a full half hour. Before leaving (again in exemplary fashion) the women sang ?Nkosi sikeleli Afrika’. Without exception, those who participated in the event described it as a moving and emotional experience. The FSAW declared that it was a ?monumental achievement’.
The significance of the Women’s March must be analysed. Women had once again shown that the stereotype of women as politically inept and immature, tied to the home, was outdated and inaccurate. And as they had done the previous year, the Afrikaans press tried to give the impression that it was whites who had ?run the show’. This was blatantly untrue. The FSAW and the Congress Alliance gained great prestige form the obvious success of the venture. The FSAW had come of age politically and could no longer be underrated as a recognised organisation ? a remarkable achievement for a body that was barely 2 years old. The Alliance decided that 9 August would henceforth be celebrated as Women’s Day, and it is now, in the new South Africa, commemorated each year as a national holiday.
Passes for African Women
The Government`s first attempts to force women to carry passes and permits had been a major fiasco. In 1913, government officials in the Orange Free State declared that women living in the urban townships would be required to buy new entry permits each month. In response, the women sent deputations to the Government, collected thousands of signatures on petitions, and organised massive demonstrations to protest the permit requirement. Unrest spread throughout the province and hundreds of women were sent to prison. Civil disobedience and demonstrations continued sporadically for several years. Ultimately the permit requirement was withdrawn. No further attempts were made to require permits or passes for African women until the 1950s. Although laws requiring such documents were enacted in 1952, the Government did not begin issuing permits to women until 1954 and reference books until 1956. The issuing of permits began in the Western Cape, which the Government had designated a “Coloured preference area”. Within the boundaries established by the Government, no African workers could be hired unless the Department of Labour determined that Coloured workers were not available. Foreign Africans were to be removed from the area altogether. No new families would be allowed to enter, and women and children who did not qualify to remain would be sent back to the reserves. The entrance of the migrant labourers would henceforth be strictly controlled. Male heads of households, whose families had been endorsed out or prevented from entering the area, were housed with migrant workers in single-sex hostels. The availability of family accommodations was so limited that the number of units built lagged far behind the natural increase in population.
Soon after permits were issued to women in the Western Cape, local officials began to enforce the regulations throughout the Union. Reaction to the new system was swift and hostile. Even before the Western Cape was designated a “Coloured preference area”, Africans were preparing for the inevitable. On January 4, 1953, hundreds of African men and women assembled in the Langa township outside Cape Town to protest the impending application of the Native Laws Amendment Act. Delivering a fiery speech to the crowd Dora Tamana, a member of the ANC Women?s League and a founding member of the Federation of South African Women, declared:
We, women, will never carry these passes. This is something that touches my heart. I appeal to you young Africans to come forward and fight. These passes make the road even narrower for us. We have seen unemployment, lack of accommodation and families broken because of passes. We have seen it with our men. Who will look after our children when we go to jail for a small technical offence -- not having a pass?
WHAT DOES YOUR COMPANY DO TO EMPOWER WOMEN?
There are many South African corporates involved in initiatives to empower women in the work place. Some notable examples are:
• Business Partners - The Women’s Fund.
• Vodacom - Graduate Programme for Females in Technology.
• Telkom - Women’s ICT Programme - headed up by Charlotte Mokoena.
• Standard Bank - Women Entrepreneurs & Incredible Woman Of The Year (with Marie Claire).
• PriceWaterhouseCoopers - Women in PwC Steering Committee; The Faranani Rural
Women Training Initiative; A.W.A.R.E. - Attract Women Advance Retain and Empower.
• Wesbank - The Wesbank Women’s Forum.
• Sanlam - Women Entrepreneurs in Agriculture.
• Shoprite Checkers - Woman Of The Year.
• KPMG - KPMG Network Of Women (KNOW).
• Deloitte - The Deloitte Women’s Leadership Initiative.
• African Bank & Women’s Development Business (WDB) - Rural Entrepreneurship.
• Motorola - Business Leadership Development Program (BLDP).
• Nedbank - Women Development Initiatives.
• Unilever - Ponds Passport to Success Campaign; Dawn Voice Out Female Poets
• BankSETA - Women’s Development Programme.
• The Department of Economic Development - Passing The Torch.
• TWIB / DTI - Technology For Women In Business Awards.
A LOOK BACK AT WOMEN’S MONTH 2010 …
SOUTH AFRICA LEADS THE PACK BUT MORE MOMENTUM IS REQUIRED
At the start of August, which is designated as Women’s Month in South Africa - as we celebrate the anniversary of the great Women’s March of 1956, when women marched to the Union Buildings in protest against the carrying of pass books - it is appropriate to take stock of the status of women in our society. An assessment by a leading recruitment group finds that we are leading the pack internationally, but that parity with men is still some way off.
According to Sandra Burmeister, chief executive officer of the Landelahni Recruitment Group, South Africa leads the United States and the United Kingdom with regard to gender equity, but the slow pace of change means it could take 20 to 40 years for women to reach parity with men as directors on corporate boards and in executive management.
“While South Africa may be progressing faster than other countries, the actual numbers of women directors and executives remain small, and the rate of change is miniscule. Overall, global indicators do not reflect well on corporate progress toward gender equity,” she said.
The recent Businesswomen’s Association (BWA) Women in Leadership Census indicates that, between 2008 and 2009, the number of female directors of JSE-listed companies increased from 14.6% to 16.6%. South Africa has overtaken the US Fortune 500 at 15.2% female directors and the Canada FP500 at 13%. Trailing behind is the UK FTSE 100 at 12.2% and the Australia ASX at 8.3%.
In 2009, black women held 10.3% of all director positions on the JSE, occupying 62.3% of female board directorships in comparison to white women at 37.3%.
“South Africa’s legislative framework in regard to black economic empowerment and the advancement of women has had a significant impact in influencing corporates to be more gender and equity sensitive. However, a lot of work remains to be done if we are to tap the skills of our diverse workforce. Unfortunately, the number of women chairs of JSE boards has actually decreased over the past year from 4.6% to 4.1%, representing a mere 13 women,” Burmeister said.
“The good news is that companies with no female directors dropped from 33.4% to 21.5% in one year. This compares with the Fortune 500 where companies with no female directors decreased slightly to 12.3%, with the FTSE100 lagging at 25%.”
South African companies with two female directors come in at 18.8%, while those with three or more female directors almost doubled from 17.1% to 35.5% between 2008 and 2009 – at least partly due to increased reporting on subsidiaries of JSE-listed companies. Some 56% of Fortune 500 companies have multiple female directors, while FTSE100 companies with multiple female directors stand at 37%, up from 13% 10 years ago.
“Overall, it’s clear that South African companies are becoming more responsive to gender issues. While there is understandable reluctance to move to a quota system, there is no doubt that the legislative framework and procurement policies are playing a positive role,” Burmeister said.
The sector with the highest number of female directors is technology at 25.3%, followed by healthcare at 17.6%, oil and gas at 15.7%, financial services at 15.3%, and basic materials at 15.2%.
“This shows an encouraging dismantling of some of the stereotypes that hold that women are unsuited to playing a role in technology and resource sectors,” she added.
South Africa continues to have the highest number of women executive managers at 19.3%, compared to its international counterparts, with Canada at 16.9% and the US at 13.5%.
“While this represents a good pipeline for future board members, the BWA census indicates that – at the current rate of progress – it will take until 2031 for women to make up 50% of board composition, and until 2051 for executive management to reach parity with men,” said Burmeister.
“There is a compelling business case that having more women in leadership positions improves corporate performance. There is a correlation between business success and diversity of leadership.
“If South Africa is to move beyond the recession and achieve its economic potential, we will need to see an accelerated rate of change that goes far beyond the current efforts,” she added.
What is your corporate agenda regarding women?
Tell over 250,000 business women about it with an
insertion in The Businesswoman Magazine.
As in previous years, the special bumper Women’s Month
issue will be circulated to all the events,
celebrations and functions held during August 2011.
This equates to a circulation of over 52,000 copies!
A MEDIA OUTLINE OF THE BUSINESSWOMAN MAGAZINE
The Businesswoman’s Magazine leads the way in inspiring, motivating and informing the successful business women of South Africa.
As you no doubt witnessed, the last issue of The Businesswoman was spectacular to say the least! The response from the business women community has been equally spectacular with a flood of phone calls, letters, emails and more! Everyone wants to be a part of this energised, growing community. We are the magazine in South Africa that focuses on everyday women who are achieving exceptional success. As the only official mouthpiece for South African business women and entrepreneurs, The Businesswoman Magazine has taken giant leaps in providing the right information at the right time to empower women to be gladiators in the ever changing business world of today. The Businesswoman magazine has a minimum circulation of 25 000 copies and thus a reach to over 75 000 (@ 3 readers per copy) professional decision makers across South Africa. Showcasing your products or services will not only add value to thousands of business women across SA, but also increase your company’s network and brand equity in the business arena of South Africa - whilst at the same time, being a brilliant Corporate Social Investment. The Businesswoman is designed to empower and assist women in business. It serves as a voice for business women in SA by addressing issues that are pivotal to the lives of women in business.
As well-known business guru Tom Peters so eloquently puts it... “If women are not your major focus as a company - you are going out of business and just don’t recognise it!” This is your opportunity to truly connect with women and deliver your message through a credible network that powerfully reaches out to South African business women. The Business Woman magazine provides business, financial and personal education, inspiration and motivation for women across South Africa and facilitates opportunities for them to network, learn and be inspired by role models, mentorship and by each other. We will also introduce you to some amazing women every month - who inspire others and make a difference locally, nationally and internationally. The Businesswoman recognises new market opportunities; we believe in the power of collective networking, providing essential education and leadership, which means that the interactive experience results in business growth for your business.
The magazine is built around the concept of the power of women, recognising their influence as a force to be reckoned within the marketplace, as primary decision makers, as major role players in business, as mentors and entrepreneurs, as mothers, wives, partners and friends, as consumers and trend-setters, as the glue that holds together family units, communities and organisations.
“The challenge this year for advertisers is to really connect with their consumers on credible platforms and learn how to become part of their personal space with an authentic voice, not client or brand speak”, predicts Nazeer Suliman, Universal McCann South Africa GM in his broad predictions for 2009. We know that women are making 87.7% of buying decisions in South Africa, BUT how are you marketing to these women, and most importantly is your strategy effective? Chances are you are still talking at women instead of talking with them.
> Women are the sole or primary decision-makers for every kind of product
> Women buy brands they can establish a relationship with
> Women make connections everywhere they go
> Women are not a niche market – they are your business
Why? Tom Peters makes the following points:
Women need to trust
Women affiliate
Women seek understanding
Women get personal
Women have a longer list of criteria
Women want “the Perfect Answer”
Women have always wielded an enormous amount of power and influence, but corporate business is only just starting to recognise this and to invest in gender-appropriate marketing and cater for women with specific products and packages that take cognisance of their unique needs and aspirations”.
The Businesswoman magazine is the mouthpiece of the South African business women fraternity.
THE BUSINESSWOMAN MAGAZINE | READER PROFILE
Distribution: The Businesswoman Magazine is distributed to the
members of various South African business women
associations, corporate business women across S.A.,
subscribers and women in business management
positions (decision makers).
Circulation: 52,811 copies
Readers Per Copy: 5.81
Readership: 306,831
Subscription Fee: R161.42 (Incl. VAT) for 6 issues
Subscribers: 16,307 of our readers are paid up subscribers
Frequency: Bi - Monthly
Reader’s Radio Choice: Jacaranda, SAFM and Classic FM
LSM (Living Standards): 69% of our readers are LSM 9 & 10
Average Career Level: 56% of our readers are either line management, senior
management or executive positions
Purchasing Power: 38% of our readers have purchased luxury personal
accessories in the past 12 months
Reader Attention: Our readers spend just over 2 hours on average
reading The Businesswoman Magazine
Unusual Circulation: The Businesswoman Magazine is distributed through
various hotels (in the rooms), through leading
financial institutions and many other unique channels
Air Travel: 68% of our readers have made use of air travel in the
past year
Finance: 88% of our readers have debit and/or credit cards,
make use of vehicle finance and overdraft facilities or
have a personal loan
Education: 76% of our readers have a tertiary qualification
Driving Style: More than 58% of our readers have a luxury vehicle
Who Decides: More than 82% of our readers are the primary
purchasing decision makers in their household
Leisure: 28% of our readers have spent in excess of R50 000
on holiday and/or leisure activities
in the past 12 months
Reader Age Profile:
20-30 years of age : 14%
30-40 years of age : 30%
40-50 years of age : 38%
50-60 years of age : 18%
2011 | ADVERTISING RATES
(PLEASE NOTE, ALL ADVERTISING RATES EXCLUDE VAT AND AGENCY) STANDARD RATE
Double Page Spread R 26,880.00
Full Page R 15,980.00
Half Page R 9,480.00
Third Page R 7,200.00
Quarter Page R 4,920.00
Business Card Advert [Eight Per Page] R 2,880.00
Leaflet Insertions [folded to A4 or smaller] R 580.00 per ‘000
COVER PLACEMENTS
Inner Front Cover DPS R 34,680.00
Outer Back Cover SP R 21,840.00
Inner Back Cover SP R 18,600.00
CONTRACTUAL RATES (Minimum 3 issue commitment)
Double Page Spread R 23,280.00 per insertion
Full Page R 13,740.00 per insertion
Half Page R 7,800.00 per insertion
Inner Front Cover DPS R 30,360.00 per insertion
Outer Back Cover SP R 20,670.00 per insertion
Inner Back Cover SP R 17,280.00 per insertion
SIZE SPECIFICATIONS
The Businesswoman Magazine is ‘American A4’ in size, in that it is slightly shorter than the usual A4 publication. For safety sake and to counteract ‘binder’s creep’, we ask that you supply a 5mm bleed and that your gutter between the text and the crop page edge is at least 12.5mm.
DESCRIPTION TRIM SIZE (WIDTH & HEIGHT) BLEED SIZE (WIDTH & HEIGHT)
Full Page 210mm x 275mm 220mm x 285mm
Double Page Spread 420mm x 275mm 430mm x 285mm
Half Page (Vertical) 105mm x 275mm 115mm x 285mm
Half Page (Horizontal) 210mm x 137.5mm 220mm x 147.5mm
Quarter Page (Block)) 105mm x 70mm 115mm x 80mm
Absolute Media cc & Poppysmic Publications (Pty) Ltd
Tel. 011 519 7600/1/2/3 ... 20 lines • Fax. 086 609 4843
P O Box 1707 Fourways 2055
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Media is …
Irrespective of whether you're giving someone your business card or perhaps a quote on a letterhead, you are branding your company with media. The more obvious examples of advanced brochures or advertisements are correctly percieved as media for your brand - but don't be fooled - everything you present about your company carries an inherent media value! At Absolute Media, we recognise that no matter what form media takes, it is a vehicle that carries your brand message, even with something as simple as a logo or brand identity.