Women bankers in black and white: exploring raced, classed and gendered coalitions

ABSTRACT

Black women constitute the majority of the population but they lag significantly behind white women and other groups in their participation in the labour market. Intersectionality requires that we recognise the differences in experience between black women and white women. This is not for the purposes of what some have called the “oppression Olympics” but to research the stratifications of social asymmetries in a manner that allows for an understanding of the complexity of inequality. Based on interview data and observations, we use employment equity discourses to explore the differential positions of black women and white women managers in a major bank’s headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa. A historical analysis of black women and white women’s experience illustrates the systemic and institutional aspects of intersectionality as well as the difficulties in forming coalitions between black women and white women. In the final analysis we argue that the mutual advancement of women requires historicisation and renewed commitment to partnerships to eradicate sexism and racism.

KEYWORDS:

• Coalitions
• intersectionality
• gender
• race
• patriarchy
• women bankers

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. This refers to black women including black African’s, “coloureds,” and Indian women.

2. Here black is inclusive of groups typically not considered white and in the South African context includes African’s, “coloureds” of mixed race ancestry, and Indians.

3. The year 1994 was the watershed year in which South Africa held her first inclusive democratic elections. The year marks the divide between apartheid and democracy.

4. Designated groups are those meant to benefit from affirmative action policies.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hugo Canham

Hugo Canham, PhD, is an associate professor of psychology at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in South Africa. Canham is a psychologist and has worked in various capacities including heading transformation and equity initiatives at his university. His research centres on the critical psychology of space and organisational inclusiveness.

Christoph Maier

Christoph Maier, PhD, is an academic at the Wits Graduate School of Business at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He is also a businessperson with business interests in Europe. He researches diversity, organisational culture and inequality.