Experts: ‘Focusing on working women’s mental health will make the economy grow’
South African working women are more at risk of chronic toxic stress.
This according to experts and studies, as well as the 2024 Women's Report, which focuses on women's health.
According to experts there are many unique factors that working women face, which contribute to the risk of women developing stress-related-disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Professor Renata Schoeman, head of the MBA programme in Healthcare Leadership at Stellenbosch Business School, said women face unique and additional challenges in and outside the workplace, including inequality, discrimination, and unsafe environments, as well as a disproportionate additional load in the form of child and parental care and domestic responsibilities.
She said while women's burnout levels have gradually reduced since the pandemic, half of the respondents in the 2024 Deloitte Women@Work survey, which surveyed 5 000 women across 10 developed and developing countries, including South African women, reported that their stress levels had increased over the past year.
Half also reported being concerned about their mental health, while a third took time off from work due to mental health challenges.
“Most women said they did not receive adequate mental health support at work, while two-thirds were not comfortable disclosing mental health difficulties due to concerns about their career progression, discrimination, job security, and previous negative experiences after disclosing mental health issues.”
Schoeman said psychological safety at work, an openness to mental health discussions, and flexible work conditions contribute to less stress – but only 5% of women reported working in such positive environments.
“Women value relationships, recognition and respect at work, while men tend to place greater value on remuneration and achievements. This underscores studies that have found that women with supportive colleagues and supervisors experience less work stress.
“It is vital that organisations prioritise women's health in the workplace by ensuring psychologically safe spaces where women are included and supported – not only allowing them to thrive in their careers but also impacting positively on the company bottom line and the country's economy.”
Professor Anita Bosch, Research Chair in Women at Work at Stellenbosch Business School and editor of the Women's Report, believes that targeting women's health can boost the economy.
“Women have made hard-earned gains in increased economic participation and workplace equality, but ignoring their specific health needs places these gains and their positive socio-economic impacts at risk,” she said.
“Having more women in the workforce is good for the economy, and also good for their ability to support themselves and their families independently.
“Greater understanding and support is needed from employers for the fact that women’s bodies and health needs are simply not the same as men’s.”
The 2024 Deloitte Women @ Work study, also showed that more than a quarter of women have experienced health challenges due to fertility, menstruation or menopause, and 40% reported that they work through pain related to these conditions rather than take time off, for fear that disclosing their health challenges will negatively impact their careers.
Bosch says the majority of the women in this study were suffering in silence because they did not feel comfortable discussing or disclosing mental health or reproductive health challenges with their managers.
“If they do take time off, few disclose the real reason, for fear of discrimination, stigma and impacts on job security or career progression – a real fear, as 10-20% report negative experiences and job impacts from discussing their health issues in the past. Women may also take sick leave to take care of children who are unwell, which could distort figures relating to women’s health.
“Employers can do better to support women’s health and ensure that they can play their part in a productive, successful organisation and have improved quality of life.”
The Women’s report, distributed by the SA Board for People Practices (SABPP), also noted that agencies of the United Nations – the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UN Women agree there is substantial evidence that women’s participation in the workforce contributes to higher economic growth.
“Increasing women’s participation in work has been shown to boost economies and GDP, with the rise in the number of women in the formal economy since the 1950s having been a major contributor to economic growth and wage increases.
“There is also substantial evidence that economically active women are more likely than men to invest in their families and communities, thus enabling women to participate actively in work has a positive ripple effect on society and the health and education of future generations,” Bosch concludes.
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za