Challenges experienced by the female senior officers in the SANDF in Gauteng
Date
2022-04
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The centrality of national law and policy making is considered essential in the restructuring of
the military environment. These essential tools assess the extent to which transformation,
leadership and equality policies and legislative measures substantively change the climate
and culture of the military institution. To keep track on the restructuring of the military
environment, it is necessary to map out some of the everyday struggles which may often be
marginalised by an overemphasis by national and institutional policymakers for change.
A qualitative research approach combined with an explorative, descriptive research design
was employed to investigate and describe the phenomenon under study, namely the
challenges experienced by senior female officers in the SANDF. Seventeen female senior
officers of different Arms of Service (Colonels and Captains) were randomly chosen from a
pool of 124 in Gauteng to participate in the study. The reason for sampling seventeen female
senior officers is because they were the ones that responded positively to the recruiting emails
that were sent out inviting female senior officers to partake in the study. Data was
gathered by means of a semi-structured interview schedule which was administered during
the individual interviews. The method of interviewing used was face-to-face which later changed to telephonic interviews because of the lockdown resulting from COVID 19. All
interviews were transcribed, and the narratives were analysed on two levels.
During the first level of analysis, themes were identified and preliminary labelling of meaningful
units of data was done. These themes were then labelled to be given meaning so that they
could form 27 coding categories. This was followed by a second level of analysis where the
coding categories were further refined and reduced to seven pattern categories that were
labelled and analysed using the PESTEL-S framework that served as a guide to threats and
weaknesses from the narratives of participants to guide the organisation towards success.
These categories represent the essential aspects on challenges, sources and causes of
female senior officers’ challenges in the SANDF. Key findings of the study centred on the issue that 27 years in democracy the SANDF is still
struggling with transformation, hence the cited challenges still experienced by female senior
officers in different areas in the military environment. What stood out as overarching
challenges were lack of support from leadership and lack of institutional/environmental support
that eventually resulted in insufficient psycho-social support experienced by female senior
officers. All is good and well on paper, but implementation seems to be hindered by passive
resistance from the male counterparts in the organisation. According to MTT Report (2020),
Sadie (2014), Richardson (2019) and the MTT Report (2020) concerted effort has to be put
on institutions and the government to counter this passive resistance and get the
transformation policies implemented in order to curb challenges females are confronted with.
This includes passive lack of institutional /organisational support, lack of psycho-social support
and lack of women empowerment. In the light of the findings, it is recommended that
leadership socio-cognitive defences be addressed so that leadership can understand when
women say “nothing for us without us”. This persuasive rhetoric echoes the sentiments of
women for the leadership to understand the need to include women when making decisions
on matters that affect women.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen Afrikaanse opsomming beskikbaar nie.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen Afrikaanse opsomming beskikbaar nie.
Description
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
South African National Defence Force, SANDF, South African National Defence Force -- Women, South Africa -- Armed Forces -- Women, Women and the military -- South Africa, Women soldiers -- South Africa, UCTD