Finweek_English_Edition_-_March_19,_2020__

s

where amid Russia and Saudi Arabia’s oil war, the tumbling of markets and the

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feration of coronavirus hysteria, International Women’s Day was celebrated.

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At a time when our reality doesn’t read unlike the plot of a dystopian novel, I

ssssfound it difficult to be inspired by this day. Given the gender-based violence crisis

we are facing in this country, it’s clear that South Africa still has urgent work to do towards

achieving gender parity.

On paper, we’re doing well. According to the World Economic Forum’sGender Gap

Report 2 020 , SA ranks 17th out of 153 countries on the Gender Gap Index. Categorised

by the region of sub-Saharan Africa, we come in third behind Rwanda and Namibia

respectively. Globally, Rwanda is ranked ninth.

The report, which has been running since 2006, tracks the relative gap between men and

women in four areas: economic participation and opportunity; educational attainment; health

and survival; and political empowerment. The report found that the political empowerment

gap remains on average the largest gender disparity. In the last 50 years, 85 of the 153

countries in this year’s report have never had a female head of state – SA keeps company

here with the likes of Russia, Saudi Arabia, China and the US, among others. Four

countries whose leaders have been central characters in that dystopian plot...

Which brings me to the countries that ranked highly.

Iceland is first globally (for the 11th year running), followed by Norway and Finland. In 1980

Iceland was the first country in the world to elect a female president and, according to 2019

World Bank data, 38% of seats in their parliament are occupied by women. Finland made

headlines at the end of last year for electing the world’s youngest prime minister – a woman –

and having a government that is led by five women, four of whom are younger than 35. In that

country’s parliament 47% of seats are occupied by women.

Granted, Iceland and Finland have very different histories to SA, but I’d argue that

a country with a large number of female lawmakers has the potential to foster a more

equitable and prosperous society. Consider the strides Rwanda has made, which falls into

the same regional category as SA, where the majority of seats in parliament are held by

women (at 61%).

In SA’s parliament, 46% of seats are occupied by women. And in his weekly newsletter

that circulated after International Women’s Day, our president recognised that urgent action

is needed to address the “vast discrepancies” between our gender-responsive laws and the

lived reality of SA’s women in order to achieve true gender parity.

There may be reason to feel inspired after all.■

from the editor

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THE 8

TH

WONDER

OF THE WORLD

Opinion

4 Battling Bacchus and human behaviour

6 From the Cape to Cairo – it’s Ramaphosa’s turn

In brief

8 News in numbers

10 Women in mines key to drive earnings

12 How Amplats explosion impacts platinum miners

13 Global shares, oil buckle under viral threat

Marketplace

14 Fund in Focus: Exposure to income-generating

assets

15 House View: Aspen Pharmacare, Grindrod

preference shares

16 Killer Trade: Capitec, Nedbank

17 Invest DIY: The power of retained earnings

20 Investment: Know the risk you’re taking on

29 Markets: Is a new Gilded Age upon us?

30 Simon Says: Amplats, Aspen Pharmacare, global

markets, JSE, Sasol, Shoprite, Spur, Stadio, Vivo

32 Pro Pick: Bullion’s safe-haven status considered

amid market fears

33 Invest DIY: Stay the course amid the global panic

Fund Focus

21 Treading conservatively in skittish markets

Cover

34 No holiday for SA’s tourism sector

In depth

39 SA’s GDP growth outlook dims as coronavirus

spreads

40 Opportunity cost of forced investing may outweigh

developmental needs

42 Namibia’s sneaky trick to tap local retirement funds

On the money

44 Personal finance: In or out? With or without? Yes

or no?

45 Quiz and crossword

46 Art: Biggest art fair on the continent attracts

thousands

47 Piker

JANA JACOBS