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Diversity and greater gender representation are undoubtedly hot-button topics in the corporate world, because it is now widely accepted that diverse teams are good for the bottom line. That is the good news. However, the issues surrounding acquiring, developing and retaining diverse talent are echoed across the corporate world. In the financial services sector tackling these issues has never been more urgent as the industry looks to maintain future relevance.
GTR Women in Trade Finance
At the recent inaugural GTR Women in Trade Finance event held in Johannesburg, South Africa, Gabisile Mashigo, Head of Mining Resources and SOE for Trade and Working Capital at RMB, spoke about the important role that women play in the trade finance environment and some challenges faced along the way.
Key insights
In terms of future proofing the world of trade finance from a gender diversity perspective, Gabisile shared these three key insights:
- Stay in the race – Most professional women tend to opt out of their careers in their 40s. This is not due to the widely popular belief that they choose motherhood over their careers, because even the women who do stay the full course and choose not to have children or marry and rather have a razor focus on their careers, are still not seen in large numbers at executive and board levels. Research shows that women enter the workplace with the same level of enthusiasm and ambition as men, but somehow the higher they climb the corporate ladder (as they enter their mid-careers), they opt out in notable numbers. This leads me to believe that somewhere along the line in the corporate environment, something becomes a turn off for women where the option of leaving the corporate world becomes more attractive than staying the course. We need to have a genuine conversation about what the cause of this is. I suspect that more women would stay the course longer if the work environment was less patriarchal and where gender diversity attributes were more appreciated.
- Be authentic – Gabisile encourages women to remain their authentic selves. Authenticity is about bringing your whole self to work. Matching your behaviour to your intentions. Authenticity is also linked to higher workplace engagement and satisfaction, better performance and improved overall well-being.
- Put up your hand – It’s a myth that women don’t put up their hands for leadership roles. Women don’t necessarily get the support they need to take the next step. It’s also not a “male versus female” issue – rather using the opportunity to promote feminine leadership principles and women’s intuitive decision-making abilities which are being overlooked that are crucial to navigating business.
To prepare for the future of work in the world of trade finance society needs to shift the conversation away from the stereotypical views of women’s roles to bring about a more diverse, talented and energised workforce.
RMB was the headline sponsor for the inaugural GTR Women in Trade event. RMB is a proud supporter of gender equality and diversity in the workplace.
About Gabisile Mashigo
Gabisile Mashigo is a qualified Metallurgical Engineer (BSc. Chemical Engineering – UCT). She started her career wearing a hard hat in the mining industry before moving into the world of Corporate and Investment Banking – an industry she has been in for well over a decade. She is currently Mining Resources and SOE head for Trade and Working Capital within Corporate Banking at RMB. Her banking experience spans across global markets, corporate banking and trade finance.
When she is not structuring multi-million-dollar deals, Gabisile enjoys reading and is a member of a book club. She also enjoys photography, is a closet runner and does informal mentoring. As a wife, and mother to three children, she believes that all people, regardless of race, social standing or gender should fearlessly pursue their potential.
