Gender mainstreaming and appointment of senior management officials: an evaluation of the office of the premier in Limpopo Province, South Africa

This paper seeks to probe the causes of non-compliance with the 50/50 Employment Equity Target by Limpopo Provincial Departments in South Africa on the appointment of members to senior management positions. South African Cabinet Decision 85(A) of 2005, the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill of 2013, and the existing policy reform to address gender inequality in the public service are among the important pieces of legislative frameworks that provide for gender parity at the workplace and if adhered to, the 50/50 employment equity can be realized. The paper aims to evaluate the extent of em-ployment equity (gender mainstreaming) in its implementation and enforcement in the appointment pro-cess of senior management in the Office of the Premier, Limpopo Provincial Government.The study uses feminist theories as guiding tools to understand the root causes of inequities in workplaces especially between men and women. An exploratory qualitative approach was embarked upon. Interviews with Directors and Chief Directors responsible for Human Resources Management and Corporate Services were also conducted as well as the review of existing documents and reports of the provincial government. The recommendations made are that there is a need for the strengthening of the employment policies so that they do not appear to be nepotistic.