IN MANY REGARDS , THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY IS STILL A BASTION OF MALE DOMINATION ; A FIELD IN WHICH WOMEN REMAIN UNDER-REPRESENTED AT A SENIOR LEVEL AND ARE FAR LESS LIKELY TO ATTAIN EXECUTIVE POSITIONS - DESPITE THE FACT THAT AT LEAST HALF THE ESTATE AGENTS OUT THERE ARE WOMEN . AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE MANY INSPIRATIONAL AND SUCCESSFUL WOMEN CURRENTLY IN THE INDUSTRY WHO ARE MORE THAN CAPABLE OF FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF FEMALE PIONEERS LIKE AIDA AND PAM GOLDING WHO WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN SHAPING THE LOCAL INDUSTRY . SO WHY AREN ’ T THOSE NUMBERS TRANSLATING TO MORE WOMEN MOVING UP THE RANKS INTO MANAGEMENT POSITIONS IN THEIR LOCAL OFFICES AND AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL ? I THINK THAT , AS A WHOLE , SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN GENERALLY EXPERIENCE A LEVEL OF INSECURITY WHEN IT COMES TO GOING OUT AND GETTING WHAT THEY WANT . EVEN WHEN I WAS APPOINTED CEO I FELT THAT I HAD TO PROVE MYSELF , NOT ONLY AS A WOMAN BUT ALSO AS A PARENT , AND I ’ M NOT SURE I WOULD HAVE FELT AS MUCH PRESSURE HAD I BEEN A MAN . VERY FEW WOMEN HAVE MY GRANDMOTHER , AIDA ’ S SPIRIT AND PASSION TO ALWAYS UPHOLD THEIR BELIEFS . BOTH HER AND PAM MANAGED TO MAKE THE TRANSITION FROM AGENT TO CEO AND SPEARHEAD POWERFUL NATIONAL BRANDS . UNLIKE MEN WITH CAREER AMBITION , MOST WOMEN WILL WAIT FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO THEM ; THEY WON ’ T ASK FOR THAT PROMOTION OR REQUEST INCLUSION IN A MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM . AND THEY USUALLY DO SO OUT OF FEAR . FEAR OF NEGOTIATING , OF BEING TURNED DOWN , FEAR OF FAILURE . SO , THEY WAIT THEIR TURN , HOPING IT WILL HAPPEN WITHOUT THEM HAVING TO ASK . HOWEVER , I DON ’ T THINK IT ’ S ONLY A LACK OF SPIRIT AND CONFIDENCE THAT HAMPERS WOMEN ’ S ADVANCEMENT IN THE IN INDUSTRY TODAY . WOMEN ARE ALSO RELUCTANT TO EMBRACE THEIR FEMININITY IN A MALE-DOMINATED ENVIRONMENT . I REMEMBER WHEN I LIVED IN NEW YORK YEARS AGO AND WAS THE ONLY FEMALE IN MANAGEMENT AT THE COMPANY I WORKED AT , THE GUYS WOULD TOSS A FOOTBALL AROUND AT EVERY MEETING , BUT THEY NEVER THOUGHT TO PASS IT TO ME . ONE DAY I ASKED THEM TO INCLUDE ME AND , ALTHOUGH THEY WERE SHOCKED , THEY OBLIGED . THESE DAYS , I ’ M NO LONGER TRYING TO BE ONE OF THE GUYS - I EMBRACE ALL MY FEMININE ATTRIBUTES AND ACCENTUATES MY FEMININITY BY WEARING DRESSES WHERE POSSIBLE AND SOFT COLOURS LIKE PINK . I SHOW EMOTION TO MY STAFF AND ALSO ASK FOR THEIR OPINIONS . I AM NOT AFRAID OF MY OWN TEARS - IT MAKES ME AUTHENTIC . I WOULD RATHER BE MYSELF THAN TRY AND OVERCOMPENSATE BY BEING TOUGH AND CLINICAL . I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT GENDER DIVERSITY IN SENIOR POSITIONS IN ANY INDUSTRY IS CRUCIAL FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS , NOT LEAST BECAUSE THE DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT STYLES BRING IN NEW PROSPECTIVE AND ALLOWS DECISION-MAKING TO BECOME MORE MULTI-DIMENSIONAL AND THUS MORE COMPREHENSIVE . AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE BEGUN TO NOTICE A CHANGE IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA WHERE THERE ARE NOW MORE FEMALE CEOS IN THE INDUSTRY , ESPECIALLY IN AMERICA AND EUROPE , WE ARE A LITTLE BEHIND THE CHANGING TIMES HERE IN SOUTH AFRICA . I , MORE THAN ANYONE , UNDERSTAND HOW CHALLENGING AND INTIMIDATING IT CAN BE TO FORGE A CAREER IN A MALE-DOMINATED FIELD AND THAT THE WOMEN CURRENTLY AT THE TOP OF THE INDUSTRY HAVE WORKED VERY HARD TO REACH THEIR GOAL .