Mother’s Day was a great to appreciate mothers and caregivers, yet it also a day to examine the maternal wall bias and discrimination that women and caregivers face in the workplace. An issue that is prevalent to mothers and caregivers is the maternal wall discrimination faced in the workplace. This is an additional barrier excluding working mothers and caregivers in the working place. Maternal discrimination is based on the stereotype that a woman’s responsibilities to her children prevent her from being a dependent, committed, and competent employee.

Women in the workplace may find their effectiveness and competency questioned once they become pregnant, take maternity leave or adopt flexible work schedules. Joan Williams raises an important examination of the gendered space that is the working environment. She writes, “When a childless woman is not in the office, she is presumed to be on business. An absent mother is often thought to be grappling with childcare. Managers and co-workers may mentally cloak pregnant women and new mothers in a haze of femininity, assuming they will be empathetic, emotional, gentle, nonaggressive—that is, not very good at business. If these women shine through the haze and remain tough, cool, emphatic, and committed to their jobs, colleagues may indict them for being insufficiently maternal.”

Joan Williams is apt in her description of what this maternal wall bias results in the workplace. It is the further reinforcement that a) women cannot separate their work life and the home matters, and b) the reinforcement of an aggressive capitalist narrative that treats people as commodities other than human beings who simultaneously operate outside the workplace. The duality of women is diminished by this maternal wall bias/discrimination. Women CAN be excellent caregivers and successful employees in the workplace. The P for people in the triple bottom line approach is often overlooked in the race for profit. People have responsibilities and duties beyond the workplace, they are affected by the occurrences beyond their professional bodies.

Employees can arm themselves with policies and constitutional rights in their countries and the workplace. Employment Equity Acts and Labour Relations have strict laws aimed to protect workers from unfair discriminations. Speak to your Human Relations (HR) about their policies and procedures in the company. Know your rights.

Williams writes that employers must examine their hiring, attendance, and promotion policies to ensure they are exempt from biased standard. Furthermore, she writes that employers ought to operate in a manner where job duties can be achieved and personnel decisions on legitimate business need rather than on assumptions about productivity and commitment.

Employers need to remove bias and stereotypes by addressing and educating employees and managers on unconscious and implicit bias. Employers can offer alternative solutions for mothers and caregivers such as remote channels such as Slack, WhatsApp meeting, Zoom etc. By creating inclusive spaces, you create a solution and a way around problems arising. Offer more inclusive policies beyond maternity leave. Policies should be inclusive of all family stages, perhaps offering parental leave for primary and secondary caregivers, offering family planning benefits for those considering parenthood too.

Relocation Africa is cognisant of the maternal wall bias and has created an inclusive policy to enact change in organisational culture.

Human Resources Manager, Joy Jackson explains: “ Flexibility for working moms at Relocation Africa: after returning from maternity leave – in conjunction with prior discussions and arrangements/approval from Head of Department  and HR a new working mom will participate in our hybrid Work From Home (2 days) and Work From the Office (3 days) structure and added to this can structure her lunch break to do a nursery school pick up and then resume WFH / WFO depending on the agreed arrangement. Mothers of older school-going children also have the flexibility to structure their lunchtimes according to the end of day school roster and can collect their child/children and drop them back at home or spend the last part of the day working from home depending on the time of day. In the case of emergencies, school-going children of working moms are allowed to stay at the office for a short period – in a separate venue that does not disturb colleagues or affect productivity,”

It is not enough to celebrate Mother’s Day, boasting about the care for mothers when you are not acknowledging their role as caregivers and bodies outside the workplace. Be on the right side of history and acknowledge the implicit bias on women, and work to eradicate it.

As cases of COVID-19 continue to escalate, those assisting communities continue to forge ahead. As they work tirelessly to continue to support, feed and protect communities, Mastercard has committed 120,000 free trips and meals to those supporting communities across the Middle East and Africa, which will be facilitated through Uber.

Uber is utilizing their technology and making available their wide network of drivers to ensure those who are supporting communities and the many frontline workers who need to be mobile, have a reliable and efficient way of getting around. Once qualifying workers have successfully signed up through Uber’s website, they can arrange transportation to and from their homes and to where they are needed, such as healthcare facilities or to feed the vulnerable. Uber has shared relevant health information with drivers to ensure they are well-informed in COVID-19 related safety protocols and have been provided with masks and sanitizer reimbursements.

Mastercard is helping people around the world navigate these challenging times. While ensuring that its network remains secure, resilient and reliable, Mastercard is also applying its technology, philanthropy, and data science expertise to rebuild healthy communities and ensure that economic growth is inclusive. As millions of people across the world come together to support, feed and protect their communities, Mastercard is extending its support to help those who help others.  

This strategic partnership between Mastercard and Uber spans across the region and through key partnerships will aim to support cities, hospitals, front line workers and marginalized communities with free rides.

Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President Market Development, Mastercard, MEA explains, “Mastercard continues to partner with digital players across the value chain to build a more connected world by supporting our communities. With our partner Uber, we are committed to support healthcare and essential workers who are working tirelessly to take care of us. Uber’s mission to improve lives is matched with Mastercard’s mission of doing well by doing good, together we are focused on helping frontline workers across the region feel confident and safe with access to free transportation.”

Anthony le Roux Regional General Manager, Uber, Middle East and Africa, “It is our role to help the society by providing relief, especially those who work tirelessly to support our communities. This is the largest partnership for us across MEA and we are amazed at Mastercard’s relentless effort to make a difference. We are proud to be working alongside them to ensure those supporting our communities, especially those on the frontline, have access to safe and reliable transport.”

This is just a start and this commitment comes as part of Uber’s global pledge to help communities in need to “Move What Matters”.

Further initiatives from Uber in Africa:

  • Kenya: Uber has teamed up with The Nairobi Hospital and Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital to provide trips at a discounted fee to ease movement for medical professionals, ensuring that frontline workers have a reliable and efficient way of getting to and from where their services are required. To support the Kenya COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, Uber has provided free trips and free deliveries from Uber Eats as they coordinate all coronavirus efforts in the country. Uber will also provide free rides to the National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCOP) and Ministry of Health staff.
  • Ivory Coast: Uber has partnered with Ivorian Ministry of Health and SOCIDA, Ivory Coast’s leading automobile dealers and distributors of the Renault, Suzuki, Isuzu and HELI brands, to provide free transportation to health workers in Abidjan.
  • Nigeria: Uber has partnered with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management & Social Development (MHA) in Nigeria to provide food packages to school children within Lagos and Abuja. The partnership will effectively mobilise transportation of needed food parcels to over 260 identified food banks, to bring necessary relief and support for up to 70 000 households via the foodbank distributions. This allows over 3 million school kids to be fed, while further supporting governmental response teams towards curbing the outbreak. 
  • Ghana: Uber is supporting FreeLunchGH and The Safe Space Foundation with free rides.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Tourists will be required to present a recent Covid-19 negative certificate or undergo testing at Dubai airports.

Airports in Dubai will welcome tourists from July 7, 2020, it was announced on Sunday. The tourists will be required to present a recent Covid-19 negative certificate or undergo testing at the airport.

The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management added that the emirate’s airports would start receiving residents stranded abroad from tomorrow (June 22). It also said that citizens and residents will be permitted to travel overseas from June 23.

This came as the committee announced new protocols and conditions for citizens, residents and tourists travelling into or out of Dubai airports.

The committee said the announcements will allow thousands of people affected by worldwide restrictions in passenger air traffic since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic to resume their travel plans.

The decisions have been announced as per directives issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the follow-up of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Mobile payments represented more than 30 percent of the total social media conversation around payments in the Middle East and Africa, with total mentions doubling over the prior year.

Now in its sixth year, the study, developed in partnership with PRIME Research, analyzed more than 3.3 million conversations globally and 90,000 conversations in the Middle East and Africa from the past year across social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Weibo.

Interest in new technologies

People are looking to newer technologies to have an impact on their lives. In the past year alone, such mentions on social media increased 30 percent globally since the last study.

Today, nearly 20 percent of all mobile commerce payments are focused on contactless payments and mobile wallets. Beyond these primary focus areas, consumers are interested in how artificial intelligence, QR payments and wearable payments will impact their lives.

Overall, people are increasingly positive toward these newer technologies. In the Middle East and Africa, virtually all (95 percent) mobile wallet conversations were favorable, with 22 percent of posts praising the speed, efficiency and simplicity of these products.

“In the fast-evolving world of digital payments, it is crucial that we listen and understand the views of the people who ultimately use our solutions. The Mastercard Digital Payments Study highlights a willingness to adopt the latest payment technology solutions from users across the Middle East and Africa, and reinforces the increasingly important role that mobile payments play in everyday life,” said Gaurang Shah, senior vice president of Product Management, Digital Payments & Labs for the Middle East and Africa at Mastercard.

Primed for action with peace of mind

Among the conversations analyzed, consumers clearly continued to be focused on the security of their money and their data as a foundational requirement. In their posts, people recognize the value of new technologies on delivering this peace of mind across mobile payments.

Looking at the newer technologies:

  • Biometrics reached a potential 111 million, driven primarily by an interest in voice payments and fingerprint scanners
  • Tokenization – and its critical role in supporting and protecting payments of all type – was featured in conversations reaching a potential audience of 11 million viewers

While breaking news around data breaches drove one-fifth of data-related conversations, another 13 percent of these conversations noted the potential of digital security technologies, including blockchain, tokenization and biometrics.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: Jonas Leupe [1], [2].