The Battle for Female Talent in Brazil - Center for Work-Life Policy

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2 THIS IS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL Pulls and Pushes As in all other realms of life in Brazil, attitudes towards women and work are in rapid transition. In spite of the lingering influence of patriarchal traditions, Brazilian society is more supportive of female careers than other BRIC nations: 92 percent of women and 86 percent of men find it socially acceptable for women with small children to pursue a career. Still, so much is expected of Brazilian women in their roles as wives, mothers and daughters that “pull factors” still have the power to derail promising careers. In Brazilian culture, the home is seen as the woman’s domain. “It’s okay to be a successful professional as long as you know your priorities,” explains a Brazilian news correspondent. “Career ambition is well-regarded so long as you are perceived as being a good mother and a good daughter.” Working mothers can aim high, in part, because they have more shoulders to lean on than their American and European peers. Thanks to the parentela—the network of extended kin—parents and in-laws frequently pitch in to help care for the grandchildren. Almost half of full-time working mothers in Brazil rely on parents or in-laws for childcare. And 91 percent of women and 87 percent of men find daycare solutions socially acceptable. But while childcare may not be a heavy burden, eldercare is—and will only get worse, as longer lifespans and an aging population stretch an already strained social security system. More than two-thirds—69 percent—of the women surveyed already have eldercare responsibilities; a third provide regular financial support to their parents (contributing an average of 23 percent of their annual income) and some 44 percent experience “daughterly guilt,” and see the trade-off between time spent at work and time spent with elders as a point of pain in their lives. “Push factors” rooted in the workplace also shape Brazilian women’s work experiences. Male chauvinism isn’t flaunted in Brazil, as it is in, say, Mexico, or some other Latin American countries, but deeply rooted prejudices about a woman’s ability and commitment to work can impact career in a range of ways, from curtailed assignments to smaller salaries to penalties for taking maternity leave. More than a quarter (26%) of Brazilian women and 23 percent of men believe that women are treated unfairly because of their gender and 40 percent of educated Brazilian women have encountered bias severe enough to make them consider scaling back their career ambitions or leaving the workforce entirely. Role models are rare, and Brazilian women were among the least likely among BRIC women surveyed to have a sponsor (30%) or mentor (58%). A particularly powerful push factor in Brazil is safety. Brazilian women routinely experience violence and danger on the streets. Sixty-two percent of our female survey participants—the highest among all the BRIC countries—report feeling unsafe while commuting to work. All of our interviewees either knew someone who had been assaulted at gunpoint or had first-hand experience of dangerous encounters. According to one woman, the attacks are especially violent in large cities. “In a small city they break your car window and steal your radio. In São Paulo, they put a gun to your head and say, ‘Let’s go to the ATM.’” Particularly because women see themselves as more vulnerable than men, safety concerns exert a disproportionately large influence on their decisions about whether to work and where to work. Unless companies do more to ensure the safety of their female employees, highly qualified Brazilian women may quit or look elsewhere.
THIS IS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL Conclusion The rapid expansion of Brazil’s economy has opened up an unprecedented range of professional opportunities for educated women. Many multinationals already rely on this growing cadre of “white-collar” professional women. Yet they have done so with little understanding or systematic analysis of the complicated career dynamics of this rich talent pool. For global companies operating in Brazil, a deeper understanding of the aspirations, challenges and opportunities facing educated women is the surest route to solving a looming talent constraint. By creating the policies and practices that tap into the vast potential of female talent in Brazil, forward-thinking companies can gain lasting competitive advantage. Of all of the dreams in “the land of the future,” this has the most power to propel and sustain growth. key Findings • Women represent 60 percent of the million-plus university graduates entering the Brazilian labor force, contributing to an “achievement gap” between women and men. • 80 percent of well-qualified Brazilian women aspire to top jobs, compared to 52 percent of their U.S. counterparts; 59 percent consider themselves very ambitious, compared to 36 percent in the U.S. • These women display impressive levels of commitment to career: 81 percent love their work, a figure higher than in the U.S. (71%), and 95 percent are loyal to their employer, with 58 percent intending to stay at their current job for three or more years. • More than a quarter (28%) of highly-qualified Brazilian women working fulltime out-earn their husbands. • Although Brazilian women professionals have multiple “shoulders to lean on” for childcare, cultural pressure to place family above career can be heavy, 59 percent experience maternal guilt and 44 percent deal with daughterly guilt. • Some 69 percent of Brazilian women have significant eldercare responsibilities and many provide financial support for their parents. This support averages approximately 13,000 reais—23 percent of their annual income. • More than a quarter (26%) of Brazilian women and 23 percent of Brazilian men believe that women are treated unfairly in the workplace because of their gender. • Brazilian women are among the least likely among BRIC women surveyed to have a sponsor (30%) or mentor (58%). • 40 percent of educated Brazilian women consider scaling back their career ambitions or leaving the workforce because of bias and discrimination. • For Brazilian women, the public sector is an attractive alternative to privatesector employment, with 65 percent describing the public sector as very desirable, a much higher number than those who see a U.S.- or Europeanbased multinational (53%) or a local company (49%) as very desirable places to work. The top reasons: job security, benefits and work-life balance. • Safety is a significant concern: 62 percent of our Brazilian women—the highest among BRIC countries—report feeling unsafe while commuting to work. 3
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cover and illustrations: Beppe Giac
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