n South African Journal of Labour Relations - Reverse discrimination. A facet of sexual discrimination? A micro-focus on the legal profession : forum

Abstract

South African society is attempting to transform from an institutionalised prejudiced society to one of national unity and democracy. Recent legislation aims to eradicate discrimination within commercial organisations. The aim of this research is to examine experiences and perceptions of sexual discrimination within the legal profession. A triangulatory approach was employed using a survey-type questionnaire with some open-ended and closed-ended qualitative questions. 46 attorneys were surveyed and a range of techniques was used to analyse the qualitative and quantitative information. The most significant results indicate a greater prevalence of indirect as opposed to direct sexual discrimination. Reverse discrimination appears to be integral in males' experiences of sexual discrimination, whereas maternity issues appear to be prominent in females' experiences.