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Affirmative Action and Intersectionality at the Top: Evidence from South Africa
Author(s) -
Klasen Stephan,
Minasyan Anna
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
industrial relations: a journal of economy and society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.61
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1468-232X
pISSN - 0019-8676
DOI - 10.1111/irel.12272
Subject(s) - affirmative action , intersectionality , counterfactual thinking , race (biology) , demographic economics , action (physics) , economics , political science , labour economics , sociology , gender studies , psychology , social psychology , physics , quantum mechanics , law
Previous research shows that gender‐based board quotas alone do not increase women's share in senior management positions. We study the effects of an affirmative action policy in South Africa, which stipulates group‐based targets for senior management roles, beyond boards, focusing on representing intersectional identities, sex, and race. Our findings show that the policy led to a sizable increase in employment probability in top positions for Black women relative to their employment in these positions in the counterfactual scenario of no policy. We extend our analysis and estimate policy spillovers in education, wages, and self‐employment.