⚖ The Advocate
Gender & Equality

We Only Promote Men Here

Workplace promotion is withheld from a woman based solely on gender

Free intermediate 8 minutes
The Situation

What They Said

“We only promote men here — they are more reliable and clients take them more seriously.”
This phrase is used by a manager or employer when a qualified woman raises the question of promotion or advancement, citing gender-based assumptions about reliability or professional credibility rather than individual performance.
Your Response

How to Respond

I understand there may be assumptions about how clients respond, but Section 6 of the Employment Equity Act prohibits unfair discrimination in any employment practice, including promotion, on the ground of gender. Declining to promote me because I am a woman — and not because of my performance — is direct unfair discrimination. I am entitled to be evaluated on my merits, and I intend to pursue this through the appropriate channels if necessary.
Tone: calm, factual, non-confrontational
The Fallacy

Hasty Generalisation / Stereotyping

This argument applies a generalised assumption about all men and all women ('men are more reliable') to make a specific employment decision about an individual woman. It is a hasty generalisation because it draws conclusions about an individual from a group stereotype without any evidence about that individual's actual performance or reliability. It also assumes client perceptions based on gender, which is itself a form of systemic gender bias the law requires employers to actively address.

What the Law Says

Your Legal Foundation

Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998
Section 6(1) — Prohibition of Unfair Discrimination
“No person may unfairly discriminate, directly or indirectly, against an employee, in any employment policy or practice, on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, family responsibility, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, HIV status, conscience, belief, political opinion, culture, language, birth or on any other arbitrary ground.”
Withholding promotion from a woman because of her gender is direct unfair discrimination in an employment practice, which is explicitly prohibited.
Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998
Section 5 — Duty to Promote Equal Opportunity
“Every employer must take steps to promote equal opportunity in the workplace by eliminating unfair discrimination in any employment policy or practice.”
The employer has a positive duty to eliminate gender-based barriers to promotion — maintaining a policy of promoting only men directly violates this duty.
What Scripture Says

God's Word on This

1 Samuel 16:7 (NET)
“But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'”
God evaluates individuals by their inner character and capability, not by their external characteristics — gender is no more a valid criterion for leadership than appearance was for Eliab.
Romans 2:11 (NET)
“For there is no partiality with God.”
God's standard of no partiality is the model for just human institutions — a workplace that shows partiality on the basis of gender acts contrary to this principle.
Practice

Drill Prompt

They say: 'You are excellent at your job, but our clients prefer male account managers — it is not personal.' You respond by: Naming the Employment Equity Act prohibition on gender discrimination in promotion, and noting that client preferences based on gender do not create a lawful basis for withholding your promotion.

What They'll Say Next

Blindside Counter-Arguments

After you give your response, they may push back. Here is how to handle each counter-argument.

They might say: “We have female employees — we are clearly not discriminating.”
Your response: Having female employees does not demonstrate non-discrimination. The question is whether women are treated equally in employment practices including promotion. Employing women but not promoting them remains a form of gender-based discrimination in employment practice.
Legal basis: Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, Section 6
They might say: “We chose the best candidate — he happened to be male.”
Your response: If the decision was made on merit, the employer should be able to demonstrate the objective criteria applied. The Employment Equity Act places the burden of proof on the employer to show that the decision was not discriminatory once an employee establishes a prima facie case of gender-based exclusion.
Legal basis: Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, Sections 6 and 20
Practice This Out Loud in the App
Audio playback, word-by-word highlighting, self-assessment drills, and 149 scenarios across 17 South African law domains. Free to start — no credit card needed.
Open The Advocate — Free
Identity & Dignity and Gender & Equality domains are free forever