Women in Accounting
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
This chapter critically reviews literature on what scholars deem to be the factors that contribute to female scarcity in senior positions as far as the accountancy profession is concerned. It will also document the history of women in the accountancy profession. The review of literature takes into account the international, regional and local contexts.
History of women in accountancy profession
In the past, women were not allowed to do any accounting job as it was perceived to be a man’s job. Major accounting firms did not hire women at all. Now, before World War II women were only hired as “bookkeepers”. In 1940 there were 475685 women bookkeepers who represented 51.1% of the bookkeepers then employed (Business and Economics History, pg. 79). Out of these masses only 18265 women were later employed as accountants or auditors. Colleges in the past discouraged women from studying accounting courses (Lasseter, 1945). However the accounting profession has experienced large pool of female accountants in recent times. The fact remains, women are behind in terms of progression to senior positions as compared to their male counterparts.
The accounting profession like other profession such as law, and engineering have only been studied by Africans of recent especially women. This is evidenced by reliance on using International Accounting Standards issued by IASB of the western countries including the United Kingdom. Even though this is the case, African women continue to struggle and make very small numbers in senior positions. As aforementioned, in South Africa only 3% female account for chatteredaccountants in the country as compared to the males, (ASA Accountancy, 2009).
The study of accounting profession in Botswana is relatively new. It is only in 1990 that the Botswana institute of Accountants later in 2010 to be changed to Botswana institute of chatered accountants (BICA) was established. However since its inception (BICA) none
INTRODUCTION
This chapter critically reviews literature on what scholars deem to be the factors that contribute to female scarcity in senior positions as far as the accountancy profession is concerned. It will also document the history of women in the accountancy profession. The review of literature takes into account the international, regional and local contexts.
History of women in accountancy profession
In the past, women were not allowed to do any accounting job as it was perceived to be a man’s job. Major accounting firms did not hire women at all. Now, before World War II women were only hired as “bookkeepers”. In 1940 there were 475685 women bookkeepers who represented 51.1% of the bookkeepers then employed (Business and Economics History, pg. 79). Out of these masses only 18265 women were later employed as accountants or auditors. Colleges in the past discouraged women from studying accounting courses (Lasseter, 1945). However the accounting profession has experienced large pool of female accountants in recent times. The fact remains, women are behind in terms of progression to senior positions as compared to their male counterparts.
The accounting profession like other profession such as law, and engineering have only been studied by Africans of recent especially women. This is evidenced by reliance on using International Accounting Standards issued by IASB of the western countries including the United Kingdom. Even though this is the case, African women continue to struggle and make very small numbers in senior positions. As aforementioned, in South Africa only 3% female account for chatteredaccountants in the country as compared to the males, (ASA Accountancy, 2009).
The study of accounting profession in Botswana is relatively new. It is only in 1990 that the Botswana institute of Accountants later in 2010 to be changed to Botswana institute of chatered accountants (BICA) was established. However since its inception (BICA) none
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