Affirmative Action and Intersectionality at the Top: Evidence from South Africa

Abstract

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.