Roseann Kelly MBE reflects on female representation on International Women's Day 2020

AWARE, BUT NOT THERE.

 

As we approach another International Women’s Day, I ask the question, where are we now? Have things changed? Have we women got it all and are the inequalities sorted? My answer is we are Aware…. but not there!

Over the past 18 years Women in Business has changed and evolved. I no longer face a sea of black suits when attending business dinners, it would be rare and frowned upon to see an all-male table at a dinner. The optics would imply that we are everywhere – 50% women in our new Assembly executive…. however we still have only three female CEO ‘s in the top 100 companies in NI, only 17% of women in our Tech sector and while the overwhelming majority of Ftse 350 companies now have women on their boards, it seems many are making only a token effort, with an attitude of “one and done”. Almost 50 Ftse 250 companies have a sole female board member!

 

Even with this, I am encouraged that we have these figures, that we are counting… the awareness about the importance of having women in business at all levels, in having diversity at all levels in business is very high, but and it’s a big but, it is not translating into genuine inclusive actions. Tick boxes and lip service are unfortunately commonplace in relation to gender initiatives.

 

Where are the part time jobs, the flexible working, the equal pay, the access to finance…? It is not enough to introduce policies, we need to actively encourage their use and this needs to come from the top, from the middle, from the bottom, from everyone. That is the key, we need everyone and in particular men to really get involved. To ask for part-time work, flexible work, pay transparency and equal paternity leave. It is only when we are all on the same team, working together will we actually get there…

 

It is time to move from Aware to There, from Diversity to Inclusion. At Women in Business, we will continue, to deliver for our members, but we are but one cog in the wheel. We are supporting and encouraging women to reach their full potential, we are increasing their connections and skills, but we need others to reach out and support these women by changing systems and processes that have and will continue to block women’s advancement if not changed.

 

All bad behaviours must be called out, someone must challenge that only one penny in every business investment pound goes to women, must challenge gender pay gaps, must challenge the lack of female specific support, must challenge all male boards…Women in Business is still here, so clearly, we are not there yet, couple that with our highest rate of membership growth ever in 2019, our work is not over. We will keep pushing with our new Young Women’s Network, our senior Ambassadors group, our Women Returners programme, an International Conference in 2022 and our Women’s Business Centre.

 

I believe all leaders, governments, countries are more than aware of what they need to do, what they should do but it is only the few who act. About four years ago I asked both our Universities why our young women had to graduate in men’s clothes, robes designed for men, still no change …our Universities are “Aware but not There” maybe next year!