UK Report pessimist over advancement women in workplace

Women will have to wait another 73 years to equal men as directors of FTSE 100 companies, according to a report by the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission.

The report, published today, speaks of stalled progress in the percentage of women MEPs, top media bosses, directors of leading museums and galleries, chairs of national arts companies and holders of senior ranks in the armed forces. The only increase in women’s representation is seen in the House of Lords, FTSE 100 company directors (but marginally with 0.6 % increase), local authority council leaders and university vice-chancellors. Nicola Brewer, the Chief Executive of the Commission deems radical steps are required. The report even speaks of a reverse of the number of women in the health service, local authorities, as well as reverse the police force chief executives, senior police officers and judges and heads of professional bodies.

The report puts most of the blame on the “UK’s rigid, inflexible approach” to work. It points to outdated working practices, a long-hours culture and the absence of good-quality, affordable childcare, coupled with society’s expectation that women will look after the family and run the house. These factors are driving women to take on lesser roles or take time of work altogether.

Thenextwomen would add a lack of visibility in terms of role models and gender stereotyping as additional factors. Take the general business media; in a regular FT or Businessweek the editorials often lack a female angle in their stories and hardly put any business women forward.