Meeting Summaries Meeting 1: 10 December 2009 The first meeting of the Taskforce examined the remit of the group, to produce practical, pragmatic recommendations for the Regional Strategy RS2010. SUMMARY OF ACTIONS 1. Investigate and interpret trends: o NW women growing businesses at a faster rate than men o Drop in number of NW local authority leaders o women’s pay increased more than men’s in the NW o impact on women of poorer mental health in the NW 2. Hold focus group of young women in the workplace and gain clearer picture of effective female role models. 3. Gain combined age and gender statistics in key sectors 4. Further analysis is needed on the shape of work and careers in the region DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Provide better careers information and female role models relating to the NWDA-defined growth areas 2. Employers to engage positively with both genders in schools 4. The ‘domestic care’ agenda to become gender-neutral; a re-structure of working arrangements to allow parenting and caring responsibilities, including the return to work after maternity leave, to be equally carried out by women and men. 5. Identify the most effective mentoring for women at different stages in their career and seek to extend such schemes more widely across the Northwest. Meeting 2: 13 January 2010: The structure of work (practical barriers and enablers) The second meeting considered whether a re-organisation of work would be more ‘female-friendly’. Discussion included part-time work, home-working, flexible hours, childcare, initiatives to support men to take on more caring responsibilities, and the potential use of procurement as a lever for change. The meeting heard contributions from C-TEC www.c-tec.co.uk on being a family-friendly employer, and the Appointments Commission’s www.appointments.org.uk work on diversity in public appointments. Meeting 3: 24th February 2010: Positive action The Task Force looked at the variety of initiatives and measures which are aimed at addressing imbalance and under-representation of women at leadership levels of different occupations and sectors. It concluded that there is a pressing need to provide hard evidence of the economic benefits to companies and organisations of having a more diverse leadership. This should underpin positive action initiatives aimed at the target growth sectors, recruitment agencies and consultants, trade and professional associations and boards of public bodies.
Members also welcomed the draft Part 1 of the Regional Strategy, and recommended greater reference to flexible working by women and men; tackling job segregation by widening skills options for girls and boys; and the range of interventions needed to meet the specific situations of women within different demographic groups. Meeting 4: 23rd March 2010: Cultural change At this meeting the Task Force examined how organisational culture is the most intractable factor influencing women’s ability to exercise their leadership potential. Members looked at the unwritten rules governing recruitment and retention, working hours and acceptable practices in different sectors. Two speakers outlined research and practical experience of women working as professionals and leaders in the engineering industry. The Task Force resolved to solidify the case for maximising economic growth by full inclusion of women at leadership levels, and: o devise a voluntary code of practice supported by best practice guidelines for Northwest businesses and employers o propose aspirational targets for representation of women on boards and governing bodies o formulate a leadership charter for adoption by NW regional bodies o challenge business networks to develop strategies for more visible female participation o create a bank of role models to guide young women and men who will be the Northwest’s future leaders