Lasikatto UK:ssa

Independent-lehti raportoi tänään kuinka UK-firmat eivät näytä ottaneen onkeensa neuvoja lisätä naisten osallistumista johtoryhmätyöskentelyyn. Ongelmaksi mainitaan naisten kohtaama lasikatto. UK:ssa ei ole vielä sisäistetty naisten ja erilaisten mielipiteiden positiivista vaikutusta johtotason työskentelyyn. Jutussa mainitaan esimerkkeinä Australia, jossa pieniinkin johtoryhmiin on pystytty mahduttamaan naisia sekä USA, joissa mukaan mahtuu usein myös sekä akateemisia että yrittäjähenkisiä.

In February Lord Davies called on FTSE 350 companies to achieve "urgent change" and announce aspirational goals within the next six months. The deadline falls tomorrow, but while figures from FTSE 100 firms point to positive action, outside the main blue chip index the response appears less favourable. Anecdotal evidence suggests there still remains resistance to falling into line with Davies's call for firms to aim for a minimum of 25 per cent female representation on boards by 2015....

Elaine Aarons, a partner in the employment group at Withers says women are still being blocked from boards. "I deal with many highly regarded senior women who don't get through to that last stage of business of joining the board," she said. "It's partly systemic. Advancement is not related directly to merit with politics usually playing a big part."

She pointed out that companies can benefit from the multi-sector experience that women can bring. "Other countries are much more relaxed about the type of people they recruit," she said. " In the US, they have many more entrepreneurs and academics on boards. One of the biggest problems in the UK is that companies are too strait-jacketed in terms of who they recruit."