To mark International Women’s Day 2023, The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) have launched a three-year gender equity campaign based on the findings of a survey with panel provider Find Out Now.
The BCC campaign is an excellent piece of work, based on the evidence from business women in the Chambers’ network. But there is also the bigger picture – this week the General Secretary of the UN, António Guterres, warned progress on women’s rights is “vanishing before our eyes”, saying the increasingly distant goal of gender equality will take another three centuries to achieve. He stressed that “in many places, women’s sexual and reproductive rights are being rolled back and in some countries, girls going to school risk kidnapping and assault”.
He called for “collective action” worldwide by governments, civil society and the private sector to provide gender-responsive education, improve skills training and invest more in “bridging the digital gender divide”. And women all over the world should work to support each other to achieve this.
As a woman and a leader, I know how important it is to support other women. There have been countless instances during my career journey where I have had to push to get my ideas and views across and I see the role of the Chambers’ as campaigner and to raise awareness to ensure policies around gender equality stay at the top of the Government’s – and everyone’s – agenda.
The BCC/Find Out Now survey of over 4000 respondents reveals that three key issues are causing a barrier to women’s career progression in this country:
- Childcare
Two-thirds (67%) of female respondents who have had childcare responsibilities in the last 10 years felt they missed out on career progression as a result.
- General caring responsibilities
77% of male respondents believe there is not sufficient support available for people with non-paid caring responsibilities for elderly or disabled relatives or friends. This figure increases to 86% for female respondents.
- Menopause and women’s health
Almost three quarters (74%) of female respondents feel there is not sufficient support for those experiencing menopause. One in three (34%) female respondents who have gone through menopause felt that it impacted their career negatively.
The BCC is committed to facing these challenges head on by levelling up for women in the workplace, through its three-year campaign:
- Short-term action: Convene employment experts, Chamber CEOs and employers to create a Chamber Workplace Equity Commission
- Medium-term work: The Commission to analyse research findings and case studies, to develop policies for Government and best practices for businesses enshrining equity in the workplace.
- Long-term goal: Re-run the same survey with the aim of moving the dial on the findings we are publishing today.
You can read the full report here on the BCC website, here.
And I would hope that every woman taking part in any International Women’s Day event, will pledge to support women across the world who are fighting for the rights that we take for granted and on which we base our new campaigns. And please read the brilliant Invisible Women | Caroline Criado Perez which shows how the world we live in is not designed for women, anywhere.
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