Gender Equality in the 21st Century: Confusion to Consensus

Gender Equality in the 21^st Century: Confusion to Consensus

16 – 18^th November 2011

The Speakers at this conference were:

Lynne Berry, OBE, Vice Chair, Canal and River Trust and visiting academic, CASS Business School

Naomi Eisenstadt, CB Department of Education, University of Oxford

Professor Yvonne Galligan, Director, Centre for the Advancement of Women in Politics

Chris Green, Director, White Ribbon Campaign

Debbie Gupta, Director of Policy Transformation, Government Equalities Office

Professor Susan Halford, Professor of Sociology, University of Southampton

Dr Pauline Leonard, Reader in Sociology, School of Social Sciences, University of Southampton

Finn Mackay, Feminist Activist and Academic

Fiona Mactaggart, MP, Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities

Matt McCormack Evans, co-founder, Anti-Porn Men Project

Helena Morrissey, Chief Executive Officer of Newton Investment Management Ltd, Founder of the 30% Group

Rowan Pelling, journalist and broadcaster

Dr Katherine Rake, OBE Chief Executive, Family and Parenting Institute

Sandy Ruxton, Independent Policy Advisor and Research

Sarah Veale, CBE Head, Equality and Employment Rights Department, TUC

Maria Wallis, QPM former Chief Constable, Devon and Cornwall

Honor Wilson-Fletcher, MBE Chief Executive, The Aldridge Foundation

Introduction

Sex discrimination and equal pay laws, which have existed for fifty years, have helped women to claim their place in economic and social life, to some degree. These legal sanctions remain important; there will always be rogue employers who flout the norms so as to victimise women. Yet decades after these legal protections were established, women still earn around 20% less than men and are not well represented at the top; there are only 13 female CEOs of FTSE 350 companies, 1/3 of senior civil servants are women, while women CEOs run ¼ of local authorities in England and Wales. Women still carry the most responsibility for children or elderly relatives, running a house-hold, while also often maintaining full-time employment. Many women give up work altogether because their incomes are insufficient to pay for childcare. Poorer women are often caught in low paid jobs and although domestic abuse affects all socio-economic groups, poorer women may lack the resources to leave an abusive relationship. Laws intended to protect gender equality are insufficient to address all the problems women face, however, above all else, legislation has given women the power to believe that the principle of gender equality has been won. Greater confidence among women must now lead to a change in men’s perspectives; instead of seeing women’s advancement and progress as a threat to their own power, the focus needs to be on achieving shared goals and greater prosperity for everyone. Efforts to promote gender equality must now reach those areas where legislation has not been able to bring change; attitudes must begin to shift. Despite, or even because of the economic downturn, the value of women has become strikingly clear in recent times. It is to our peril - economically, politically and socially - to ignore or downplay the potential contribution of women to national life.

The report continues to cover the following issues:

Gender and sex differences

masculinity and violence

political and economic reasons for gender equality

work-place culture

women's own attitudes

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