Member News
By Baroness Prosser - 21st February 2010
Baroness Prosser writes for ePolitix.com ahead of her question on the representation of women on corporate boards.
Back in the early 1990s, when the people of Scotland were campaigning for devolution and their own government, Scottish women made up a song which reinforced their demand for a fair share of parliamentary seats. The chorus was "50/50 easy peasy - one for you and one for meesy."
Many would say, and I would think, they may be right: starting from scratch makes it easier to shape a body. Introducing rules at the start of the game provides something of a level playing field.
So how can we improve women's representation on the boards of both public and private bodies when the organisations are so set in their ways? I do not believe there is deliberate intent to discriminate against women. Mostly I think it is about feeling comfortable with those around you. The old boys' network is alive and well.
Figures released recently by the Cabinet Office show that 32.6 per cent of seats on Non Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) are held by women. The Ministry of Justice and DCSF have above-average representation of women, but for some strange reason, Defra has only 12.6 per cent. Government could and should take action to identify what is going wrong here and issue action plans to redress the imbalance.
The Women's National Commission has for a number of years had a 'Women into Public Life' programme. This encourages women to put themselves forward with advice on how to get started, which talents and experiences to promote, and how to fill in a CV.
Taking action against private boards is somewhat trickier. Demonstrating the added value brought to decision-making by diverse voices is one lever, but public opinion and reputation are both hugely important to these companies.
Identifying best practice among competitor companies can move things along. Being seen as a laggard, particularly being behind the zeitgeist, is not where the best companies want to be.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd