International Women’s Day was celebrated on Monday last week, highlighting the progress that has been made towards equality between the sexes and how bastions of hidebound thinking are being overturned. Closer to home, IWD was used to encourage the printing industry to recruit more women. When perhaps as many as 40% of the industry’s employees are women.
The problem is that there is a tendency for women to be confined to clichéd tasks: HR of course, marketing and sales, design and, not least, hand work. Some of these jobs suit childcare, as if fathers have no role to play in rearing their own kids. Some are ‘simply jobs’. Again plenty of men work to live, not live to work. And every woman in a sales role has stories to tell of misogyny, not least those subject to appalling comments at the final Ipex.
Technology is ending any divide based on physical strength because nobody, male or female, wants to spend their days loading tonnes of paper. Culture needs to end divides in management teams and in the boardroom. Today there are more women directors, many the daughters of those founding the business. They are equally committed and capable as their male counterparts. In today’s business world, women should comprise at least 30% of board members. It works in Finland. It is proven that diversity promotes better decision making, deeper partnerships with customers and commitment from staff. In 2021 there is no place for the all-male board.
Sisters are doing it – if they get the chance
International Women’s Day was celebrated on Monday last week, highlighting the progress that has been made towards equality between the sexes and how bastions of hidebound thinking are being overturned. Closer to home, IWD was used to encourage the printing industry to recruit more women. When perhaps as many as 40% of the industry’s employees are women.
The problem is that there is a tendency for women to be confined to clichéd tasks: HR of course, marketing and sales, design and, not least, hand work. Some of these jobs suit childcare, as if fathers have no role to play in rearing their own kids. Some are ‘simply jobs’. Again plenty of men work to live, not live to work. And every woman in a sales role has stories to tell of misogyny, not least those subject to appalling comments at the final Ipex.
Technology is ending any divide based on physical strength because nobody, male or female, wants to spend their days loading tonnes of paper. Culture needs to end divides in management teams and in the boardroom. Today there are more women directors, many the daughters of those founding the business. They are equally committed and capable as their male counterparts. In today’s business world, women should comprise at least 30% of board members. It works in Finland. It is proven that diversity promotes better decision making, deeper partnerships with customers and commitment from staff. In 2021 there is no place for the all-male board.
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