As the build-up to the US presidential elections reaches fervour there are a couple of interesting trends that the political establishment in the UK ought to be cognisant of now rather than leaving it till the last minute.
The two ‘issues’ that are dominating debate and coverage are the economy and women’s issues. The former because, understandably, everyone notices jobs being lost and household budgets being squeezed. The latter is sadly less of a nod to equality and progressive politics and is more a reflection of the fact that the fairer sex vote in higher numbers (10 million more women voted in the 2008 presidential election and were crucial in securing Barack Obama’s victory).
So in order for either candidate to win on November 6 they have to brashly show off their business-savvy credentials together with their feminine side.
The same is going to be true of the political landscape in the UK in May 2015. To put it in no uncertain terms: in order for the Labour party to win the 2015 election both the women’s vote and the endorsement and trust of the business community are going to be crucial.
With typical female efficiency, the Labour Women in Business network launched last week presents a platform for addressing these two constituent parts in one job lot. The country needs a thriving private sector in order to grow our economy and it needs women to be at the heart of that growth, not only to ensure that profit margins are healthy (mixed boards are good for business. End of.) but also that workforces are diverse and business culture is inclusive and productive.
The network will provide several functions: a business network where career opportunities can be created; a support network for like-minded people facing similar challenges; and a potential policy forum to debate and consider challenges as well as opportunities facing women in the private sector.
How wonderful it would be if, as some of us had assumed, in 2012 the need for such a network did not exist. That we no longer spoke of women’s ‘issues’ as if 50 per cent of the country’s concerns were not issues for society as a whole and, more despairingly, as if all female concerns could be packaged up in a couple of cursory policy announcements (note to policymakers – women are not a monolithic group who only care about street lighting and childcare). Hurrah if discrimination in the workplace was a thing of the past, if we needed more than one hand to count female CEOs in the FTSE 100 and there was no debate about quotas because executive boards were diverse in gender.
Marvellous indeed, but hold on to your champagne corks because there is a long way to go. We anticipate that the Labour Women in Business Network is a useful starter. Get involved.
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Rebecca Simon is co-chair of the Labour Women in Business Network together with Kirsty McNeill. To get involved or for more information please email [email protected]
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