Business

#Alltogether as Women in Business must engage more with men

When you look for someone to lead on gender diversity in your company, do not automatically look for a woman because your best choice could be a man
When you look for someone to lead on gender diversity in your company, do not automatically look for a woman because your best choice could be a man When you look for someone to lead on gender diversity in your company, do not automatically look for a woman because your best choice could be a man

WOMEN’S conferences in the US are increasingly inviting men to attend. By inviting and attracting more men, they hope to include men in discussions around gender equality in the workplace which makes organisational diversity efforts more successful.

They argue that when men are deliberately engaged in gender inclusion programs, 96 per cent of organisations see progress — compared to only 30 per cent of organisations where men are not engaged.

Too many organisations still miss the mark on gender equality efforts by focusing gender initiatives solely on changing women — from the way they network to the way they lead. It’s time we stopped trying to fix women, there is nothing wrong with us.

Female-only approaches to solving gender inequalities overlook systemic structural causes and reinforce the perception that these are women’s issues — effectively telling men they don’t need to be involved.

Without the avid support of men, often the most powerful stakeholders in most large corporations, significant progress toward ending gender disparities is unlikely.

What’s at stake? A study by McKinsey projects that in a “full potential” scenario in which women participate in the economy identically to men, $28 trillion dollars (26 per cent) would be added to the annual global GDP when compared to the current business-as-usual scenario.

$28 trillion dollars! Surely that is a prize worth fighting for. The nearest equivalent figure I have is from Scotland, which could add £7.4 billion to its economy if women started businesses at the same rate as men. This figure is just looking at female entrepreneurs' contribution we also need to add in the increased profits that would be realised with gender diverse boards and management teams in companies.

I whole heartedly invite our corporate men to engage with Women in Business. We need to work together if we are to reach our full potential. This is another new tactic in our journey to a truly gender diverse business community. When you look for someone to lead on gender diversity in your company do not automatically look for a woman, your best choice could well be a man.

Adding engaging men to your tool kit you should by now have the following top 10:

1 Visible commitment from the very top, chair and CEO

2 Diversity, an agenda item at every board meeting

3 Allocate budget

4 Sign up to the NI Diversity Charter Mark

5 Deliver female mentoring and development programmes

6 Internal networks

7 Flexible working/creche facilities

8 Unconscious bias training for everyone

9 Men engaged

10 Membership of Women in Business

To our potential female entrepreneurs, I'm delighted to say that Women in Business, in collaboration with the 11 councils and Invest NI, will launch a new Northern Ireland-wide Female Entrepreneurs Support Programme in January.

It's clear from the Scottish figures that this is a hugely important initiative, as it has the potential to make a significant impact on our economy.

Working hard on gender diversity in the corporate world, and on supporting female entrepreneurs to start and grow their business, will eventually deliver for us all, a new economy , one built on inclusive growth.

:: Roseann Kelly (roseann@ womeninbusinessni.com) is chief executive of Women in Business (www.womeninbusinessni.com), the largest and fastest growing business network for female entrepreneurs and senior women in management in Northern Ireland. Follow Women in Business NI on Facebook at www.facebook.com/women-inbusinessni or on Twitter @wibni.