Judiciary, high court judge and above 7% (Source: Lord Chancellor's
Department website, August 2003; Scottish Executive Justice Department,
December 2003)
Women still hold less than ten per cent of the most senior positions in many
areas of British public life, according to a report published today by the
Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). Julie Mellor, Chair of the EOC, said
the findings raised serious questions about the ability of the decision
makers who run Britain to identify with the concerns of the general public.
Sex and power: who runs Britain? reveals that women make up just 7% of the
senior judiciary, 7% of senior police officers, 9% of top business leaders
and 9% of national newspaper editors. There has been progress in some
areas - for example, women now account for 23% of the Civil Service top
management and 36% of public appointments - but there is still a long way to
go.
Julie Mellor said:
"Almost 30 years since the Sex Discrimination Act was passed, women are
still massively under-represented in positions of influence in Britain.
No-one can argue any more that it's just a matter of time until more women
make it to the top - there have been talented women coming up in business,
public life and politics for years. The EOC is laying down a challenge to
leaders in every sector to make 2004 the year they take decisive action to
dismantle the barriers to women's progress.
"Women are still often prevented from getting to the top because they take
on more caring responsibilities than men. Until every organisation accepts
that they can't capitalise on the talent available without taking account of
people's caring roles the profile of the people who run Britain will not
change. Institutions also need to examine their recruitment and selection
procedures to check that they are rigorous, fair and transparent. There's no
place for an old boys' network in modern Britain.
"Excluding women from senior positions means that business, government and
public services are not only missing out on talent, they are also relying on
a narrow range of experiences to make decisions that affect all of our
lives. The quality of decision-making suffers without the input of people
with a range of experiences.
"Recent media commentary on the honours system has also highlighted the low
numbers of women to receive 'senior' honours. This reflects a wider problem
that won't be resolved until Britain's leaders act to make sure women are
not prevented from getting to the top."
NOTES TO EDITORS
Sex and power: who runs Britain? (an 8-page document) is available from the
EOC press office and will also be on the website on 5 January under
http://www.eoc.org.uk/cseng/policyandcampaigns/whorunsbritain.pdf
The Sex Discrimination Act came into force in December 1975.
Website: www.eoc.org.uk