women in business 15
UK – still behind but making ground
The UK is improving as an environment for women entrepreneurship, but still lags behind European countries including France and Germany, according to new research from Dell and the GEDI Institute
Dell has announced findings from the second annual Gender-Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index (GEDI) – a study measuring the female entrepreneurship environments in 17 countries. According to the report, more than 75% of the countries surveyed are not meeting the most fundamental conditions required for female entrepreneurs to prosper.
The UK has come in at seventh place with a ranking of 54/100, placing it behind the US (83), Australia (80), Sweden (73), France and Germany (tied at 67) and Chile (55) – but the UK is also is one of just four countries to have improved its ranking, having moved ahead of last year’s ranking by one place.
Key UK findings include:
The UK is a hotbed for ’opportunity’ startups 71% of female Total Early Phase Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) businesses were started to: exploit a good opportunity, increase outcome, or fulfil personal aims – in contrast to those businesses started by individuals who have no other employment options. The UK scored the same percentage here as the US.
UK winning at SME support and training
The UK was one of only five countries to achieve the highest score (100) for its SME training (the others being Australia, France, Sweden and the US). This measured SME training by its geographic availability across a country, its accessibility to women as well as men, its affordability for the majority of intended beneficiaries, its cultural appropriateness,
Gender pay gap ’must be reduced’
The next government should ensure there is a UK target for reducing the gender pay gap, says the CBI.
The UK’s leading business group is calling for a commitment from the next government on a national target to bring the issue of the gender pay gap sharply into focus, in the same way the Lord
Davies review has made women on boards a high priority.
Reaching the target would then require progress in the areas which have a real impact on equal pay, such as improved careers guidance in schools, an increased understanding of the benefits of flexible working for parents and businesses, and affordable childcare.
Katja Hall, CBI deputy director-general, said: “Gender should not define what people earn and we need to put equal pay firmly into the spotlight.
“Currently, too many areas of work – often those with high-pay potential – are seen as male- dominated, with women steered away from options that would give them better access to higher pay and seniority.
“This simply has to change. We must focus on tackling the pay gap by providing the right careers advice in schools and boosting support in the workplace for career development.
“A future government should ensure that an overall target to reduce the gender pay gap is set at a national level to raise awareness of the issue.
“And this would mean we can clearly track whether more progress is really being made on gender diversity.“
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – JULY/AUGUST 2014
and its taking into account women’s time constraints eg childcare.
UK aces workforce balance
Out of the 30 countries sampled, the UK achieved the highest labour force balance, measured as a 40:60 ratio of women to men across industries.
British women’s confidence high
91% of UK women see no perceivable differences between male and female executives. It shows confidence in women’s leadership and positive attitudes towards women in decision- making positions including those held by ’high-potential’ female entrepreneurs.
Childcare leaves room for improvement
In terms of availability, quality, and affordability, the UK received a 60/100 score for access to childcare, lagging behind European countries such as France, which achieved 100/100.
Low female startup rate
The UK has 4.8 female startups for every 10 male startups, a similar figure to France (4.4:10), but lagging behind the US (7.1:10) and Australia (6.7:10).
Low amount of female tech startups
The sample surveyed included 0% of female startups working in the tech sector. This is low in most countries, with 2% being the average for the sample.
A new CBI paper, Building on Progress, outlines business and government priorities for boosting gender diversity in the workforce.
These include:
• Government funding for a nationally- mandated, locally-run system to support employer engagement in careers services
• Every sixth form, college and university setting and reporting against targets for female participation in key subjects, such as physics
• Businesses committing to meaningful diversity policies and, where possible, aspirational targets, with a focus on supporting women within the workforce and re-integrating maternity returners effectively into their roles
• Businesses showing greater openness to job-sharing in more senior roles and ensuring recruitment processes maximise the diversity of shortlists
• The Government doing more to raise awareness and understanding of the benefits and options for flexible working, including better guidance for businesses
• The Government considering increasing the amount of free provision of childcare when it is affordable to do so, especially for those from low-income backgrounds
• Any future government making equal pay a priority, in the same manner that the Lord Davies review shone the spotlight on women on boards.
www.businessmag.co.uk
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