Empowering Women In The Workforce

The decision to start a family in a mans career does not hinder his ability to progress and develop into a high-powered positions. However, it is a major hurdle to overcome for women who have to take time away from their career for childbirth, then often further time out from their career to see that child through the formative years to school age. This often changes their career aspirations.

Women learn strong leadership qualities by raising a family, something which is lost to UK Plc along with the career skills and knowledge that she already possesses, when she feels the need to change career or job to fit around her family life.

But why in this modern technological age should this be happening ?
With the widespread availability of high-speed telecommunications and the internet, this should not be an issue. It is an easily achievable aim that much of the day-to-day work can literally be performed from a home location, thus allowing women to continue their career whilst raising a family, on beneficial terms to both parties. The advent of video-conferencing over broadband further enhances the ability to be present at important meetings whilst working from a home location (wherever that home may be). Furthermore, studies have often proven home-workers to be far more productive than their office-bound colleagues due to the distinct lack of distraction and/or interruption that office-life brings. Ironically, it is the technology companies (and those that recognise the benefits of such technology) who are leading the way in home and flexible working.

If companies can be educated in the benefits of allowing people to manage their careers and families themselves, then much of the stress is removed and more women would be encouraged to continue and thrive in their current roles.

Britain is failing to get talented women into top positions of power and losing out on what they can contribute. Girls now out-perform boys at many levels of secondary education and nearly three out of five recent first degree graduates are women. In 2008, 14.3 million women are in the workforce, alongside 16.9 million men. We are approaching the position where women may soon make up half the workforce.

Before the arrival of children, 85% of working women are full-time. This falls dramatically to just 34% of working mothers with pre-school children. For women at every level of work, this leads to a staggering squander of talent. For many, moving to part-time work, or leaving the labour market altogether, is the result of limited choices. A draining combination of outdated working practices and long hours cultures, alongside the absence of appropriate high-quality affordable child-care or social-care are the main culprits.

Empowering people to be in control of their work and lives will mean that companies will clearly see the capabilities of each member of their team. A happy and contented workforce is an extremely motivated, focussed and productive workforce.

Kirsten Hemingway Arnold says ‘An environment such as this will see more and more women aspiring to, and attaining, more senior positions based on merit rather than presenteeism'.