Almost 80 women from a wide range of organizations joined Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Chairing) and panelists Rita Clifton (Interbrand), Lucy Richardson (Brand Legacy), Louise Mowbray (Mowbray by Design), and Maura Donlan, GMMB (Obama campaign)
To read more: click here

Image conscious

We live in a world so full of brands, that we do not often stop to think about what makes a company, or a person really stand out from the crowd. But there is an appetite to know more, as WiPP proved when it brought together a group of experts in a seminar to share their tips on how to make branding work for companies, individuals and political parties.

Although the four women who spoke were tackling the issue from different perspectives, there were a surprising number of key messages in common. Rita Clifton, chairman of Interbrand, provided insights into successful corporate branding. She said that in order to build a brand, it is important to be clear about what you stand for and how you are different from the opposition. You also need to be consistent in everything you do, and show leadership. This involves setting the agenda in your sector and constantly innovating.

Much of this holds true for personal branding. Louise Mowbray of Mowbray by Design advised finding out what makes you compelling. “Be memorable and relevant,” she said. She also recommended being authentic, warning that you won’t last long if you fake it.

Consistency is another important element for success. Lucy Richardson, managing partner of Brand Legacy, gave an example of the Dove advertising campaigns. The ads stood out by using real women to promote soaps and shampoos. But Lucy suggested that Dove did not carry this through by creating a product that really stood out from the rest.

It is hard to imagine more successful political branding than the Obama campaign for the US presidency. Maura Donlan, senior vice president of GMMB, the firm that advised the campaign, had everyone transfixed as she illustrated how Obama raised his profile through his powerful oratory, and by reaching out to new supporters outside the political mainstream. The campaign took full advantage of the latest technology, using mobile phones and the internet to spread the word and to raise small donations from millions of people. Supporters spontaneously made their own advertisements, which were widely viewed on Youtube. All this did more than help Obama to win. It created a new, grassroots political movement made up of people hungry for change. Time will tell if, like the best brands, this movement is sustainable.

by Adrienne Margolis
Freelance writer/editorial consultant
adrienne.margolis@gmail.com

You are on the shortlist for a role or in the running to secure a new deal or business opportunity.  You know that you have the right qualifications, experience, expertise - and believe you have done all that you need to do, and more, to win.  And yet, someone else scoops up the prize and you are left wondering why?  

Incredibly frustrating - and worrying too.  What were the obstacles?  Is there something you might be lacking?

Its a tough question, and probably the most common reason that people look for an external perspective to help realise their potential.  And I'll let you into a little secret - more often than not, any obstacles to your success are created, and can be removed, by you.

The good news is that once we know what we are doing to hamper our progress, then we know too how to change. Better still, our tried and tested programmes are designed to help you do just this...

Let me explain - during my headhunting days, I was always deeply fascinated by what made one person more successful than the next.  I would draw up a shortlist of candidates who all met the requirements of the role - often down to the specific universities they attended.  And I would usually throw in a 'wild card'.  Someone who wasn't a perfect match, but they just seemed to have that magic something that made them stand out from the crowd.

And these people, statistically, would win the role as often as the perfectly qualified candidates.  So education, background, training, experience - whilst important, are still only commodities if you can't find that special something that makes you shine.

When I stumbled across personal branding some years ago, I instantly recognised that this is what makes some people seem luckier than others.  They have the ability to make the right impact and get ahead - even in difficult circumstances.  And I discovered too that this is something you and I can learn to do.

All it takes is a slight shift in our thinking.  I like to think of this as the vital one degree.  One degree leads to the next and before you know it, you are on your way to realising your potential.

Louise Mowbray
Leadership & Personal Brand Coach
T: +44 (0)776 800 2840
W:www.mowbraybydesign.com

“I do not fear death, but the consequences of remaining silence” - Malalai Joya, Raising My Voice

The Women and Development in Conflict Zones forum, was over-subscribed, with registrations stopped at 130. Baroness Morris of Bolton opened the discussion by quoting the inspirational words of Malalai Joya. Joya was one of the first female Afghan Parliamentarians and in her book, Raising My Voice, she described the difficulties she faced as a pioneering political figure. Although she had been suspended from her role and forced into exile by assassination attempts, she was not intimidated into silence. By referring to Joya in opening the discussions, Baroness Morris underscored the importance of free speech. She also highlighted the commitment and bravery of the speakers on the panel working in, or assisting the development of women in, conflict zones.

Speaking as an employee of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Rahima Housaini explained the two-fold nature of her work. The aim of the Organisation is to put an end to the drugs trade and associated crimes, which have enormous impact on women and development in Afghanistan. Specifically, Housaini’s role involves assisting female prisoners through vocational training. Often, former-convicts are deemed to have dishonoured the family and are not permitted to return to the family unit. However, through UNODC Housaini’s work helps women by ensuring that they are capable of supporting themselves once released. This is just one dimension of her work in prisons; Housaini also facilitates the capacity training of prison staff to ensure that their conduct towards detainees is compliant with human rights standards.

Housaini is also involved in running the Young Leader’s Forum (YLF), which, with assistance from the German political foundation, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, helps instruct members on peace building, conflict transformation and democracy. Additionally, she is an active committee member of the Child Protection Action Network (CPAN), a non-governmental organisation that addresses issues of child abuse. Although Afghanistan may be considered a culture where women traditionally have few opportunities for civic engagement, Housaini spoke of the way in which an increasing number of women in Kabul are not just settling for a secondary role. Housaini described the way in which NGOs such as the YLF and CPAN were enabling women to become more actively engaged.

Housaini described the ongoing challenges that stand in the way of women’s development. She also described the difficulties that she faced as an outsider and a female working in Afghan society. She illustrated how security risks were an important consideration for women working in conflict zones. Recounting her experience of working within prisons, Housaini explained that it is an environment where the archetypical “military man” dominates. She described the initial difficulties she faced in securing the respect of male colleagues, and how, through demonstrating enthusiasm, industriousness and seriousness, she came to be accepted within the working environment. She felt as though she had to become an “honorary man” first before she could gain the respect of her peers.

Amelia Kyazze, Head of Conflict and Humanitarian Policy at Save the Children UK, described the way that being an outsider in conflict zones, gave her the opportunity to interact and connect with women. In contrast to the macho attitudes of the military contingents, Kyazze described how being an aid-worker gave her a freedom to operate within a different space and thereby act as a force for change. Indeed, Kyazze takes a unique and visually arresting approach to aid work because of her background in anthropology and photography. Kyazze gave a personal account of what it was like to work in a wide range of conflict zones across the world, including Sudan, Bangladesh and Malawi. Kyazze has worked with Tibetan refugees in the Nepal Diaspora. She has helped civilians caught up in the war in Kosovo. She has also assisted internally-displaced individuals in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In post-civil war Angola, Kyazze undertook political research. She described the mood in Angola, after three decades of internal strife, as being uniquely joyous, but tempered by the possibility of a fresh humanitarian crisis. In addition, Kyazze has completed thematic peace and justice work with CAFOD. Her current work with Save the Children is focused on the impact of climate change in Ethiopia and Vietnam.

Kyazze cited her motivations as seeking to ameliorate rather than to merely document the situation in each of the countries in which she served. She travelled with and drew inspiration from the easy manner with which Le Carre’s muse for The Constant Gardener, Yvette Pierpaoli, connected with the women in war-torn Angola. Her privileged access to survivors and witnessing the plight of rape victims, boy soldiers and displaced refugees have filled her with a sense of humbleness towards the vulnerability of humankind. The dangerous situations she has been involved in have also heightened her awareness of her own personal mortality. She has been an impassioned advocate in conflict zones and her latest study At a Crossroads; Humanitarianism for the Next Decade attests to her dedication.

Sheila Elliot is author of the bestselling manual for female entrepreneurs, My Business is My Business. She strives to break down the culturally-engrained prejudices that give rise to the financial exclusion of women and act as a core barrier to development. She gave a personal account of how she had never felt constrained by her gender. “I behave like Sheila” was her response to her father’s chastisement of her outspoken way and assertiveness.

Contrasting the formality and the legal requirements of the mainstream financial system with micro-finance, Elliot elucidated the ways in which the mainstream system fails to offer adequate support to women. She champions the way in which microfinance can be a means of empowering women and ensuring that they have access to basic provisions - food, education and housing. Although microfinance offers a beneficial solution for women, it needs to be further bolstered with business training which enables the application of the correct skills - crucial if progress is to be made.

In analysing whether microfinance can make a difference, Elliot highlighted the fact that many of the things that members of the developed world take for granted, do not exist in the developing world. However, the impact of having access to microfinance extends beyond the purely mercantile insofar as it assists the personal development of women. Whilst women may experience initial resistance and tension when setting up their enterprises, Elliot stressed the importance of persevering because such difficulties will eventually subside. The demand for microfinance exceeds the supply and it is crucial that there are increased safeguards in place, especially as big financial institutions, realising the business potential of micro-finance, have started to take an interest in the field.

The questions posed by the audience during the Q&A session were thought-provoking, well-considered and drew interesting responses from the panel. The questions related to the detail of micro-financing, to the ways in which security concerns and language barriers posed difficulties for women working in conflict zones and the ways in which female entrepreneurialism can be safeguarded from male financial abuse.

The forum demonstrated that there were many practical examples of women in conflict zones taking an active role and challenging the stereotype of women as merely passive victims caught up in the military exploits of irresponsible male leaders.

The event was followed by a lively and successful networking session, where the attendees were able to continue the discussion and establish new contacts.

Hind Essoussi

BOOKS
“My Business is My Business”
Sheila Elliott

“The Constant Gardener”
John Le Carre

“A Thousand Splendid Suns”
Khaled Hosseini

“The Aboke Girls”
Else De Temmerman
LINKS
www.london.usembassy.gov
http://www.abkyazze.com/

http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/54_12550.htm

Chaired by Baroness Scott of Needham Market, 60 Members and guests participated in a stimulating debate that explored the potential impact of the coalition’s proposed political reforms upon female engagement.

Making the case for reform, Nan Sloane, Director of the Centre for Women and Democracy, suggested that parliamentary political reform was a secondary issue to the party selection process and called for serious discussion about the nature of democracy that the envisaged reforms would give rise to. The underlying question that Sloane’s speech addressed was whether the promulgated reforms were sufficiently bold to guarantee increased opportunities for female participation.

Sloane’s assessment of whether a more proportional electoral system would equate greater representation for women was tempered by the caveat that, ultimately, the merits were dependant on the manner in which the system was utilised. Contrarily, she underscored that the plans to streamline the number of constituencies could have a negative impact insofar as they would limit the net seats available for women to contest. Thus, Sloane saw the proposals as intending to remedy certain deficiencies in the system, against the backdrop of the expenses scandal, did not as actively seeking to address the issue of the under-representation of women in politics.

Indra Adnan, Director of the Downing Street Project expounded the broadly different skills that women and men held and stated that all sectors and industries stood to benefit from considering issues from a female perspective. Consequently, Adnan advocated that women ought not to feel pressurised to alter their habits and emulate their male counterparts in order to be successful. She pointed to the phenomena of successful female role-models leaving politics as being a reinforcement of the stereotype that politics is not a career in which women belong or can thrive within. This in turn harks back to the problem of perception in politics; the term “politician” typically evokes images of powerful men, capable of facing pressure and downplaying the importance of the family, in the interests of furthering their personal careers and ambitions. Adnan concluded that it was important to shift the discourse in political reform discussions so that more focus is placed on the benefits that men are set to reap with the increase of women colleagues in politics. She concluded by posing the question: “Are women ready”?

Charlotte Vere, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate (Brighton Pavilion) and National Co-ordinator of the No2AV campaign, said the UK’s voting system was not an inhibiting factor on female political participation. She explained that the push for electoral reform was being postulated as a means of cleansing every political ill. Yet, the thought that, for instance, the expenses scandal would not have occurred if the AV system was in operation is clearly fallacious.

Vere cited the benefits of the current electoral system, First-Past-the-Post, as including accountability, the production of strong and stable governments, as well as ease of comprehension and usage. On the other hand, the AV system is a complex electoral system and which was not included in either the Conservative or Liberal Democrat Manifestos but was instead, a remnant of Labour’s policy.

Vere concluded by recounting her experiences whilst campaigning and canvassing. She stated that on the doorsteps, the issues of recurrent importance to constituents were local ones and those are the very issues that women are particularly adept with managing and rectifying. She ended on a positive note; the coalition, she stated, is far more conducive and open to the election of women. That greater emphasis is being placed upon training rather than all-women selection lists is a move that is commendable as it encourages and fosters a meritocratic political system.

Taking the opposite viewpoint, Rashida Allie, a Labour participant on Operation Black Vote’s MP Shadowing Scheme and keen on embarking on a political career, stated that the current electoral system was not sufficient in affecting change and went on to enumerate the perceived failings of the First-Past-the-Post system. She cited as a cause of voter disaffection, the failure of the majority of Members of Parliament to secure fifty percent of the constituent vote. The second issue she highlighted as problematic was the electioneering focus on a small number of target, swing-seats that FPTP bred, to the detriment of the remainder of the country. A supporter of the AV electoral system, Allie stated that by making it a priority for each MP to secure the consensus of fifty percent of the constituency vote, it would enhance the accountability and legitimacy of each elected representative.

Allie advocated that increasing female participation in politics is an issue that requires active, cross-party backing. Further measures she felt were necessary included legislation to empower political parties to take positive action to enhance the diversity of parliamentary representatives. She stated that the adoption of constitutional quotas might be appropriate solution to the fact that only four percent of MPs were of a black or ethnic minority (BME) background. She concluded that Parliament would only become more closely representatives of the electorate demographic through implementing more flexible measures. Such measures as holding elections over the weekends and mobility rules that would permit voting from any polling station rather than the one geographically closest to the elector’s home, would have the added benefit of increasing voter turn-out.

The final speaker, Dinti Batstone, third on the Liberal Democrat London list for the European Parliament and Vice-Chair for the Campaign for Gender Balance, commenced by stating that the increased participation of women in politics was not simply a matter of equality but one of talent, as increased diversity facilitates the introduction of fresh ideas and perspectives. She commended the collaborative nature of campaigning under a proportional representation system and stated that the First-Past-the-Post electoral system was only beneficial for those parties with safe seats, which is not the case for the Liberal Democrats.

Expressing concern at what she perceived to be a strong correlation between safe seats and the expenses scandal, Batstone pointed to the complacency that might arises from being a longstanding political incumbent. She cited the Single Transferable Vote system as the better alternative to both the FTPT and the AV systems as it was the system that best accommodates proportionality. Meanwhile, she perceived the reformation to the House of Lords as a laboratory for a new style of politics that would offer an opportunity to evaluate the outcomes of a more experimental political style.

Whilst highlighting the need to investigate different electoral systems and practises, including zipping, Batstone underscored that the underlying causes that inhibit female participation need to be addressed, not merely the symptoms. She cited all-women selection lists as evidencing the sort of quick fix approach to the problem of female under-representation that overlooks the importance of the family for women.

On the one hand, practises like negative campaigning and the relentless media scrutiny that politicians garner are issues that disengage women from politics. On the other hand, the intensiveness of campaigning and the structure of the political system are not compatible with balancing a family-life. Any reforms proposed need to be undertaken with a measure of understanding for the shape of women’s lives. That only twelve percent of mothers wish to work full-time highlights the acute need for career flexibility that women require during their childbearing years. She concluded by positing multi-member constituencies and job-sharing for elected representatives as a possible solution.

The question and answer session was lively, balanced and stimulating and enabled participants to further explore the myriad considerations that surround electoral reform from the differing perspectives of the panellists.

Members went on to enjoy food and drinks at a networking reception.

Hind Essoussi

BOOKS:
“An Intimate History of Humanity” Theodore Zelda
“The World According to Women – an End to Thinking” Jane McLoughlin

LINKS TO ADD:
www.thedowningstreetproject.com
www.cfwd.org.uk
www.no2av.org

The Women and Defence of Nations Forum was chaired by Baroness Morris of Bolton. It brought together a panel of inspiring women and challenged the stereotypical view that defence of nations is exclusively the preserve of men.

Erin Harbaugh, Public Diplomacy Advisor at the United State’s Bureau of International Security and Non-proliferation described the work she undertakes in implementing President Obama’s vision for “peace and security in a world free of nuclear weapons”. Harbaugh highlighted that the shift in the current US Administration’s approach to global political problems is exemplified by the leadership styles brought to the project by the women working to facilitate the Prague Agenda, namely “building and investing in relationships and working to achieve consensus, including working multilaterally and through international institutions”.

Harbaugh went on to identify three successes that demonstrate the concrete steps the administration is taking to realise the Prague Agenda and the way in which female contribution is imperative at every stage. First, the work of Assistant Secretary of State, Rose Gottemoeller, in concluding the negotiation of the New START Treaty with Russia which aims to reduce the amount of deployed strategic nuclear warheads. Second, the global Nuclear Security Summit that the US hosted, with the outcome being a commitment on the part of the 47 participating governments to securing all vulnerable nuclear materials within four years where Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins’ work was instrumental. Third, the Final Document that emanated from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty Review Conference helps establish standards for continuing progress towards ground zero.

Harbaugh analysed the particular qualities that women in prominent leadership positions shared and cited the Women in International Security’s Progress Report on Women in Peace and Security Careers that identified “the establishment of credibility, the ability to build strong relationships, and the ability to balance decisiveness with inclusiveness and consensus” as examples of such qualities. She went on to recount the ways in which the US administration was reinforcing credibility, trust and sustained engagement with international governments and civil societies, through technological outreach - namely, social networking sites, blogging and digital video conferencing. She likened this process of outreach and engagement to the one described by Hillary Clinton in It Takes a Village but in broader sense, and quoted Clinton‘s view that it was exclusively about “geographical villages any longer, but about the network of relationships and values that do connect us and binds us together.”

Professor Eve Mitleton-Kelly, Director of the Complexity Research Group at the London School of Economics briefed the attendees about the power of employing complexity theory in the defence context. Mitleton-Kelly expounded the relationship between complexity theory and policy and stated that it yielded interesting outcomes. Stating that complexity theory entaileds multiple interactions, Mitleton-Kelly explained how it could be extended to such issues as disaster risk reduction, the institutional weaknesses of West African states and climate change.

Mitleton-Kelly stated that problems such as climate change appear intractable because of the way in which they are addressed. Such problems are addressed in too linear a fashion, with an emphasis placed on uncovering and understanding reasons and causes. However, through seeking an “A causes B” causal link what is overlooked is the fact that there is often multiple-causality at play. This sort of insular thinking does not lead to the resolution of problems. Instead it is necessary to identify the problem space and respond dynamically. Further, Mitleton-Kelly stressed that many issues cannot be addressed in a top-down manner and requires the multilayered response that complexity theory facilitates.

When speaking of ways in which past successes could be emulated, Mitleton-Kelly cited that drawing on a repertoire of “best practice” did not necessarily work as these were new problems occurring in different places. Instead, Mitleton-Kelly rephrased the question that needs to be posed; why did it happen in that context? Through uncovering the underlying principle it is possible to apply it in a new way. Thus, innovation is crucial to complexity theory and she cited, as an example, the way in which Generals during the Falkland’s War permitted soldiers to act locally. Multiple micro-strategies, as they are identified by complexity theory, are relatively safe as they do not affect the entire organisation or system. Mitleton-Kelly concluded by theorising on the ways in which terrorism could be seen as a network theory.

Marie Colvin, Foreign Correspondent for the Sunday Times, spoke of the high risks involved in being an unembedded western journalist working in conflict zones. She acknowledged that it was a difficult time to be engaged in the reporting of conflicts but stressed that there was a vital need for independent reporting. Speaking of her own experiences it was clear that risks are always involved and there are no easy ways to report on war from the front line.

Through the course of Colvin’s contribution it emerged that the realities on the ground are remarkably the same in each of the conflict zones. Describing the particular difficulties for women working as journalists and referencing her experiences in war-torn Chechnya and East Timor, she stressed that the rule “don’t be afraid to be afraid” had helped to empower her. Colvin then went on to recount some of the remarkable incidents she had been involved in. She described working under the cover of an abbaya as the first unembedded western journalist from a British newspaper to visit Basra for nearly two years. Colvin was also caught up grenade attack in Sri Lanka in 2001 where she sustained very serious wounds. In spite of her injuries, she was arrested and tied up for 10 hours before being medi-vacked out of the country. The risks involved in reporting conflict were brought into sharp relief!

Although Colvin stated that covert conflicts were potentially more difficult arenas for women, she added that a “can-do” attitude and a desire to strive and excel was the best possible defence. She concluding by highlighting her main concerns with the Afghan War; specifically, that the reporting was one-sided and not enough information is being relayed. It was clear that she is motivated by a genuine desire to improve professional journalistic standards and shed light on the dark recesses of international conflict.

The final panelist, Terri McNally, gave a personal and moving account of her experiences as a military mother. Her young son is currently serving in Afghanistan. McNally runs a successful financial business and she focuses her volunteering activities on issues concerning female entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, in both the domestic and international context. In addition, she mentors the wives of disabled veterans as part of the work she undertakes for Women for Wounded Warriors. She spoke about the difficulties involved for the families of servicemen and women, and how Sykpe has become the main mode of communication with her son, whilst he is on military duty. Another aspect of technology is used by the US Military when they have the unfortunate duty to inform families about the death of serving personnel. An automated message is left on the family’s answer-phone! Apparently, this is because families prefer to have privacy at the time of hearing such news and will then call the authorities when they are ready.

The Women and Defence of Nations forum was an opportunity for attendees to hear a number of different perspectives on the ways women were involved in defence matters.

The group continued their discussions over food and drinks at a networking reception.

Hind Essoussi BOOKS
“War Reporting for Cowards”
Chris Ayres

LINKS
www.lse.ac.uk/complexity
www.wmdawareness.org.uk

The Fawcett Society and Women’s Budget Group took Government to Court recently over the failure to assess the gender impact of last year’s Public Spending Review (PSR).

Of the £8 billion worth of changes to tax and welfare, 72% is expected to come from women, and just 28% from men.

On 23 March we are due to hear about Government’s plans again when they announce the Budget. Will anything have been learnt from the PSR or will women once again carry more than their fair share of the burden?

What do women want to see in the Budget? Will a tax break for marriage be included – and how relevant is it in 2011? Should there be tax changes to stimulate the housing market? What changes need to be made to Corporation Tax, or Stamp Duty, or other business taxes to help SMEs survive the downturn?

Come and listen to our expert panel, and have your say on what the Budget should include.

Fifty-six women registered to attend a stimulating and thought provoking discussion on the impact on women of the Government’s handling of the economy. The country’s massive deficit and the need for huge reductions in public spending led to an emergency budget in June 2010. However, the attempt to balance the country’s budget has not been felt equally by men and women.

Figures produced by the House of Commons Library show that of the £8 billion worth of changes to tax and welfare, 72% of it comes from women.

The Fawcett Society worked with the Women’s Budget Group and challenged the Government on the lack of a Gender Equality Impact Assessment which is required under Equalities Laws. Delegates listened to Anna Bird outlining the background and process of the challenge, and the outcome of the application for Judicial Review. EHRC has now launched a Section 31 investigation and are expected to publish their results in late July 2011. Professor Elson then went on to explain how the WBG works assessing the impact of public spending policy on women. It is not just a case of where money goes but also the policy decisions that affect women in social way. For example, a policy of transferable tax allowances is more likely to put money into the hands of men and to act as a disincentive to women taking up employment outside the home. In another example, she showed how changes to fuel tax would benefit mostly men because car ownership is unevenly distributed. Professor Elson showed the scale of the impact of different family types and how single parents and single pensioners (in both cases mostly women) are the worst hit when public spending is reduced.

Dr Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj looked at the issues from the perspective of Entrepreneurs. She highlighted the need for employment creation and the need to plan for flexible working patterns. Recent research has shown that 63% of all UK business are home based with domestic space being dedicated to those businesses. Dr Janjuha-Jivraj raised concerns about local authorities targeting such space for business rates.

There was around half an hour for a vibrant Q&A session, before participants went over to the networking reception to continue the discussion and to make new friends.

WOMEN & INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY
Thursday 16 June 2011


Almost 80 women registered to attend this discussion panel about women and international diplomacy. Chaired by Baroness Morris of Bolton the panellists spoke about the work they do and the ways they do it.

Rosalie Rivett, CEO of the Women In Diplomatic Service Group in London and ex Lecturer at the Diplomatic Academy of London. She introduced the topic, described the aims of the WDS and the way it helps newly arrived women Ambassadors and senior diplomats negotiate London Diplomatic Life. She outlined the process of how much had changed for the better. For example, at the start of her career and right up until the mid 1970s, women were required to resign as Diplomats, or civil service, when they got married.

Ambassador Laura Kennedy, confirmed that it had been the same in the U.S. (that female diplomats had to resign upon marriage up until the 70's) but that this generation had come of age. She discussed President Obama's vision of a "world without nuclear weapons" and noted the many American females who were active in that effort including the lead and deputy of the team that negotiated the new START treaty. She described her own part in that effort while serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva where she is also deeply involved in work on the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. She noted that work on the latter treaty can also provide important benefits in the global health field as well as in arms control. She noted that in both areas she works closely with UK Ambassador designate Adamson. She agreed that it was important to seek consensus and try to develop trust and that team-building skills were important assets in negotiations which were often complex and technical.

The UK’s Ambassador (designate) at the Conference, Jo Adamson, and this was evident in their “double-act” on the panel. In an extremely amusing way, Jo told participants about her journey to her role as UK Ambassador (Designate) to the UN Conference. As an Humanities graduate she joined the Foreign Office in the hope and expectation of learning new languages, travelling and meeting new people. It didn’t quite work out in the way she had expected! Whilst her colleagues went off to France and other overseas positions, her first posting was to the Nuclear Desk. Her reading material was technical, including the essential Janes Defence Weekly, and she called the new language “Modern Military Nuke Speak” which included great many new words, otherwise known as acronyms.. She did travel a little. She went to Greenham Common. Whilst she was on the inside, there were many women camping and chaining themselves to the fencing outside. At least one of those women was amongst the evening’s delegates!

Jennifer Woodside is Head of Advocacy and Communications for the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). It is a global service provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Her team at IPPF manages the website, produces all IPPF publications, oversees global advocacy as well as the Women in Diplomatic Service coordination of national and regional advocacy efforts, liaises with the media, and manages campaigns. She highlighted how some of the most difficult work is made more difficult because nobody wants to talk about it; these difficult subjects are, however, often taken up by women. For example, female genital mutilation (FGM). She is motivated to keep raising the issues however because she feels that if she and others like her don’t talk about them, then nobody will. In many parts of the world, it is men who make the decisions for women, so IPPF works to give that voice to women directly so that they can make their own choices. It’s important that we empower women at the local level so they can then become advocates at the community, national and even international levels; women must be give a voice.. She reminded participants at the panel session that even in developed countries such as the UK, women are still under-represented in decision making bodies, not least in the House of Commons were only 21% of MPs are women. Even the UN needs to do some more work to get more women at the table.

Judith Davey, Director of Performance & Accountability at ActionAid UK, spoke about diplomacy from a development perspective. She explained that ActionAid works on both the structural causes and the consequences of poverty. At one level, they work with Governments and Banks, and at another level with Communities and individuals. Judith said that to achieve change, ActionAid needs to walk a tightrope – or perhaps a “knife edge” in using both diplomacy and confrontation to hold governments and corporations to account for their record on human rights – “insider and outsider strategies”. ActionAid actively promotes women in doing this. We know from ActionAid’s work and from other research that an even gender split is strongly correlated with better outcomes. Different decisions are made when women have an equal role in decision making because they bring different perspectives and life experiences to bear. ActionAid also have a particularly effective form of diplomacy with their “Immersion Programme” where key influencers will live for with local people. The thing that influencers take away from the immersion experience is not simply the lack of basic amenities, but a deeper understanding of what it’s really like for no one to hear your voice and not to have any influence whatsoever over decisions affecting your life.

During the Q&A, the panellists were asked about how they balance their professional and personal lives. The range of answers told its own story – from not having children, to taking a break and not taking a break for children, from being well supported by husband, to being a single parent followed by becoming the carer of an elderly mother. Things have moved on – but there is clearly still some way to go.

The discussion was followed by a networking reception. Unfortunately, the usual venue was not available so the St Stephen’s Tavern opposite Parliament was booked. It spectacularly failed to accommodate the group. WIPP won’t be going there again! Apologies………….

Women Leading Business
Wednesday 14 December 2011

Over 50 members and guests registered to attend the Social Enterprise and Big Society event on November 3, in the House of Lords. Lynne Berry OBE, the Co Chairman of WIPP led the disccuion with particular focus on the context of today’s challenging economic environment where small social enterprises are more vulnerable to closure. The vagaries of procurement system and business banking arrangements leaving many financially stranded.

While ‘the Big Society’ organizations (eg the Foundation Trust), have more financial resources, social enterprises face hardships in raising capital. They do not obtain standard forms of borrowing because of their unconventional organisational structures. Chief executive of Social Enterprise London, Allison Ogden-Newton, explained the various attributes of social enterprises. They create social impact, observe business conduct, and support the production of ethical goods. She said, Social Enterprises look after “the back-street, as well as the high-street”. Ogden-Newton also explained, that some social enterprises can be are undercapitalized and lack social support. In the new economic context, assuring finance depends on social impact evaluation. This puts particular pressure on smaller organisations which may lack the skills for such assessments. Even when lucky to have stumbled on a pile of funding granted by large organisations, conflict arises between these large funders and small community organizations due to the misinterpretation of their ideology and core values. Baroness Stedman-Scott of Rolvenden emphasised the importance of evaluating the impact of organisational effectiveness, although she noted that this may not be enough on its own. In today’s norm, bidding prices usually outweigh the quality of work that can be provided. Given that, it is even more imperative for small groups to come together and form coalitions in order to improve competitiveness. The Baroness said she does not use the term “not-for-profit” because there isn’t anything inherently wrong with profit. It all depends on what you do with it. She prefers the term “not-for-Dividend”.

Jill Case, an expert in economic regeneration, backed the Baroness’ proposal, positively noting that within the technology industry, it is common for small companies to work together in order to get recognised by large companies. She said that the Big Society idea has been around for decades, in many guises, but in the current setting of the recession, it had acquired a sinister overtone.

Figures show that 600,000 people work within the public sector in London, of which, over 40% of these are women earning just above minimum wage. Is social enterprise a more inviting platform for women to gain higher salaries, business skills and success? Sonia Brown, founder of the National Black Women’s Network, says that women need a better mechanism to share practice. She highlighted the inequalities in time and access, and the unequal spread of resources. She asks “How many women in large are working in Banks, Councils, Corporations and Commission Departments?” Sonia encourages women to be active in their own communities and offer their expertise, finding networks that need help. After a lively Q&A session, members went on to enjoy a networking reception in the beautiful River Room overlooking the Thames.

Dana Zilberman