This week COSLA’s Gender Balance
Task group met with Political Leaders to discuss our recommendations for
achieving gender balance in COSLA’s Leadership Team and Spokespeople. I am very pleased to report positive responses
from the SNP, Lib Dem and Labour Leaders who will commend our recommendations
to enshrine Gender equality in COSLA’s Constitution to their groups. This does not guarantee the matter will receive support of convention but is a very welcome step.
With our First Minister Nicola
Sturgeon leading the way with a gender balanced team of talents in the cabinet
and the shadow cabinet also 50/50 it feels like we might just be at a place
where we can make changes that will deliver lasting results and show
that we are all serious about equality.
In
Scotland women make up 52% of the population. 24% of Councillors are
women and only 3 of the 32 Local Authorities are led by women. We know that women are more likely to use
public services, it is counter-intuitive that they have least responsibility and
input as elected members for their delivery.
It matters that in 2015 women in Scotland are not equally visible in public life and not just because women are just as capable as men of holding public office and leadership roles.
Diversity
in decision making produces better results.
Men and women don’t have different ways of making decisions and
calculating risk, but having homogeneous groups of decision-makers is a known
risk.
Where there are different people
from different backgrounds coming together there is challenge of ideas and
assumptions. But more than that, research has shown that where there is
diversity in a group, members change the way they process information taking a
more careful and questioning approach.
Whether we’re talking
about a room full of women in their 30s or a room full of retired men. Cosy clubs of similar people is a
way of continuing with “it’s ae been”, assumptions and vested interests can
remain unscrutinised – it’s a real risk and should be of particular concern to those
of us delivering public services.
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