COSLA set to play part in tackling Gender Inequality

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.

  

Participation, Inclusiveness and Transparency

Monday nights constituency meeting in Ardrossan was an inspiring affair.

Our guest speaker was Cllr Ronnie McColl leader of West Dumbartonshire Council talk who had kindly agreed to come and talk to our North Ayrshire SNP candidates about increasing participation and transparency in the council along with their approach to Youth Employment.

Cllr Ronnie McColl

When elected in 2007, the SNP group took the bold stance of moving from a cabinet to a committee structure. This ensured that all elected representatives chosen by the people of West Dumbartonshire to speak for them took an active part in how the council was run.  The SNP group also moved the full council meetings to the evening at 6pm. This made the process more accessible to members of the public and was warmly welcomed.  Publishing a draft budget and engaging both council employees and residents in decision making through roadshow events continued in real practical terms their commitment of increasing participation and transparency.  

With the challenging times we face economically, how Local Authorities work will be very much on the agenda.  We will need to be positive and creative, doing things one way just because that's the way it was always done should no longer be acceptable.  

Participation, inclusiveness and transparency can sound a bit like management speak but, for me, personally it's something to aspire to.  The "experts" are often the people who use services and those on the front line delivering them.  In my opinion engaging fully with them can only be a good thing.

Work nights

Our first "work night" of 2012 got underway last Wednesday with a really successful evening in the ward.  After all the coverage of the 2014 referendum in the media there was a really upbeat atmosphere.  My "running mate" SNP group leader Cllr Matt Brown was on hand to help with any council issues that came up and we even signed up a new member.


It was great to get out and meet folk and receive a warm reception I'm grateful to everyone who took the time to speak with us.  

Tonight it's over to Irvine east, Cllr Joan Sturgeon's ward for more of the same, hopefully the forecast snow and ice will hold off! (I'm sending positive vibes out there with a wintry but dry Irvine Beach picture)