Lee Chalmers's Posts - The Downing Street Project / network2024-03-28T15:06:49ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmershttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2197440247?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=16iolvfngwsjm&xn_auth=noThe Aspire Foundation launched this weektag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2010-05-11:2715135:BlogPost:52962010-05-11T12:42:14.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
<h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="UIStory_Message">A new charitable…</span></span></h3>
<h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="UIStory_Message">A new charitable foundation that I am lucky enough to be involved with launched this week. The not for profit Aspire Foundation makes a difference through pro bono mentoring and coaching programs for senior leaders working in charities, social enterprises and community projects that are supporting women and girls across the world. Please watch the video and share.</span></span></h3>
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<div><span class="UIStory_Message"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/aspirefoundation">http://www.youtube.com/user/aspirefoundation</a></span></div>Message from Lee Chalmerstag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2010-02-25:2715135:BlogPost:50962010-02-25T09:17:52.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
<div>Hello DSP supporters.</div>
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<div>It's about time that you had a bit of an update from The Downing Street Project. After much soul searching and discussion with loved ones, I have decided to move on from the Downing Street Project and leave it in the capable hands of Indra Adnan.</div>
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<div>I had the initial idea for DSP two years ago, inspired by the White House Project, to train women to run for public office in the UK as that is what I believed was the…</div>
<div>Hello DSP supporters.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>It's about time that you had a bit of an update from The Downing Street Project. After much soul searching and discussion with loved ones, I have decided to move on from the Downing Street Project and leave it in the capable hands of Indra Adnan.</div>
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<div>I had the initial idea for DSP two years ago, inspired by the White House Project, to train women to run for public office in the UK as that is what I believed was the best intervention to increase the number of female MP's. As I've hung out in the world of UK politics I've realised that more work needs to be done on the political system itself before women can truly flourish as MPs in large numbers. My thinking is now that we need to work with the entire culture in order to have it recognise the value of women and not run training programmes just for women. Women don't need fixing. I believe that we need an system wide intervention like the ones taking place in business, in the world of politics.</div>
<div>So it is with great thanks and appreciation to all the people that have supported the vision of the DSP over the last two years that I move on to pursue skills that will enable me to intervene at a system level. Your help and support and effort really brought the idea of balanced leadership into the public domain and created the groundwork for what is to come. Thank you so much. I will still be personally involved in politics, working closely with the Liberal Democrats, hopefully on their Campaign for Gender Balance, to increase their female representation. I will also be continuing my work on leadership development, through my company Authentic Living.</div>
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<div>I also hope to soon be able to do some practical leadership work with women leaders running local projects in London. The purpose of which is to develop role models of womens leadership, through projects impacting local communities, giving young people a real understanding that a 'leader' need not just be a white male. I've started a new blog where I will be continuing to write about women and politics so please do check it out. <a href="http://www.leechalmers.com">www.leechalmers.com</a></div>
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<div>I'm very happy and excited that Indra is taking the DSP forward: she has a lot of new ideas about how to further the work for balanced leadership which will be unveiled over the next few weeks. I am sure that she and the people around her, will do great work. Watch this space.</div>Beginners guide to becoming a UK Member of Parliamenttag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2010-02-13:2715135:BlogPost:50922010-02-13T17:21:28.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
<div>Many people have asked how to get the information necessary to start to think about becoming an MP. Here is a start at answering some of the most frequesntly asked questions.</div>
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<div><b>What exactly is an MP?</b></div>
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<div>The UK public elects Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent their interests and concerns in the House of Commons. MPs are involved in considering and proposing new laws, and can use their position to ask government ministers…</div>
<div>Many people have asked how to get the information necessary to start to think about becoming an MP. Here is a start at answering some of the most frequesntly asked questions.</div>
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<div><b>What exactly is an MP?</b></div>
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<div>The UK public elects Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent their interests and concerns in the House of Commons. MPs are involved in considering and proposing new laws, and can use their position to ask government ministers questions about current issues.</div>
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<div>MPs split their time between working in Parliament itself, working in the constituency that elected them, and working for their political party. Some MPs from the ruling party become government ministers with specific responsibilities in certain areas, such as Health or Defence.</div>
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<div>When Parliament is sitting (meeting), MPs generally spend their time working in the House of Commons. This can include raising issues affecting their constituents, attending debates and voting on new laws. Most MPs are also members of committees, which look at issues in detail, from government policy and new laws, to wider topics like human rights.</div>
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<div>In their constituency, MPs often hold a 'surgery' in their office, where local people can come along to discuss any matters that concern them. MPs also attend functions, visit schools and businesses and generally try to meet as many people as possible. This gives MPs further insight and context into issues they may discuss when they return to Westminster. (More info, parliament.uk)</div>
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<div><b>How do I find out about my current local MP and my local council?</b></div>
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<div>A very comprehensive and useful site is theyworkforyou.com. Just enter in your postcode and it will tell you which parliamentary constituency you are in as well as providing a host of information about your local MP, their voting history and even, controversially, their full expense details. To find out about your local council go to direct.gov and enter your postcode. For Scotland and Wales, you can search through a list from this page too.</div>
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<div><b>What do I have to do to become an MP?</b></div>
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<div>This is a serious topic but lets first start with a light-hearted answer pulled off a blog:</div>
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<div>“In practical terms, to actually become an MP, you would have to be selected by one of the major parties, which means you'd first have to be a member of one of those parties, and you'd have to have worked for them for a while - by financially supporting them, campaigning, supporting campaigns, being active on a local level. There is no hard and fast rule - having connections in the hierarchy of the party (whether that means, say, trade union connections, friendships from university and so on) doesn't half help, I'm betting. Not having too many skeletons in one's closet is an advantage - you might want to start clearing the really dodgy pictures off your social networking profiles and so on.”</div>
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<div>This is pretty much spot on. But don’t worry everyone has a chance. Broadly speaking, there are a number of clear steps to take.</div>
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<div>Step 1: Make sure you're eligible to apply </div>
<div>You can apply to stand as an MP if you are at least 18 years old, a citizen of a Commonwealth Country or the Republic of Ireland, are nominated by 10 electors from your constituency and have the £500 deposit. People disqualified from becoming an MP are convicted prisoners, peers in the House of Lords, Bishops, civil servants and serving members of the armed forces. (More info, Electoral Commission.pdf)</div>
<div>Step 2: Choose and join a political party </div>
<div>Three parties dominate politics in the UK. The Labour Party, (355 seats in the House of Commons), the Conservative Party, (197 seats) and the Liberal Democrats, (63 seats). The official party websites can be found at Labour (<a href="http://www.labour.org.uk/">http://www.labour.org.uk/</a>), Conservatives (<a href="http://www.conservatives.com">http://www.conservatives.com</a>) and Liberal Democrats (<a href="http://www.libdems.org.uk/">http://www.libdems.org.uk/</a>)</div>
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<div>How do I choose which one to support? The best answer someone gave to me when I asked this question was to pick the areas of politics you are most interested in, be that education, defense, the economy, health, etc and see which parties policies that issue most fit your own views. Also, being a member of a political party is a bit like being a member of a tribe. Go to a few local meetings and see which group of people seems to feel like the best fit for you. Often joining a political party is a choice for life so choose the people that feel like your tribe.</div>
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<div>Could I get involved as an independent? You can stand as an independent MP as long as you are eligible, as per the criteria above. Usually, independent MPs are not elected. There are only 2 in parliament at the moment. This is partly due to the nature of party politics. The voters are essentially electing a party to government, rather than individuals so standing as an independent does not serve that end. Also, candidates usually need the support of volunteers to help them run their campaign, envelope stuffing, knocking on doors, etc so being an independent is time consuming and lonely. Being part of a party gives you support, a team and access to funds to help you run your campaign. Take a look at Esther Rantzens campaign in Luton where she is standing as an independent MP for an ides of what this route takes.</div>
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<div>Step 3: Figure out how to stand for that party</div>
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<div>Each party has a slightly different process.</div>
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<div>Conservatives:</div>
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<div>“The first step in the application process to join the Approved List of candidates is to write to the Candidates' Department at Conservative Campaign Headquarters (30 Millbank, London, SW1P 4DP) setting out why you would like to be a candidate, and enclose a copy of your CV. It will be helpful if you set out any work you have done in your local community, and achievements in your work or your personal life which you think would make you an effective MP. If you are chosen to proceed to the next stage, you will also need to provide details of three referees. Once your application has been received by CCHQ they will take up references before considering you for a Parliamentary Assessment Board (PAB): This is a day long assessment by MPs and senior Party volunteers who will make the final decision about whether to add your name to the Approved List of candidates. (Please note there is a £250 fee for attending a PAB and you must have been a member of the Party for at least 3 months before you can attend.)</div>
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<div>Preparation:</div>
<div>- If you have not already done so, make contact with your local Conservative Association.</div>
<div>- If there are any elections in the offing, be sure to volunteer to help during the campaign.</div>
<div>- Consider becoming a Council candidate.</div>
<div>- Consider your commitments to local voluntary community organisations and charities. Your involvement in these areas indicates a commitment to public service.</div>
<div>- Think realistically about the role of a candidate. Is it the right time for you as far as your professional and private life is concerned? Are you prepared to travel to a far flung constituency and how much time can you devote to fighting a seat?</div>
<div>- Understand the role and job of an MP. Browse the CWO Bookshop: MPs and Parliament.</div>
<div>- Consider any training needs you have as many of the skills needed by an MP can be taught, i.e. public speaking and presentation.”</div>
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<div>The Lib Dems</div>
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<div>How To Be A Parliamentary Candidate</div>
<div>If you are interested in becoming a candidate or would like further information with regards to the approvals process please contact the Candidates' Office: candidates@libdems.org.uk</div>
<div>If you would like further information about the selection process please contact your relevant state:</div>
<div>♣ England: the English Candidates' Office (candidates@libdems.org.uk)</div>
<div>♣ Scotland the Scottish Liberal Democrats (candidates@scotlibdems.org.uk)</div>
<div>♣ Wales: the Welsh Liberal Democrats (enquiries@welshlibdems.org.uk)</div>
<div>Our website <a href="http://www.libdems4parliament.org.uk">www.libdems4parliament.org.uk</a> also provides more information and support for our selection process.</div>
<div>The Campaign for Gender Balance exists to promote the election of more female MPs.</div>
<div>The Parliamentary Candidates Association (PCA) is the voice of Liberal Democrat candidates. The PCA aims to equip individuals with the necessary skills to become approved candidates, achieve selection and win elections by providing support, advice and tailored training. More information about the PCA can be found on its website <a href="http://www.libdempca.org.uk">www.libdempca.org.uk</a> or by contactingchair@libdempca.org.uk .</div>
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<div>Labour:</div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Labour Womens Network has an ongoing Training Programme for all women in the Labour Party who are interested in seeking selection to public office. This includes local government, the Scottish Parliament, Welsh National Assembly, the Greater London Assembly, European Parliament and Westminster Parliament. If you are a LWN subscriber we provide a ‘CV Support Service’ by email. Our subscription for Labour Party women members is still only £15 for waged, and £5 low/unwaged (press the button for <span style="font-weight: bold;">JOIN US</span>). We also provide one day events, if enough women are interested in taking part, in public speaking and presentation skills, and writing a speech and, on request, training for other relevant skills. If you are interested, please contact them on <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">contact@lwn.org.uk</span></span></div>
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<div>Step 4: Get support from inside the party </div>
<div>All the major parties are interested in raising the numbers of female MPs and have support structures for getting more women into Parliament. These groups will give you the low down on how to run a campaign and give you the training necessary to speak in public, fundraise and organize teams of volunteers.</div>
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<div>The Lib Dems have The Campaign for Gender Balance, Labour have Labour Womens Network and Emilys List and the Conservatives have Women to Win and the Conservative Women’s Association.</div>
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<div>Contact them on:</div>
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<div>Lib Dems, Campiagn for Gender Balance, Vicky Booth, vicky.booth@libdems.org.uk</div>
<div>Conservatives, Women 2 Win, email@women2win.com</div>
<div>Labour, Labour Womens Network, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">contact@lwn.org.uk </span></div>
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<div><b>What are MP’s actually like?</b></div>
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<div>What drives/motivates people to go into politics? Most people entering politics genuinely want to do a good job and make a difference. However, this does not translate into how the general public see politicians. A recent IPOS MORI poll showed that politicians were the least trusted professional group in the country, replacing journalists, a previous years least trusted profession. Two great books to read about the nature of politicians are Jeremy Paxmans The Political Animal and Boni Sones book about female MPs, Women in Parliament.</div>
<div>At what age do people usually go into politics? After the last General Election the average age of MPs rose, from 49 years in 1997 to 51 years in 2005. Anyone over the age of 18 can stand as an MP. The two youngest MPs currently are Chloe Smith 29 (Conservative) and Jo Swinson 30 (Lib Dem). Many women find it easier to go into politics after raising their families, due to the unfriendly hours involved in the job, with voting sometimes going on into the night. For more information on female MPs through the ages see the Centre for Women and Democracy’s new book, A Great Act of Justice.</div>
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<div><b>Not ready? Support another woman</b></div>
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<div>How can I support a local or favourite candidate?</div>
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<div>One way to really understand what is involved in becoming a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC) and then an MP, is to help your local PPC run for election this year. You can help in a number of ways, from stuffing envelopes, canvassing, knocking on doors to generally helping your candidate stay sane and positive. Remember, they will probably have a family and a full time job so will be glad of the help you can provide. Understanding what volunteer assistance is useful will help you when you decide to run. Also, helping the local party will enable you to make contacts that will be useful later on.</div>
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<div>This year all three parties are fielding a larger than usual number of female candidates. Currently the numbers of female candidates/percentage of the party are: Labour 167/27.9%, Conservatives 126/22.5% and Lib Dems 94/22.1%</div>
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<div>The way to do this is to choose the party you want to support and then search for local candidates on their database.</div>
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<div>Conservatives, <a href="http://www.women2win.com/ppc.aspx">http://www.women2win.com/ppc.aspx</a>, search by name, constituency or postcode.</div>
<div>Labour, <a href="http://www.labour.org.uk/ppc/constituencies/">http://www.labour.org.uk/ppc/constituencies/</a>, search by name, constituency or enter postcode in box on right titled ‘Labour in your area’ for local details.</div>
<div>Liberal Democrats, <a href="http://www.libdems.org.uk/in_your_area.aspx">http://www.libdems.org.uk/in_your_area.aspx</a>, search by postcode or constituency</div>
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<div><b>Is there a website I can visit to track how parties/ candidates are doing?</b></div>
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<div>The Centre for Women and Democracy has a candidate watch section where it lists how well the parties are doing at standing female candidates in the 2010 election. If you want to follow a particular PPC, find their page through the party website, linked above. If they are one of the candidates with a blog for example, you will be able to stay updated on how they are doing.</div>
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<div>What do I do if I want to donate money to a party/ candidate? You can do this from each of the parties main websites and also to the local committee, again through making contact with the local party.</div>
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<div>How do I hear about MP/ candidates surgeries /meetings? Go to They work for you where you will see a full list of all the MP’s in the UK. Find yours, click on their personal website, right hand side and that will list their surgeries or provide contact details for you to find out directly.</div>
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<div>How else can I get involved? The simplest and yet most useful thing you can do in the next election is to vote and to encourage other people to vote. Do you talk about politics with your friends and family? Read you local paper and find out about the candidates in your area. Press the local party to host a hustings (a public debate) between the candidates so that your local community can hear what the candidates have to say and how it will be useful for your community.</div>
<div><br/></div>At last, plans for a creche in the House of Commonstag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2009-12-30:2715135:BlogPost:50832009-12-30T17:26:25.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
<b>Children of MPs to be cared for in Parliament’s first crèche</b><br />
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MPs taking part in late night Commons' votes will be able to drop their children off to be cared for in a purpose-built £400,000 crèche from September.<br />
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By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent, The Telegraph<br />
Published: 4:18PM GMT 15 Dec 2009<br />
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Under plans to be announced shortly, the House of Commons will for the first time offer a flexible "short-term, short-notice" child minding service on the Parliamentary estate.<br />
The…
<b>Children of MPs to be cared for in Parliament’s first crèche</b><br />
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MPs taking part in late night Commons' votes will be able to drop their children off to be cared for in a purpose-built £400,000 crèche from September.<br />
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By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent, The Telegraph<br />
Published: 4:18PM GMT 15 Dec 2009<br />
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Under plans to be announced shortly, the House of Commons will for the first time offer a flexible "short-term, short-notice" child minding service on the Parliamentary estate.<br />
The children of secretaries, civil servants, police officers and other pass holders working in the Commons will also be entitled to use the nursery facilities from the start of the new school year.<br />
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Building projects elsewhere in Parliament, including the replacement of the lead roof of the main Commons building, are being cancelled or delayed to pay for the cost of the new crèche, which is likely to be housed in the modern Portcullis House building where many MPs have offices.<br />
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Parents will pay around £10 an hour to use the service, roughly the same as the average rate in central London.<br />
The crèche was approved by the House of Commons Commission, a group of senior MPs, and is said to be a “pet project” of John Bercow, the Speaker.<br />
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A spokesman said that the running costs would be “cash neutral,” with no extra cost to the taxpayer, and that the aim was for the nursery to eventually be run at a profit. The Commission estimated that between 30 and 50 children would be cared for at any one time in the crèche, although it was impossible to make accurate predictions due to the high number of new MPs due to join the Commons after next year’s general election. A spokesman for Mr Bercow said: “At least 120 MPs have already said that they will stand down, and more are likely to follow.<br />
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“Whatever the overall result of the election, it is inevitable that MPs will lose their seats on top of that.<br />
“While it is not possible to ask candidates whether they have children and would find a crèche useful, the fact is that the new intake will certainly be younger than those they are replacing. “Many of them will have young children, suggesting that this is a service they would appreciate. “A number of these new MPs will come from the world of business, where crèche facilities come as standard, and will expect this kind of facility to be available in a modern workplace.”<br />
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A source added: “There is a hairdresser, travel agent, post offices and numerous restaurants and bars in the Commons, it makes sense that there should also be a crèche.” The source said that the aim was that MPs would be able to contact nursery staff at short notice if they needed someone to care for their child. An MP would be expected to pay around £300 a week to have their child cared for for six hours a day, although the spokesman said that may Commons passholders were part time workers who would use the nursery less than that.Time article on the Future of Worktag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2009-12-30:2715135:BlogPost:50822009-12-30T16:28:08.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
<b>Women Will Rule Business</b><br />
By CLAIRE SHIPMAN AND KATTY KAY Thursday, May. 14, 2009<br />
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Work-life balance. In most corporate circles, it's the sort of phrase that gives hard-charging managers the hives, bringing to mind yoga-infused, candlelit meditation sessions and — more frustratingly — rows of empty office cubicles.<br />
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So, what if we renamed work-life balance? Let's call it something more masculine and appealing, something like ... um ... Make More Money. That might lift heads off desks. A…
<b>Women Will Rule Business</b><br />
By CLAIRE SHIPMAN AND KATTY KAY Thursday, May. 14, 2009<br />
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Work-life balance. In most corporate circles, it's the sort of phrase that gives hard-charging managers the hives, bringing to mind yoga-infused, candlelit meditation sessions and — more frustratingly — rows of empty office cubicles.<br />
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So, what if we renamed work-life balance? Let's call it something more masculine and appealing, something like ... um ... Make More Money. That might lift heads off desks. A few people might show up at a meeting to discuss that new phenomenon driving the bottom line: Women, and the way we want to work, are extremely good for business.<br />
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Let's start with the female management style. It turns out it's not soft; it's lucrative. The workplace-research group Catalyst studied 353 Fortune 500 companies and found that those with the most women in senior management had a higher return on equities — by more than a third.<br />
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Are the women themselves making the difference? Or are these smart firms that make smart moves, like promoting women? There is growing evidence that in today's marketplace the female management style is not only distinctly different but also essential. Studies from Cambridge University and the University of Pittsburgh suggest that women manage more cautiously than men do. They focus on the long term. Men thrive on risk, especially when surrounded by other men. Wouldn't the economic crisis have unfolded a bit differently if Lehman Brothers had had a few more women on board?<br />
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Women are also less competitive, in a good way. They're consensus builders, conciliators and collaborators, and they employ what is called a transformational leadership style — heavily engaged, motivational, extremely well suited for the emerging, less hierarchical workplace. Indeed, when the Chartered Management Institute in the U.K. looked ahead to 2018, it saw a work world that will be more fluid and more virtual, where the demand for female management skills will be stronger than ever. Women, CMI predicts, will move rapidly up the chain of command, and their emotional-intelligence skills may become ever more essential.<br />
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That trend will accelerate with the looming talent shortage. The Employment Policy Foundation estimated that within the next decade there would be a 6 million – person gap between the number of college graduates and the number of college-educated workers needed to cover job growth. And who receives the majority of college and advanced degrees? Women. They also control 83% of all consumer purchases, including consumer electronics, health care and cars. Forward-looking companies understand they need women to figure out how to market to women.<br />
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All that — the female management style, education levels, purchasing clout — is already being used, by pioneering women and insightful companies, to create a female-friendly working environment, in which the focus is on results, not on time spent in the office chair. On efficiency, not schmoozing. On getting the job done, however that happens best — in a three-day week, at night after the kids go to bed, from Starbucks.<br />
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And here's the real kicker. When a company gives employees freedom, it doesn't just feel good or get shiny, happy workers — productivity goes up. Ask firms like Capitol One, which runs a company without walls or mandatory office time. Or Best Buy, which implemented a system called ROWE — results-only work environment — and found that productivity, in some cases, shot up 40%. Flexibility is no longer a favor to be handed out like candy at a children's birthday party; it's a compelling business strategy.<br />
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So we need to get rid of the nutty-crunchy moral component of the work-life balance and make a business case for it. It's easy to do. In fact, a decade from now, companies will understand that hiring lots of women, and letting them work the way they want, will help them Make More Money.<br />
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Read more: <a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1898024_1898023_1898078,00.html#ixzz0bBqG9s0C">http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1898024_1898023_1898078,00.html#ixzz0bBqG9s0C</a>Top bankers destroy value, study (written by women) claimstag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2009-12-14:2715135:BlogPost:49822009-12-14T11:41:39.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
From the FT today, 14th Dec 2009<br />
<br />
(Full report here: <a href="http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/bit-rich">http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/bit-rich</a>)<br />
<br />
"Bankers should count themselves lucky they are being hit by a mere 50 per cent additional tax on bonuses, a new report argues today, because their benefit to society is negative.<br />
<br />
The New Economics Foundation, a left-leaning think-tank, says that by contrast hospital cleaners and many other low-paid workers contribute far more…
From the FT today, 14th Dec 2009<br />
<br />
(Full report here: <a href="http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/bit-rich">http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/bit-rich</a>)<br />
<br />
"Bankers should count themselves lucky they are being hit by a mere 50 per cent additional tax on bonuses, a new report argues today, because their benefit to society is negative.<br />
<br />
The New Economics Foundation, a left-leaning think-tank, says that by contrast hospital cleaners and many other low-paid workers contribute far more to society and this should be reflected in their pay.<br />
<br />
Although the NEF is far from an orthodox economic think-tank, its A Bit Rich report stems from standard public economics theory that the government should step in if people's value to society is remarkably different from their private value to an employer. The government already steps in, taxing everyone to ensure many jobs with high social value happen where those services would not be provided otherwise.<br />
<br />
Mark Thompson, director-general of the BBC, relies for his job on the government's assessment that public service broadcasting benefits society and the market would not provide his services without a compulsory levy on owners of televisions. The armed forces and police are in a similar position.<br />
<br />
Likewise, governments have used the full force of the law for more than 100 years to prevent employment deemed bad for society. The employment of children under 10 was outlawed in 1878 for example. Now the NEF has built on the summer comment from Adair Turner, chairman of the Financial Services Authority, that some activity in the City is "socially useless" to come up with an estimate of the social value of elite bankers.<br />
<br />
The authors assume the financial crisis and recession would not have happened without City bankers engaging in risky, opaque and complex transactions. Applying a guess about the cost of the recession on the rest of society, they estimate top City bankers des-troy £7 of value for every £1 they are paid privately.<br />
<br />
If the figures are accurate, a rational government should shut the City. Naturally, the City disagrees and so does the Treasury, which sees benefits in properly regulated activity in the Square Mile.<br />
<br />
The report says good hospital cleaners prevent the spread of infection, saving lives and protecting the wider health of the public. The authors calculate they provide £10 of benefits for which they are directly paid only £1.<br />
<br />
Eilis Lawlor, head of the valuing-what-matters team at the New Economics Foundation, said: "Pay levels often don't reflect the true value that is being created. As a society, we need a pay structure which rewards those jobs that create most societal benefit, rather than those that generate profits at the expense of society and the environment".<br />
<br />
Many economists would find the calculations and some of the arguments in the report rather heroic.<br />
<br />
The report argues that nursery workers provide much greater social value than their pay because they enable other people to stay in paid employment.<br />
<br />
Standard economics would disagree, suggesting that this benefit accrues entirely to the mother or father who is paying for a necessary service."British Government not backing UK Women for CEDAW Vacancies and the new UN Super-Agency For Womentag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2009-12-08:2715135:BlogPost:48912009-12-08T21:03:10.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
British Government not backing UK Women for CEDAW Vacancies and the new UN Super-Agency For Women<br />
<br />
Further to the response by Michael Foster to written Questions in the Commons from the MP Jo Swinson (see below at ‘Questions tabled and answered in the House of Commons’), the eminent human rights and equal opportunities Queen’s Counsel Lord Lester plans to table the following Questions in the Upper House:<br />
<br />
Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC<br />
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their reasons for…
British Government not backing UK Women for CEDAW Vacancies and the new UN Super-Agency For Women<br />
<br />
Further to the response by Michael Foster to written Questions in the Commons from the MP Jo Swinson (see below at ‘Questions tabled and answered in the House of Commons’), the eminent human rights and equal opportunities Queen’s Counsel Lord Lester plans to table the following Questions in the Upper House:<br />
<br />
Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC<br />
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their reasons for having decided not to promote a UK candidate for membership of the UN Agency for Women or the UN Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.<br />
<br />
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ascertain whether there are qualified UK candidates for membership of the UN Agency for Women or the UN Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.<br />
<br />
Questions tabled and answered in the House of Commons<br />
<br />
Question by Jo Swinson MP (East Dunbartonshire, Liberal Democrat)<br />
<br />
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2009, Official Report, column 27W, on the United Nations: females, if his Department will prepare a list of UK women nationals to be considered for nomination to senior positions on (a) the Committee on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and (b) the United Nations Agency for Women.<br />
<br />
Response from Michael Foster MP (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for International Development; Worcester, Labour)<br />
<br />
The UK Government are committed to promoting a good quality field of candidates for the heads and senior leadership of all institutional institutions. In all cases we will promote open, transparent and merit-based processes. In some cases we may wish to promote a UK candidate where they are best qualified for the post. We have no plans to promote a UK candidate for either of these two appointments.<br />
<br />
<br />
CEDAW<br />
<br />
CEDAW is the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It is described as an international Bill of Rights for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. It was adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly. In CEDAW’s 30 years of existence British Governments have never nominated anyone for the influential CEDAW Committee. Several vacancies occur in 2010.<br />
<br />
More information by UN DAW at <a href="http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/cedaw.htm">www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/cedaw.htm</a><br />
<br />
The new United Nations ‘Super-Agency’ For Women<br />
<br />
In 2010 four existing United Nations agencies and offices - UNIFEM, INSTRAW, OSAGI, DAW - will be amalgamated to create a new single entity within the Organization to promote the rights and well-being of women worldwide and to work towards gender equality. The Head of this ‘Super-Agency For Women’ will have Under Secretary-General standing and an annual budget mooted at around US$1 billion. S/he will be appointed in the Spring 2010 and will seek nominations for senior posts from UN Member States including the UK. This Agency should become the most powerful entity in the world for the more rapid advance of the rights, opportunities and well-being of the Earth’s 3.5 billion women.<br />
<br />
Further info: ‘Finally, a UN Agency for Women.’ Guardian article by UK Political Journalist of The Year 2009 Lesley Abdela:<br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/may/27/un-super-agency-women">www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/may/27/un-super-agency-women</a> <<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/may/27/un-super-agency-women">http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/may/27/un-super-agency-women>Brighton to hold first ever all-female parliamentary electiontag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2009-12-05:2715135:BlogPost:48892009-12-05T14:03:06.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
Brighton Argus<br />
<br />
9:41am Saturday 5th December 2009<br />
By Andy Chiles »<br />
<br />
<br />
Brighton is set to hold what is believed to be the first all-female parliamentary election ever in Britain.<br />
<br />
The milestone has been reached after the Liberal Democrats revealed Andrew Falconer, their original candidate for the Brighton Pavilion constituency, had pulled out and would be replaced by one of a shortlist of four women.<br />
<br />
Whoever is selected will stand against Labour's Nancy Platts, Green Caroline Lucas and…
Brighton Argus<br />
<br />
9:41am Saturday 5th December 2009<br />
By Andy Chiles »<br />
<br />
<br />
Brighton is set to hold what is believed to be the first all-female parliamentary election ever in Britain.<br />
<br />
The milestone has been reached after the Liberal Democrats revealed Andrew Falconer, their original candidate for the Brighton Pavilion constituency, had pulled out and would be replaced by one of a shortlist of four women.<br />
<br />
Whoever is selected will stand against Labour's Nancy Platts, Green Caroline Lucas and Conservative Charlotte Vere in the next general election, due before June.<br />
<br />
Women's equality campaign the Fawcett Society said it was the first constituency anywhere in the country, as far as it was aware, to ever have an all-female contest and described it as a cause for celebration.<br />
<br />
Experts from the University of Plymouth, who advise the Electoral Commission on election statistics, said they had no knowledge of any previous occurrences.<br />
<br />
Fawcett Society chief executive Ceri Goddard said: "If all the candidates are women that is cause for celebration but also concern that it has taken until 2009, whereas all-male elections are still the norm.<br />
<br />
"The voters if Brighton can be pleased that whom ever they elect they will be a step closer to closing the gender gap in parliament where currently less than 20% of our MP’s are women – less than Iraq, Afghanistan and Rwanda.”<br />
<br />
The milestone appears to have been reached accidentally. Labour selected Mrs Platts from an all-female shortlist but Dr Lucas was selected by the Greens in a head-to-head with Brighton and Hove City Councillor Keith Taylor and the Conservatives picked Mrs Vere after an open primary between three men and three women.<br />
<br />
Mrs Vere was only selected as Tory candidate last month after the party's original selection David Bull stepped down following two years of campaigning.<br />
<br />
Statistics show female candidates were the highest vote winners in several wards encompassed by Brighton Pavilion during the last city council election in 2007.<br />
<br />
The constituency is expected to be one of the most closely contested in the country. It is held by Labour's retiring MP David Lepper by a 5,000 vote majority but has been targetted by the Conservatives following their national swing and the Greens who have won a string of local and European elections in the city.<br />
<br />
The Lib Dems, who finished fourth in the last general election in 2005, said Mr Falconer had withdrawn due to family circumstances in Scotland.<br />
<br />
The party will select its final candidate in January. They declined to name those on the shortlist.<br />
<br />
Mr Falconer said: "My decision to stand down as Liberal Democrat candidate is boringly pragmatic. Like many local residents I was faced with demands from work and an increasingly challenging and impractical commute. It became clear that because of this I would be unable to commit as much time to the campaign as I would have liked."<br />
<br />
It is not yet known whether UKIP or any smaller parties or independents will stand in Brighton Pavilion.What would it take for you to want to stand as an MP?tag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2009-10-11:2715135:BlogPost:46822009-10-11T17:05:34.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
So, as I look at the election approaching, probably on May 6th, I wonder what stops your average women on the street from wanting to stand as an MP. I know for me there a load of things that put me off. The notion of my entire life being trawled through and serialised in the Daily Mail, the never ending comments about my face/hair/teeth/shoes, the disparaging analysis of my every word or worse still, a complete disregard for my existence as a candidate at all. That's assuming that I can decide…
So, as I look at the election approaching, probably on May 6th, I wonder what stops your average women on the street from wanting to stand as an MP. I know for me there a load of things that put me off. The notion of my entire life being trawled through and serialised in the Daily Mail, the never ending comments about my face/hair/teeth/shoes, the disparaging analysis of my every word or worse still, a complete disregard for my existence as a candidate at all. That's assuming that I can decide on a party to full back. After all, I see benefits to all the parties and no single one has all the answers. So like a woman to have that view.<br />
<br />
My thoughts are not uncommon. Loads of women I meet agree that having more women in parliament would be a good thing, that brining balanced leadership to the running of our country would have benefuts but very few are willing to step into the breach.<br />
<br />
Have you ever though of running? What holds you back? Please respond to this question and DSP will see what it can do to address some of the issues in order to help more women into power.<br />
<br />
LeeObamas declaration of Women's Equality Daytag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2009-08-26:2715135:BlogPost:43862009-08-26T20:46:22.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
THE WHITE HOUSE<br />
<br />
Office of the Press Secretary<br />
___________________________________________________________________________<br />
For Immediate Release August 26, 2009<br />
<br />
WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY, 2009<br />
- - - - - - -<br />
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA<br />
<br />
A PROCLAMATION<br />
<br />
Today, our country renews its commitment to freedom and justice for all our citizens. As we prepare to celebrate this women's day of equality, we reflect on the sacrifices once made to allow women and girls the basic rights and…
THE WHITE HOUSE<br />
<br />
Office of the Press Secretary<br />
___________________________________________________________________________<br />
For Immediate Release August 26, 2009<br />
<br />
WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY, 2009<br />
- - - - - - -<br />
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA<br />
<br />
A PROCLAMATION<br />
<br />
Today, our country renews its commitment to freedom and justice for all our citizens. As we prepare to celebrate this women's day of equality, we reflect on the sacrifices once made to allow women and girls the basic rights and choices we freely exercise today. The future we leave to our daughters and granddaughters will be determined by our willingness to build on the achievements of our past and move forward as one people and one Nation. The fight for women's equality is not a woman's agenda, but an American agenda.<br />
<br />
We honor the resilience, accomplishments, and history of all women in the United States. We celebrate the courageous women who fought to uphold a fundamental principle within our Constitution the right to vote and in so doing, protected the cornerstone of our vibrant democracy. These visionaries of the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 sought to ensure that our country lived up to its founding ideals. Although only one, Charlotte Woodward, at the age of 81, had the opportunity to exercise her newfound right, the struggle reminds us that no righteous cause is a lost one. We also commemorate women like Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, a poet and lecturer who formed the National Association of Colored Women; Antonia Pantoja, a tireless advocate of education equality within the Latino community; Sarah Winnemucca, a voice for peace within the Native American community; and Patsy Mink, author of Title IX and the first woman of color and Asian American woman elected to the United States Congress. These women's talents, and the contributions of countless others, built upon the framework of 1848 and forged paths for future generations.<br />
<br />
Our Nation has come a long way since that ground-breaking convention in New York. Women have occupied some of the most significant positions in government. They have delivered justice from the bench of our highest court, fought for our country in foreign lands, discovered cures to diseases, and joined the ranks of the greatest business leaders of our time. Female college graduates now outnumber their male counterparts. Women have sought equality through government, demonstrated by the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, and the establishment of the White House Council on Women and Girls. They have sought equality through advocacy, exemplified by the efforts of thousands of women's organizations. America has made significant progress toward becoming the fair and just society the suffragists once envisioned.<br />
<br />
Yet, today, our work remains unfinished. Far too many adult women remain mired in poverty. Women are still subject to pervasive discrimination at school and harassing conduct in the workplace. Women make, on average, only 78 cents for every dollar paid to men. Underrepresented in many facets of our economic and public life, from government to boardrooms to the sciences, women have yet to eradicate all barriers to professional development.<br />
<br />
We stand at a moment of unparalleled change and a time for reflection and hope. We cannot allow the vibrant energy and passionate commitment of our trailblazing women to fade, and we can never forget the responsibility we bear to the ideals of liberty and equality for all. Each generation of successful women serves as a catalyst to empower, enlighten, and educate the next generation of girls and boys, and we must devote ourselves to promoting this catalyst for change now and in the future.<br />
<br />
On this Women's Equality Day, we resolve to continue the important work of our Nation's foremothers and their successors, and turn their vision of a more equal America into our reality.<br />
<br />
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 26, 2009, as Women's Equality Day. I call upon the people of the United States to celebrate the achievements of women and recommit themselves to the goal of true gender equality in this country.<br />
<br />
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.<br />
<br />
BARACK OBAMABeing inspired by the White House Project: NYC visit August 2009tag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2009-08-25:2715135:BlogPost:43612009-08-25T22:30:00.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
Last week I had the good fortune to be in New York at the same time as one of the White House Project WOLF information events. Julie Gilbert and Marie Wilson kindly said that I could come along, to observe and see how where they are with their work can inform what The Downing Street Project is doing in its early and stumbling stages.<br />
<br />
I took copious notes and thought I’d outline them here to give you a sense of what Marie Wilson was sharing about The White House Project, why it was started and…
Last week I had the good fortune to be in New York at the same time as one of the White House Project WOLF information events. Julie Gilbert and Marie Wilson kindly said that I could come along, to observe and see how where they are with their work can inform what The Downing Street Project is doing in its early and stumbling stages.<br />
<br />
I took copious notes and thought I’d outline them here to give you a sense of what Marie Wilson was sharing about The White House Project, why it was started and what keeps it going, I originally got the idea for Downing Street Project by reading Marie’s book so it’s relevant how they are, 10 years down the line. Here are some highlights from her talk.<br />
<br />
The White House Project (WHP) is now 10 years old and has put 7,000 women through its training, designed to encourage them to run for office in the USA. They want to have trained a total of 36,000 by 2013. Their mission is to reach a critical mass of women in leadership positions, by bringing more women to the tables of power.<br />
<br />
Marie Wilson started out at the Ms Foundation and was responsible for the ‘take our daughters to work day’ which encouraged the girls to question their mothers roles and the parity of pay and status effects. Since then they have found that more and more women are being trusted to lead alongside men. The WHP have new research coming out in the autumn of this year that shows that women are trusted to lead in all domains, other than risk taking. Given that this particular quality is being blamed for the current financial crisis its seen as a positive.<br />
<br />
The WHP has found that women bring something different to the table in terms of leadership but they come with some central questions. ‘How can I be a political leader and still have a family? And ‘How can I keep my integrity?’. Questions that people are asking in the UK now in the midst of the expenses scandal and the large numbers of MP’s stepping down at the next election.<br />
<br />
The WHP spent the first 5 years backing up their claims with research; hopefully we can make use of this in our work. The training was designed to demystify the process of holding political office in the USA. Women did not want to be made to feel guilty about not leading rather they wanted to make a difference. They wanted their friends to run too as the WHP found that there has to be a certain number of women in leadership positions in order for each individual women not to have to fight for her place and voice amongst the dominant paradigm.<br />
<br />
A central theme of the training is that women need to be encouraged to be ambitious. They found that it’s not lack of skills that is the problem, its lack of confidence. Having authority is seen as problematic for women. They discuss under what conditions we allocate authority to each other and to men, etc. At the training they needed to convince women that its OK to have authority.<br />
<br />
There are 4 A’s that underlie the training of The WHP and they are: Authenticity, Ability, Ambition and Authority. They feel that women have the right instincts and are totally capable of leadership but something happens at adolescence when its drained out of us. Worth looking at as we get younger people involved in DSP.<br />
<br />
I was then lucky enough to hear all the trainers talk the group through the individual training programs and what the women learn on those. Not for a general post but this can get fed into the training teams work for the WOLF project. There is a Go Run training on Oct 9th which I’d love to be at, time and money allowing.<br />
<br />
Overall I found the entire experience very inspiring indeed. The WHP is 10 years ahead of the Downing Street Project and it took a few years to get the training up and running. This makes me feel a lot better about where we are at the end of year one. I was inspired by the mood of the room, by the positivity of the women. The WOLF teams had concerns about the scope of their projects, as ours do too and there was a real sense of aiming to create something meaningful, which ours do too. What was most exiting was to see that the organisation has stayed alive all these years, had found a way to be able to offer these training programmes for women and has made a difference. I wonder what DSP will look like 10 years down the line and how we will have made it work as we head into the unknown political landscape of the UK in 2010.Tweetminster 10 Commandments for MP's and PPC'stag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2009-08-25:2715135:BlogPost:43442009-08-25T12:33:23.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
Here it is! What do you think?<br />
<br />
http://10commandments.tweetminster.com/results.aspx<br />
<br />
Here are the final "10 Commandments for Members of Parliament".<br />
<br />
These commandments will be presented to all MPs and PPCs. Over the next few months and beyond the General Election, we will monitor the impact of these 10 Commandments to see if the actions of MPs live up to the standards that have been set. Our goal is to make a small contribution to making politics more open and accessible, and help the UK…
Here it is! What do you think?<br />
<br />
http://10commandments.tweetminster.com/results.aspx<br />
<br />
Here are the final "10 Commandments for Members of Parliament".<br />
<br />
These commandments will be presented to all MPs and PPCs. Over the next few months and beyond the General Election, we will monitor the impact of these 10 Commandments to see if the actions of MPs live up to the standards that have been set. Our goal is to make a small contribution to making politics more open and accessible, and help the UK achieve a healthier democracy.<br />
The nation's final 10 commandments:<br />
<br />
1. Thou shalt never forget that politics is about improving lives. Other people's, not your own (9 % of votes)<br />
2. Be honest with the voters (6 % of votes)<br />
3. MPs shall treat constituents, stakeholders and staff as they themselves would wish to be treated - with genuine respect and good manners (6 % of votes)<br />
4. Thou shalt hold the executive to account, regardless of Party affiliation, On behalf of the people of the United Kingdom (6 % of votes)<br />
5. An MP should not give publicly-funded jobs to family or household members. Recruit openly instead, and advertise locally (5 % of votes)<br />
6. Thou shalt not enter the political arena for personal gain (5 % of votes)<br />
7. Thou shalt not outsource your judgement, independence or opinions to the chief whip (5 % of votes)<br />
8. Thou shalt be able to demonstrate independence of mind (5 % of votes)<br />
9. Do what you promised to do in your manifesto (5 % of votes)<br />
10. MPs & PPCs should be transparent, open & engaging, and take advantage of all available channels (5 % of votes)Fixing the Economy? It's Women's Work. Washington Post article...tag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2009-07-20:2715135:BlogPost:36212009-07-20T10:59:28.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
<b>Fixing the Economy? It's Women's Work.</b><br />
<br />
By Katty Kay and Claire Shipman<br />
Sunday, July 12, 2009<br />
<br />
While the pinstripe crowd fixates on troubled assets, a stalled stimulus and mortgage remedies, it turns out that a more sure-fire financial fix is within our grasp -- and has been for years. New research says a healthy dose of estrogen may be the key not only to our fiscal recovery, but also to economic strength worldwide.<br />
<br />
The sexy new discussion in policy circles around the world, thanks to…
<b>Fixing the Economy? It's Women's Work.</b><br />
<br />
By Katty Kay and Claire Shipman<br />
Sunday, July 12, 2009<br />
<br />
While the pinstripe crowd fixates on troubled assets, a stalled stimulus and mortgage remedies, it turns out that a more sure-fire financial fix is within our grasp -- and has been for years. New research says a healthy dose of estrogen may be the key not only to our fiscal recovery, but also to economic strength worldwide.<br />
<br />
The sexy new discussion in policy circles around the world, thanks to the recession, is whether a significant shift of power from men to women is underway -- or whether it should be. Accounting giant Ernst & Young pulled out charts and graphs at a recent power lunch in Washington with female lawmakers to argue a provocative bottom line: Companies with more women in senior management roles make more money. The latest issue of Foreign Policy magazine sweepingly predicts the "death of macho." Economists at Davos this year speculated that the presence of more women on Wall Street might have averted the downturn. Adding to this debate is the fact that the laid-off victims of this recession are overwhelmingly men.<br />
<br />
All those right-brain skills disparaged as soft in the roaring '90s are suddenly 21st-century-hot, while cocky is experiencing a slow fizzle.<br />
<br />
The numbers make a compelling case. The studies Ernst & Young rounded up show that women can make the difference between economic success and failure in the developing world, between good and bad decision-making in the industrialized world, and between profit and loss in the corporate world. Their conclusion: American companies would do well with more senior women.<br />
<br />
And it's not only one study, but at least half a dozen, from a broad spectrum of organizations such as Columbia University, McKinsey & Co., Goldman Sachs and Pepperdine University, that document a clear relationship between women in senior management and corporate financial success. By all measures, more women in your company means better performance.<br />
<br />
Pepperdine found that the Fortune 500 firms with the best records of putting women at the top were 18 to 69 percent more profitable than the median companies in their industries. McKinsey looked at the top-listed European companies and found that greater gender diversity in management led to higher-than-average stock performance.<br />
<br />
Is there a magic number of women? In some cases, it's just three. Catalyst, a research firm focused on women and business, found that Fortune 500 companies with three or more women in senior management positions score higher on top measures of organizational excellence. In addition, companies with three or more women on their boards outperformed the competition on all measures by at least 40 percent.<br />
<br />
It's time to admit the obvious. Men and women are different, and our management styles are different. Research by the University of Pittsburgh and Cambridge University, among others, finds that some of those differences are intrinsic, thanks to hormones.<br />
<br />
Gender stereotypes aren't politically correct, but the research broadly finds that testosterone can make men more prone to competition and risk-taking. Women, on the other hand, seem to be wired for collaboration, caution and long-term results.<br />
<br />
According to a 30-year study of fund managers released last month by the National Council for Research on Women, female investors and professional money managers used more measured strategies. They didn't take huge risks, but they also didn't lose big. Their returns were consistent. Men took larger risks and wound up with results that varied more widely. A study by the French Fund association found that funds managed by women had more consistent results over one-year, three-year and five-year measurements. Female-managed funds weren't usually top performers, but they were never at the bottom.<br />
<br />
Whatever the future, we hardly need to explain why, after all the trouble the testosterone-infused Wall Street culture brought us, a bit of that caution would be a healthy ingredient in our financial mix.<br />
<br />
If that all seems too touchy-feely for left-brainers, here's more hard math. The "diversity prediction theorem" is part of the most cutting-edge thinking about best business practices. Scott Page, an economist at the University of Michigan, uses mathematical models to demonstrate that a diverse group will solve a complicated business problem better than a homogeneous group. In fact, diversity is even more important than expertise. In other words, a bunch of white male brainiacs won't usually reach the best conclusions.<br />
<br />
There's a sound business reason why Norway now mandates that corporate boards be 40 percent female. Why Iceland, after its embarrassing financial mess, put major banks and its government in female hands. And why Hermes, the only French company to outperform expectations during the recession, also has, you guessed it, a management structure dominated by women.<br />
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Americans aren't so enamored of social engineering, of course, so how do we get to that profitable mix? To us, the answer is clear. Professional women have been leaving the workplace in droves, and we need to stop the brain drain. Recent studies show that almost a third of professional women opt out at some point in their careers and, strikingly, that MBAs are more likely than lawyers or doctors to choose to stay home with their children.<br />
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Beyond a certain point, many women find that the costs to family of a high-octane career are just too great. We need to recognize that the glass ceiling is in part a self-imposed, defensive perimeter. But we can't afford to have women take themselves out of the running for top slots. And the only way to prevent that is changing the workplace to allow us the freedom to fit in our personal lives.<br />
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Luckily, that freedom makes economic sense, too. That's why companies such as Wal-Mart, Capital One, Best Buy, Sun Microsystems and Sara Lee, to name just a few, say they have glimpsed the future of work and have decided it's an extremely manageable place. They've discovered that allowing people to work the way they want -- from home; at night; from the sidelines of the soccer field -- actually increases productivity. Best Buy found that changing the work rules boosted productivity by an average of 40 percent.<br />
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And though progress is slow, women are negotiating nontraditional paths to senior management. Witness Sara Lee's chief executive, Brenda Barnes. As a PepsiCo executive vice president, she left corporate America for seven years to raise her children. Her return is a singular achievement, but it suggests a future in which careers can move in waves, not straight up, or straight off of, a ladder.<br />
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Corporate America, take the first step toward economic recovery. Open your minds and offices to new ways of working and succeeding. Not because you are nice guys -- but because it will help the economy and your bottom line.<br />
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womenomics@gmail.com<br />
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Katty Kay is a Washington anchor and reporter for "BBC World News America." Claire Shipman is the senior national correspondent for ABC's "Good Morning America." They are the authors of "Womenomics."A UN Womens agency?tag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2009-07-14:2715135:BlogPost:34812009-07-14T11:27:18.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
Later this year the UN will vote on establishing a Women's Agency with a budget of a billion dollars. What would we like them to do? Read why Lesley Abdela thinks its important:<br />
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<b>Finally, a UN agency for women</b><br />
<b>By Lesley Abdela, The Guardian<br />
<i>Wednesday, 27 May 2009</i></b><br />
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The UN system has failed the world's 3 billion-plus women - but a new 'super-agency' may bring welcome change.<br />
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This autumn the UN general assembly will vote yes or no to a new "super-agency for women"; $1bn is…
Later this year the UN will vote on establishing a Women's Agency with a budget of a billion dollars. What would we like them to do? Read why Lesley Abdela thinks its important:<br />
<br />
<b>Finally, a UN agency for women</b><br />
<b>By Lesley Abdela, The Guardian<br />
<i>Wednesday, 27 May 2009</i></b><br />
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The UN system has failed the world's 3 billion-plus women - but a new 'super-agency' may bring welcome change.<br />
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This autumn the UN general assembly will vote yes or no to a new "super-agency for women"; $1bn is being discussed as the starter annual budget.<br />
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Just like the House of Commons, the UN has finally been shamed into reforming itself. The UN sets global standards for human rights, but has no single agency with the resources and clout to work globally to improve the lives of women. As a result, the UN system has badly and unforgivably let down the world's 3 billion-plus women. In 2006 a UN high-level panel set up to recommend reforms in the wake of the 2005 world summit gave the UN nul points for services to women. The panel found the way the UN system works for women "incoherent, fragmented, and under-resourced". Many of us have been saying for years the UN system is a son of the 1950s, patriarchal and hierarchical, so it is good to see it's official.<br />
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More than 300 NGOs have united under the acronym Gear (Gender Equality Architecture Reform) to push for governments and the UN secretary general to set up the new super-agency. Britain's Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), AIDS-Free World and Action for Southern Africa (Actsa) are the "Joanna Lumleys" in the van of the Gear campaign.<br />
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The UN high-level panel calls for the new agency to be "fully and ambitiously funded", with greater authority and real operational capacity on the ground. Campaign groups welcome Dfid's open support for a super-agency. The British government is expected to announce in the next few weeks how much they will invest, though given the overwhelming challenge, the rumoured UK commitment of $100m is just not enough. It's peanuts by contrast with the trillions the UK prime minister, with the wave of a magic wand, promised the IMF and wayward banks.<br />
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A major role for the new agency's work will be to close the gap between rhetoric and reality on existing international resolutions on sex discrimination and women's human rights. The priorities cover a lot of ground – to help women earn increased income, stay in education longer, have access to proper health care, and have an equal say in decisions that affect their lives and the future of the planet.<br />
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Despite generations of international agreements on women's equality, responsibility for improving the lives of the world's women is spread thinner than Marmite across four poorly co-ordinated UN entities – Unifem, DAW, Osagi, and Instraw. Their senior staff are not part of the UN's main decision-making fora. All have minuscule budgets, little power or influence in the UN system and virtually no operational capacity on the ground. Unifem, the largest of the four, has 47 staff and a budget of $129m to serve the world's three and a half billion women.<br />
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All organisations within the UN system are officially mandated to address gender and women's rights. Most treat women's rights and priorities as optional extras, or entirely ignore their responsibilities to half the world's population. A few UN agencies and UN missions in some countries do important work on gender equality and women's rights, but it's patchy and often depends on an individual champion to push for it.<br />
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At a Gear campaign meeting hosted by the Canadian high commission and the VSO in London on 19 May, Stephen Lewis, co-director of AIDS-Free World and a former UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, said: "On HIV/AIDS the area in which we made least progress was for women. This new super-agency is needed because of the UN's abysmal record on women. When it comes to women, there has been criminal negligence by the international community for decades, particularly by the UN." He added: "The UN is full of sophistry and misogyny. I do not understand how women are made so readily expendable." VSO's chief executive, Marg Mayne, said: "The further value for the new agency would be to ensure governments keep their promises about treating women equally."<br />
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Over the decades important advances have been made for women, but governments and the UN have failed overall to implement the commitments to women's rights they made in the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, the UN Beijing platform for action, security council resolutions 1325 and 1820 on women in peace and conflict, and in agreements from many UN world conferences, including those on human rights, population and development, sustainable development, HIV/AIDS, the millennium summit and millennium goals.<br />
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Lewis noted: "What you need is an agency that is staffed with committed activists and never lets go of issues such as rape and sexual violence. There are 12 UN agencies and 17,000 UN peacekeepers in Congo, yet it was only when activist Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues, came back and reported to the American media that 'I have just returned from hell', that the UN humanitarian chief went to visit the country."Centre for Women & Democracy E-Newsletter - Work for CFWD/Local Election Results/Vote for A Changetag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2009-06-28:2715135:BlogPost:31212009-06-28T13:24:55.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
Here is the latest newsletter from CFWD<br />
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<b>2009 Election Results</b><br />
We have now completed some of our work on the 2009 European, mayoral and local elections. 33% of MEPs elected in the UK were women – a rise of 7%, whilst across Europe 35% of the new Parliament will be female as opposed to 31% before the elections. The country with the highest representation of women as MEPs is Finland (62%), with Malta (0%) the Czech Republic (18%) at the bottom. You can download the full European report…
Here is the latest newsletter from CFWD<br />
<br />
<b>2009 Election Results</b><br />
We have now completed some of our work on the 2009 European, mayoral and local elections. 33% of MEPs elected in the UK were women – a rise of 7%, whilst across Europe 35% of the new Parliament will be female as opposed to 31% before the elections. The country with the highest representation of women as MEPs is Finland (62%), with Malta (0%) the Czech Republic (18%) at the bottom. You can download the full European report <a href="http://www.cfwd.org.uk/index.html" target="_blank">here</a>. In terms of elected mayors, the number of women in post doubled – that is, it went up from 1 to 2. You can use <a href="http://www.cfwd.org.uk/index.html" target="_blank">this link</a> to download an analysis of the mayoral elections. We’re still working on the local elections, but initial findings suggest that the numbers of women elected to county councils has remained exactly the same – 24.3% - as it was in 2005.<br />
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<b>Job Opportunity at CFWD</b><br />
We are currently looking for an Administrative and Research Assistant to help us to run our new Yorkshire Executive Women’s Network project, which we’re developing in partnership with Yorkshire Forward. The post is part-time (21 hours per week) for a period of 10 months from this August. It would suit a graduate or returner looking for flexible working hours, and is based at our office in Leeds. You can use <a href="http://www.cfwd.org.uk/jobs.html" target="_blank">this link</a> to download the job description and person specification – please feel free to circulate it around your networks.<br />
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<b>Vote for A Change Campaign</b><br />
You may have seen publicity about the Vote for A Change Campaign, which is calling for a referendum on the electoral system. A number of civil society organisations – including CFWD – have signed up to this campaign, and they are holding a rally in Central Hall in London on 9 July. There will be music, poetry and the chance to put leading politicians on the spot – for more information or to book a place email naomi@voteforachange.co.uk, or go to the Vote for A Change <a href="http://www.voteforachange.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a>.<br />
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<b>Recent General Elections</b><br />
General Elections in May across the world have not been encouraging in terms of women elected. The only increase in the representation of women has been in Kuwait, where the percentage rose from 3% to 7.7%. In the Lebanon, however, it fell from 4.7% to 3.1%, in Panama from 16.7% to 8.5% and in the Maldives from 12% to 6.6%. Some of these changes are very small in both percentage and numerical terms, but they represent a net loss of 7 women legislators. Hopefully June’s crop of elections will reverse this.<br />
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And finally ...<br />
You might think that all the scandal surrounding Silvio Berlusconi would have damaged his party, but in fact, in local elections held together with the European elections in Italy, his party took control of 9 more provinces. The storm around Berlusconi’s activities would have been enough to bring down politicians in many other countries – and particularly in Britain – but many people in Italy seem to view these things through a different prism. Here are three reflections on the situation – Sarah Vine in the Times says that <a href="http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article6557429.ece" target="_blank">Italy shows a strange kind of feminism</a>, Ezio Mauro, the editor of La Repubblica but writing in the Observer, thinks that Berlusconi saw himself as Caesar, but that now <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/21/silvio-berlusconi-italy" target="_blank">his decline is epic</a>, and Rowan Pelling in the Telegrapgh finds that <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/rowanpelling/5615720/Berlusconis-vanity-makes-him-truly-unattractive.html" target="_blank">Berlusconi's vanity makes him truly unattractive</a>.Centre for Women & Democracy E-Newsletter - Elections 2009/Women Ministers/New News Blogtag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2009-06-12:2715135:BlogPost:27452009-06-12T17:32:32.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
Here is the latest newsletter from <a href="http://www.cfwd.org.uk/index.html">The Centre for Women and Democracy</a>. To view it as a web page click <a href="http://www.cfwd.org.uk/enewsletter48.html">here</a>. See back issues <a href="http://www.cfwd.org.uk/enewsletterbackissues.html">here</a>. Many thanks to Nan Sloane, Director of CFWD, for permission to re-publish.<br />
<br />
<b>Elections 2009</b><br />
Now that the results of the 2009 local, mayoral and European elections are all in, we are busy…
Here is the latest newsletter from <a href="http://www.cfwd.org.uk/index.html">The Centre for Women and Democracy</a>. To view it as a web page click <a href="http://www.cfwd.org.uk/enewsletter48.html">here</a>. See back issues <a href="http://www.cfwd.org.uk/enewsletterbackissues.html">here</a>. Many thanks to Nan Sloane, Director of CFWD, for permission to re-publish.<br />
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<b>Elections 2009</b><br />
Now that the results of the 2009 local, mayoral and European elections are all in, we are busy collating and analysing them to see how women candidates did. Our conclusions will be published in parts over the course of the next few weeks, but it’s already clear that, in local government terms at least, the picture is not good. We have already completed a provisional analysis of results in the new ‘super-unitary’ authorities, which you can <a href="http://www.cfwd.org.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/newunitaries09prov.pdf">download here</a>. In July, we will also be producing the third edition of our report on women in leadership roles in local government; it will be interesting to see what effect recent changes have had there, too.<br />
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<b>Women in Cabinets</b><br />
There has been much discussion about women in government following the Prime Minister’s recent reshuffle, so we thought it might be interesting to take a look at what the position is in comparable countries as well as in the UK. Here, the new cabinet has 4 women (17%), although a further 3 ‘attend’. The Conservative Shadow Cabinet is 21% female, and the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet has 13% women. Elsewhere in Europe, (and leaving aside Scandinavia where the higher level of women in parliaments leads to generally higher levels of women in government), percentages vary from Spain (50%), Germany (44%), France (42%) and Austria (36%) through Italy (23%) and the Netherlands (22%) and Ireland (20%) to ... well, the UK with 17% and Greece and Portugal with 12%. In Australia the figure is 25%, in Canada 21% and in the United States 32%. In Europe generally the trend over recent years has been upwards, but in both the UK (where it has fallen from a high of 30% in 2001) and the US (where President Clinton’s cabinet was 37% women), women have been less rather than more likely to be cabinet members in recent years. We think all the UK parties could do better, and look forward to seeing them do so.<br />
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<b>Womensviewsonnews</b><br />
Fed up with the bias towards men in the news? So is Alison Clarke, is why she has just set up a not-for-profit online news and current affairs service aimed at women – <a href="www.womensviewsonnews.org">www.womensviewsonnews.org</a>. The aim of the site is to provide up to date news on all the major national and international stories of the day in much the same way as any newspaper or online news service, but from the perspective of women. It also covers stories about women that other news outlets ignore (such as maternal health, violence against women and so on) as well as pinion and comment pieces on major news items of the day.<br />
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Alison is now looking for women who are interested in writing for the blog (although she can’t afford to pay), so if you have any news stories for publication, just go to <a href="www.womensviewsonnews.org">www.womensviewsonnews.org</a> to get in touch. She is also looking for people to support the blog by reading it as often as possible and by telling as many other potential readers and writers about it as well ... so we thought we’d do our bit!<br />
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<b>And Finally ...</b><br />
First something a little different – the story in the Times of <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-first-sister-of-feminism-1702163.html">Mary Ward</a>, a seventeenth century Yorkshire nun who had a vision of equality for men and women (including nuns acting in plays, a scandalous idea for the age) and who was imprisoned by the Pope, but who is now about to be declared ‘Venerable’ by the Vatican, and may ultimately be made a saint.<br />
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And lastly (and only if you don’t mind a little racy language) Charlie Brooker in the Guardian says that <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jun/01/charlie-brooker-women-men-power">until women understand the depth of men's simplicity</a> the world is doomed. If you found some of the rest of this newsletter depressing, read this article – if nothing else it will make you laugh!Would more women in financial services have averted the current crisis? Some arguments for....tag:thedowningstreetproject.ning.com,2009-01-17:2715135:BlogPost:1732009-01-17T22:59:25.000ZLee Chalmershttp://thedowningstreetproject.ning.com/profile/LeeChalmers
<b>Too Much Testosterone on Wall Street?</b><br />
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<i>Posted by Sylvia Ann Hewlett on January 7, in Harvard Business Review</i><br />
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Finance has always been dominated by men and driven by a testosterone-enhanced culture. If women had been running our banks, might we have avoided the sub-prime mess and the resulting economic meltdown?<br />
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Halla Tomasdottir, a prominent Icelandic financier, answers yes. In a recent BBC interview she shared her outrage at the wild risks male bankers had taken in Iceland,…
<b>Too Much Testosterone on Wall Street?</b><br />
<br />
<i>Posted by Sylvia Ann Hewlett on January 7, in Harvard Business Review</i><br />
<br />
Finance has always been dominated by men and driven by a testosterone-enhanced culture. If women had been running our banks, might we have avoided the sub-prime mess and the resulting economic meltdown?<br />
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Halla Tomasdottir, a prominent Icelandic financier, answers yes. In a recent BBC interview she shared her outrage at the wild risks male bankers had taken in Iceland, resulting in three banks being nationalized and the country being frozen out of foreign exchange markets. At least two smart women saw it coming - Tomasdottir herself and her partner Kristin Petursdottir, who set up Audur Capital in 2007, recruiting mainly women and exercising risk awareness in their choice of investments. Audur was one of the few Icelandic financial companies to survive the crisis. "Our ground rule was simple, we didn't invest in anything we couldn't understand," says Tomasdottir. In early 2008 she published a report warning Prime Minister Geir Haarde that Iceland's financial model was unsustainable.<br />
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He appears to have listened. Two months ago he appointed two women to rebuild the financial system. Elin Sigfusdottir and Birna Einarsdottir now head up the nationalized New Landsbanki and New Glitnir banks - their mandate to move away from the macho culture of irresponsible, aggressive risk-taking that many now blame for Iceland's troubles.<br />
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The notion that men are aggressive - and sometimes irresponsible - risk-takers, while women are responsible and risk adverse, has been around for years but is bolstered by new research.<br />
Early last year a team from Cambridge University explored the behavior of 17 male City traders and showed that when traders recorded high levels of testosterone in the morning they made more profit for the rest of the day, but they also indulged in impulsive, sensation-seeking behavior. Dr John Coats, lead author of the Cambridge research study and a former trader himself says "rising levels of testosterone turns risk-taking into a form of addiction."<br />
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Another new study <a href="http://www.ceram.edu/index.php/Latest-News/Latest/Financail-Crisis-Are-Women-the-Antidote-CERAM-Research.html?date=2009-02-01">"Global Financial Crisis: Are Women the Antidote?"</a> published in October by CERAM, the French Business School, demonstrates that women have a beneficial restraining effect on the excesses of men. This research shows that firms in the CAC 40 (the French equivalent of the Dow Jones) with a high ratio of women in top management have shown better resistance to the financial crisis. Report author Michel Ferrary found that the fewer female managers a company has, the greater the drop in its share price since January 2008. BNP Paribas for example, where 39% of managers are women, has seen its stock fall by 20% since the beginning of 2008. While Credit Agricole, the largest retail banking group in France, where only 16% of managers are female, has seen its share price fall by 50%. Ferrary comes to the conclusion that "the feminization of management seems to be a protection against financial crisis."<br />
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The idea that we need more women in top jobs in finance is gaining traction. "The current crisis gives us the opportunity to insert gender into the re-writing of the rules" says Nadereh Chamlou, a senior adviser at the World Bank. "We need more women at the table."<br />
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Barack Obama's appointment of Mary Schapiro to head up the SEC would seem to be a step in the right direction, thought it's not at all clear that Wall Street is learning this lesson. The last year has been marked by an exodus of top women - Zoe Cruz, Sallie Krawcheck and Erin Callan, come to mind. Indeed, it's hard to think of any Wall Street women who have risen to prominence in these turbulent times.