Colette Henry , DkIT and Professor Barbara Orser , University of Ottawa ’
useful . It ’ s not your primary purpose , but if we were getting this data it would help inform future decision making .’ So we can easily adapt what we ’ re already doing to make the data collection even more effective .
Professor Joan Ballantine , UU
I wouldn ’ t be surprised if there was already a lot of data within InvestNI and it ’ s a matter of gathering it together . Because I am convinced that it ’ s only when people start to become aware of the reality the data shows , that they begin to acknowledge the need for an issue to be added to the agenda .
Roseann Kelly , Women in Business
It ’ s interesting that this year is the first time that Innovate UK has launched a programme of funds specifically for women . Now , it was only for £ 200k which is small compared with their overall programme which gives out millions , but nevertheless is an acknowledgement that there is a specific need in this area .
They were totally oversubscribed with over 400 women coming forward and instead of awarding £ 200k to four women they awarded £ 750k to 15 women so they were able to find more money to place where it was needed !
Ireland government could not adopt the policy that there will be no funding without an equity plan .
Tina McKenzie , Staffline Ireland
I think there is a perception that there isn ’ t an issue anymore . It ’ s not a fashionable subject and if politicians respond to what gets them votes , this is not necessarily a vote winner in Northern Ireland .
Commentators make a lot of the female Prime Minister , female leaders in other countries and the rise in numbers of women on the FTSE500 Boards , to prove the point that the problem is solved . But we know and the evidence proves that is not the case . Interestingly I think the private sector is way ahead of the politicians . For example , as an inititive of Women ’ s
Entrepreneurship Day , of which I am European Ambassador , has launched a website choosewomen . org where a percentage of the money visitors spend is set aside to fund programmes to assist women with micro funding into enterprise .
Where we also now need to look closely is at our social policies and how they might be affecting women ’ s entrepreneurship .
For example , in Sweden 74 per cent of women are working against 79 per cent of men . Why is this the case ? Because they have fullyfunded childcare and men and women get eight months maternity / paternity fully paid each . So childcare is not seen as solely the responsibility of women .,
Locally the childcare policy the government adopts will be important as well as other social policies . Entrepreneurs can make the money available , but we need government acceptance that the issues are real and can be a driver to increased GDP , productivity and employment .
Professor Joan Ballantine , UU
Tina , I think you are absolutely right about the perception . For example in public appointments there are 38 per cent women , but only 22 per cent when it comes to Chairs .
From talking to people in government my sense is that the conversation has moved from gender equality to diversity and there is a danger that the gender issue could be lost .
For example , if you look at the Programme for Government out at the moment I think the issue of gender is mentioned only once and the gender equality strategy that was to be developed in 2016 has disappeared completely nowhere to be seen !
On the plus side , the Commission for Public Appointments Judena Leslie is doing her bit and has implemented a suite of programmes for women because they ’ re not afraid to stand up and say ‘ we want more women .’
Professor Barbara Osrer Assuming mainstream accelerators are gender neutral is not supported by evidence . One of the things that I think makes the difference is executive leadership and we do know that if there is executive leadership around these issues , things get done .
For example , it was obvious that in Canadian Universities very few women held Research Chairs . So the government required Universities to provide an equity plan for any new Chairs being funded .
There is no reason why the Northern
Grainne McVeigh , InvestNI and Roseann Kelly , Women in Business NI
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