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
www. businessfirstonline. co. uk
19