Women on the way up in a man's world

THE number of women securing top jobs at the city council has more than doubled in three years. Over 40 per cent of the authority's most senior roles are now filled by women, up from a fifth in 2003-4. Council leader Jenny Dawe said the huge rise was down to the "hard work" and "dedication" of employees.

A recent shake-up of the way the council operates – splitting the social work department into children and families, and health and social care – also paved the way for more promotion opportunities. These two departments now contain the largest percentage of female senior and chief officers, with more than 47 per cent in the children and families sector, including the only female director, Gillian Tee.

The council is now close to achieving its target to have an even split between men and women in all the top jobs. The new figures were today welcomed by equal opportunity groups. But there were warnings that more work needed to be done to end the gender gap.

Councillor Jenny Dawe said: "It is reassuring that the statistics for the council show that the number of women in senior positions is increasing.

"Whilst it is certainly good news, there remains a considerable way to go until women are fully represented at the very highest level."

The council began collating data on its gender split in 2004, when the percentage of women in senior officer roles was just 17.5 per cent.

Based on the experience of other large public and private sector organisations, targets set for 2009 include women making up 50 per cent of the top five per cent of employees. Currently, 16 out of 38 "chief officers" – directors and heads of services – are women, and 48 of 152 senior managers are women.

Philippa Bonella, of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland, said Edinburgh was bucking the national trend.

"It is clear that similar progress is not being made across the board," she said. "Only 13 per cent of council chief executives are women in Scotland, and 12 per cent of High Court judges. We certainly need more positive measures. The culture of organisations needs to change through flexible working – for men and women."

She added: "Even when women reach the top posts, it's traditionally in education and social care. It's about having the best person for the job, but breaking down barriers and not making narrow assumptions."

Women holding top roles at city council

Eileen Dinning, Scottish equality officer for public sector union Unison, said: "Certainly, the bulk of our woman membership are still working in the lower grades. There appears to be less – not more – opportunities for promotion. There is also still a 17 per cent pay gap between men and women working in the public sector, and women that request flexible working arrangements have all kinds of barriers placed in their way.

"If women are moving up and scratching at the glass ceiling, then that's great. But employers still haven't done enough."

The council's director of corporate services, Jim Inch, said: "The council has embarked on a programme to mainstream employment, with a target of achieving a workforce that reflects, at all levels, the population of the city.

"There are a number of projects and work plans to support achievement of these targets. Although the composition of the workforce is changing, there is a great deal of ongoing effort required, particularly support from senior managers to change the culture within departments."

The council has not adopted such controversial tactics as all-women shortlists, but initiatives have been introduced to encourage more people from black or ethnic minority groups, as well as the disabled and young people, to apply for jobs with the council.

These include employment fairs, work experience programmes and workplace visits.

The percentage of black and minority ethnic people working at the council has increased from 1.6 per cent to 2.3 per cent in three years, while the percentage of disabled employees has grown from 1.5 per cent to 1.9 per cent.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "The Scottish Government wants Scotland to be a place where all of its people are treated fairly and have the opportunity to fulfil their full potential.

"We know a number of groups are under-represented in senior levels within organisations."

'Flexible arrangements are important'

CHILDREN and families director Gillian Tee is the most senior female official at the city council.

The 49-year-old took up the challenging post in June, and is earning around £130,000 a year.

Mrs Tee, who has nine-year-old twin daughters, brought her family to Edinburgh when she landed the top job.

A trained primary school teacher, her previous job was as head of children and young people in Oxfordshire, which combined responsibility for driving up school standards with protecting vulnerable children.

Speaking to the Evening News, Mrs Tee said: "I didn't see it as a choice between a career or having a family.

"Just before I went on maternity leave, I had a conversation with my boss and told him I was looking to apply for promotion.

"I told him I was pregnant, but he still told me to apply and when I returned to work I came back to a promoted post.

"Quite often, women don't come back to the same level of post. But there has been a lot of progress to address the barriers facing women.

"When women do have the opportunity to progress, they shouldn't face barriers because they had time off.

"Flexible working arrangements are important."



'I got promoted because of my competence and achievements'

AFTER 18 years with the city council, Lynne Halfpenny now has one of the authority's top jobs as head of culture and sport.

She has managed to juggle a successful career with her family life and the needs of her two children.

Mrs Halfpenny, 43, believes the number of women rising to the top is a natural progression from years of seeing more female graduates move into the profession.

She said: "When I started out, a lot of the old guys I used to work with were ex-armed forces. What appears to be happening is we are getting more retirals, who are mostly men, and more women coming forward for posts – it's a natural change in the demographic.

"Ultimately I got promoted because of competence and my achievements. I would not want to think I was getting promoted for my sex."

She took maternity leave when her children, now aged ten and 13, were born, and like all new parents had to find ways to balance family life and the demands of her job.

However, she does not believe that such problems only fall to women.

"It's an issue when you've got a family and also the job of being a mum," Mrs Halfpenny said.

"But it does not really matter if you are a man or a woman. It does not fall singularly on my shoulders. I've got a husband and it's a job we do together."


'Career women now accepted'

NEARLY 20 years ago, accountancy was a male-dominated profession.

When Karen Kelly qualified as an accountant, she was one of the few women pursuing a career in the industry. But the 44-year-old, now head of financial services at the city council, said times had changed. "Accountancy is now about half male, half female," she said. "The idea of a woman having a career in this profession is now generally accepted."

She admits her daily routine would make it tough to bring up a family as well but adds: "I don't think it's just about women – men who want to spend time with their family may also find it hard to get up the ladder."


TIPPING THE BALANCE

COUNCIL officials in Edinburgh may be closing the gender gap, but how do the other Lothians local authorities compare in the workplace battle of the sexes?

At Midlothian Council, three of the 15 senior official posts – or 20 per cent of the top jobs – are filled by women. In 2003, just one woman was employed in a senior council post.

At East Lothian Council, there are three female chief officers out of a total of 15 – again, 20 per cent of the total.

West Lothian Council says 32.2 per cent of its top tier of earners are women.

Nora Senior, president of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Strategy Group, said there were now more women in the Capital's boardrooms.

She added: "It's better than it was 20 years ago. There's still an 'old boys' network and women are still struggling to find a solution to the deals struck on the golf course."