Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

8.1
8.2
8.3
Article 8 - Women as international representatives
Women in the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices (FCO)
While we commend the improvement in the number of women in senior management positions
at the FCO, 1 25% is still too low. Temporary special measures should be put in place until
substantive equality is achieved.
Women in DFID
We are pleased to note that DFID achieved GOLD standard for gender equality, diversity and
inclusion in its ‘Now’ assessment. 2 We are concerned however, that with the loss of a number
of female senior civil servants in 2012, 3 the Department’s target to increase the number of
female civil servants by 3% in the next three years, to 39%, 4 is too small a step to readdress
the gender balance.
Women in the Armed Forces
It has been widely noted that “the armed forces [are] lagging behind in terms of gender
equality.” 5 Ursula Brennan, the Ministry of Defence’s permanent secretary and most senior civil
servant announced: “Most of the senior roles in the military are exclusively male. There are some
notable exceptions… but it is not a place that is awash with senior women.” 6 Brennan also drew
attention to the fact that there are no women in service at the two-, three- and four-star level;
which are the highest in the military. 7
Recommendation:
Make simple adaptations to the Cabinet Office-led process which puts candidates
forward for positions at the international level. A section should be added which
specifically asks if women have been considered for the post. Simple adaptations
to forms such as adding a tick box would encourage those undertaking recruitment
exercises to proactively consider women candidates and make it easier for
government to monitor progress and adherence 8
1. Government Equalities Office (2011) CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women) report. United
Kingdom’s Seventh Periodic Report. GEO: London http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/equalities/international-equality/7thcedaw-report?view=Binary
p.27
2. Government Equalities Office (2011) CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women) report. United
Kingdom’s Seventh Periodic Report. GEO: London http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/equalities/international-equality/7thcedaw-report?view=Binary
p.27
3. Thomas, A. (2012) ‘More women in top jobs? It’s in the pipeline’, Public Service, 27th November 2012, http://www.publicservice.co.uk/
news_story.asp?id=21562
4. Government Equalities Office (2011) CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women) report. United
Kingdom’s Seventh Periodic Report. GEO: London http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/equalities/international-equality/7thcedaw-report?view=Binary
p.27
5. Hopkins, N. (2011) ‘MoD needs to put women in senior positions, says top civil servant’, The Guardian, 2nd December 2011 http://www.
guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/02/mod-needs-women-senior-positions
6. Ursula Brennan, quoted in Hopkins, N. (2011) ‘MoD needs to put women in senior positions, says top civil servant’, The Guardian, 2nd
December 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/02/mod-needs-women-senior-positions
7. Ursula Brennan, quoted in Hopkins, N. (2011) ‘MoD needs to put women in senior positions, says top civil servant’, The Guardian, 2nd
December 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/02/mod-needs-women-senior-positions
8. Associate Parliamentary Group on Women, Peace and Security and the Gender Action for Peace and Security Network (2011) The
Participation Challenge: Narrative Report of the First Civil Society Focus Group on the UK National Action Plan on Women, Peace and
Security. http://www.gaps-uk.org/docs/FG1%20The%20Participation%20Challenge%20Narrative%20Report%20Final.pdf
68 Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013