March 2018

How do co-ops perform as employers of women?
To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, Co-op News asked women co-operators to share their
experiences in the movement. Themed Press For Progress, the day is a call to action for accelerating
gender parity.
The women who took part in the survey sought to highlight some of the issues
faced by female employees and members. Their time in the sector ranged from
two years to over 50. We received answers from shop floor staff, directors, regular members, employees,
managers and advisers. They come from various sectors, including consumer, worker and community coops
and regional organisations.
Fourteen respondents said they felt supported in their roles with two saying they sometimes felt
undermined and four admitting they did not feel supported at all. Over 65% said they believed co-ops
could do more to support gender equality, suggesting better communication around it, improving gender
pay gaps, allocating more resources to this task, making workplaces family-friendly and practising more
gender equality at board level.
When asked what were their positive and negative experiences, women co-operators had different
perspectives. Below are some of the answers we received...
• “Positives are flexibility, working in various
departments and an equal say. Negatives are
lack of HR within our co-op when issues arise.”
• “It was very male dominated back in the
1980s and it was hard to break through (but I did
!). Positive - in 2018 our board is gender equal.”
• “As an employee who worked at the age of 17,
it was very different then. The women worked
the tills and put stock on shelves the highest
you would amount to was head cashier. I
think now we can achieve anything. It did go
backwards when we took over Somerfield and
I personally witnessed their attitude to women
management. I had comments about it being
no job for a woman. It’s nice to see it’s reverting
back to a fair place to work.”
• “Joining a regional organisation as a
female co-operator under 30 is not a fun
experience. You get mansplained by people
who consider themselves to have the most
radical and advanced views in the co-operative
movement. It is hard to establish relationships
of solidarity with other women, as they cease
to hang out in higher lever organisations. I had
my work claimed to be done by men who work
with me, and men assuming work I do is done
by their mates. I didn’t enjoy this outside coop
movement, but it also happens here, and
there is lack of consciousness and
respect. Men hanging out on the board
sometimes dump their problems on me
treating me as their personal secretary,
while there is nothing I can do as another volunteer
who has a business to run. I have learned a lot,
but it was not positive learning. In the end
unequal treatment tires out anyone.”
• “Mostly positive ... A lot of support and
mentorship over the years in the various
capacities that I have had. A very flexible work
environment that has allowed me to have a healthy
work life balance, while also being a single
parent and prioritise the needs of my family”.
MARCH 2018 | 43