Sue Takhar’s Post

News that makes me happy: "UK's first gender equal cabinet 🇬🇧" 💃🏽👏🏽✨ This gives me hope for gender parity not only for Africa but the rest of the world. My curiosity led me to reading about the Labour party and I learned that: ✓"...Labour also has a stronger track record of women-friendly policies than the other parties..." ✓"The newly elected parliament includes 264 women. This figure surpasses the threshold of 40% for the first time – and is a big jump from the previous record of 34.2% in 2019. And women are not just on the backbenches, a number also hold senior frontbench roles, including Angela Rayner as Deputy Prime Minister and levelling up secretary." ✓"Labour’s manifesto contains several policy pledges that will benefit women. A swathe of measures are included to tackle violence against women and girls, improve childcare options (from free breakfast clubs in primary schools to reinforced rights to parental leave), ensure the minimum wage is a real living wage, and strengthen workplace rights (including equal pay and protection against maternity and menopause discrimination and sexual harassment)." ✓"...the increased proportion of women in parliament is due to a change in governing party. Labour has 46.1% women within its parliamentary party, compared with 25% women in the Conservative majority of the previous parliament..." I am a firm believer that it doesn't need to take 134 years (as stated by current data) to reach full parity. It will take genuine political will and commitment.

The First ever Gender Balanced Cabinet in the UK. Gender balanced leadership is achievable. It requires the determination and commitment of those in power to make it happen. #womeninpolitics #womeninpower

The UK’s first ever gender-balanced Cabinet. Including an Oxford-educated Chancellor and a former care worker and teenage mum who left school at 16 as Deputy PM: talent and potential comes in different forms. And finally we get a cabinet that recognises that that includes the female form! I’d love to be a fly on the wall to see how greater gender balance will affect the debate and discussion at those meetings. And I look forward to seeing how that feeds into better and more inclusive policy decisions. 🙌☀️🌅 #womenleaders #gender #leadership #genderequality #genderbalancedleadership #changetheparadigm

THE CONVERSATION (UK) Rachel Reeves is the UK’s first female chancellor. Here’s why that’s so significant Published: July 5, 2024 3.34pm CEST Rachel Reeves has made history by becoming the UK’s first female chancellor of the exchequer, bringing with her a significant promise for change in economic and financial policy-making at the highest level. The post of chancellor has existed for the past 800 years and, notably, has always been held by a man. Until now. Other key roles in economic policy-making that have yet to be filled by a woman include the governor of the Bank of England and the first permanent secretary to the Treasury. Reeves’ vision for a thriving economy is one where women are empowered, their contributions are valued and their rights are protected. By centring UK economic policy on equality for women, the country could begin to chase the sustainable growth that the country has been promised will benefit everyone. Her approach would not only rectify longstanding injustices. It could also pave the way for a more prosperous and equitable future for the whole country.

Reshuffling a dozen broken eggs doesn’t do much to improve the carton. Nor does putting lipstick on a pig. I would agree with the author that Anita Anand is a very bright competent leader (only one - my view), and perhaps the future, that must struggle with all the jokers to the left of her and clowns to the right. The shocker for me in this article is Trudeau is still well ahead with women voters. Now sure, maybe he is a handsome fella and perhaps that has some appeal along with the self-proclaimed “feminist” claptrap. But I would have thought women would have cut him loose by now based on actual behaviours: -heinously throwing Jody Wilson-Raybould (a shining beacon of empathy, competence demonstrating the highest levels of ethics) under the bus for daring to speak truth to power so JT could skirt ethics to preserve votes (not jobs) in PQ; -similar casting away of Jane Philpott; -blasting by a woman in parliament callously elbowing her out of the way in some frenzied race to wherever he was going; -alleged groping of a young female reporter (who do you believe?); -recent rough deflective non-response to an emotional woman respectfully articulating affordability concerns at a town-hall. This is all public knowledge. Yet women support him. Mind-boggling.

As Labour secured a landslide victory last Friday, numerous reports have revealed that Britain's new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, will lead the most ethnically diverse and female-represented parliament than ever before..... The Conversation published official figures showing that the proportion of women MPs reached a record high of 40.6%, with women expected to hold numerous prominent positions in the new government. Reuters also reported that Britain's new governing party will have by far the largest number of ethnic minority MPs, with 66 out of the 87 elected. While progress is clearly being made, evidence also shows that Labour still has a way to go to bring about systematic change. - Labour has never elected a female leader, and more needs to be done to invest in long-term elections for female candidates, as well as foster inclusion for women from working-class, ethnic minority backgrounds, or those with caring responsibilities. - Labour now needs to stand by its promise to 'modernise and reform' gender laws. - In addition, it will be interesting to find out who Starmer appoints in his top cabinet - how diverse will this be? Diversity is only a strength if we elect people in positions of power, and they use their power to speak out, challenge inequity and bias, and shake the system from the ground up. Only time will tell if the new government will usher in a new era of change… Sources: https://lnkd.in/e8SdKRH3 https://lnkd.in/eJTSn-TP

The role of The Chancellor has been around for more than 7 centuries. In 2024, we finally have our first female chancellor of the exchequer. Labour’s victory brings the appointment of Rachel Reeves. From her statement to Harper's Bazaar’s ⬇️ "The truth is, when people picture what a chancellor looks like, they have in their heads a picture of a man. That’s partly because since entering politics, women have been encouraged to focus on social and domestic issues — things like equal pay and childcare, which are vital because they didn’t previously have a champion. But as a result, we’re at risk of being pigeonholed, and expected to leave the other issues to men." As Co-Chair of the Invest in Women Taskforce, with the mission of making the UK the best place in the world to be a female entrepreneur, I am filled with optimism at this historic moment. A female Chancellor, one of the highest offices in the country, who has already vowed to put women at the heart of economic plans, is so vital. A female Chancellor who also recognises the billions that female entrepreneurs could add to Britain’s economy is even better. She has already vowed to close the gender pay gap and to make flexible working the norm. These are structural drivers of inequality that we must address at a policy level to allow more women to embrace entrepreneurship. Looking forward to this new era of strong, inspiring female leaders in the UK!

“To every young woman and girl watching — let today show there should be no ceilings on your ambitions." The 'ceiling' Rachel Reeves talks of, is the 'glass-ceiling': a metaphor to describe the invisible barriers faced by women, which prevents them from rising to the highest levels of professional achievement. In addition to this, recent statistics reveal that only 22% U.K., 20% Australia and 12% US C-Suite roles are held by women (thanks to Ananya Prem Nath for those figures). The recent appointment of Reeves to the Chancellor of the Exchequer role (see the FT article below) marks one for the history books: the first woman to ever hold this position. I sure hope this marks a significant shift from the norm and brings positive change to the trajectory of women breaking through that metaphoric ceiling.

As the year of significant global elections continues, the United Kingdom has made significant strides towards gender parity in elected office. The newly formed cabinet will have the highest number of female ministers in the UK's history, including the first female chancellor ever. We know that when women lead, nations are transformed. Visit The Ascend Fund, powered by Panorama, to learn how we're accelerating the pace of change toward gender parity in U.S. politics. https://bit.ly/3zsimUI https://lnkd.in/gDi_fSzk

🇫🇷 Insights from France: Non-political Takeaways from PM Appointment The recent change in leadership in France has provided us with valuable insights beyond the political spectrum. Here are my three key takeaways: 1. Gender Parity Challenges Persist: In the transition from Elisabeth BORNE to Gabriel Attal, former Prime Minister Borne highlighted the ongoing challenges in achieving gender parity in politics. Her call to young women to believe in their dreams and ambitions serves as a reminder that progress is still needed. "Often, I could feel that there was still room for improvement to reach gender parity in politics. To all women: hold tight! The future belongs to you," she declared during the official handover ceremony on January 9th. The journey toward equality continues. 2. Communication is Vital, Beyond Campaigns: The new French Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, underscores the critical role of communication, not just during election campaigns. A seasoned communication professional, Attal, formerly the Government Spokesperson, emphasizes that effective communication is an ongoing necessity. In the face of challenging decisions and public scrutiny, his commitment to surrounding himself with communication experts highlights the importance of communication skills in governance. 3. Age Shouldn't Limit Potential: Overtaking Laurent Fabius, appointed PM at 37, Gabriel Attal's appointment as the youngest French Prime Minister signals a shift in perspective. The government's readiness for a fresh start after challenging times challenges the notion that age should be a determining factor in leadership roles. This move sends a positive message to recruiting managers everywhere, emphasizing that competence, skills, and a commitment to learning should take precedence over age when evaluating leadership potential. The recent changes in France's leadership offer valuable lessons that extend beyond politics, touching on gender equality issues, the perpetual need for effective communication, and the importance of recognizing potential irrespective of age. These insights resonate in the political arena and broader discussions about leadership, diversity, and professional development. #LeadershipInsights #DiversityandInclusion #CommunicationMatters #pr #corporatecommunications