Liddell Highlights Scottish Successes at Major Equality Conference

29 Jan 2003

Women are increasingly playing a significant role in the EU economy, but still face considerable barriers to opportunity.

This is one of the findings of research funded by the European Commission and carried out for the Europe-wide project Advancing Women in the Workplace,which looked at the position of women in the EU labour market.

The issues raised by the research findings are being discussed at a major three-day conference in London, addressed by Scottish Secretary Helen Liddell today.

Speaking at the conference this afternoon, Mrs Liddell will highlight the experience of Scotland's women in the workplace. Mrs Liddell will say:

"This Government is committed to equality, and to helping working parents. The best employers realise that family friendly policies can benefit a business. However, there are too many employers out there who haven't realised that their approach to working mothers, and fathers, doesn’t make good business sense, or even common sense.

"Inequality isn't something that the Government can tackle alone, and we can learn so much from other people's experience, from employers and trade unions, and from other EU member states. Today I am making Scotland's contribution to this Europe wide debate, and sharing some of the contributions that Scotland can make in this area.

"Scotland has many positive examples to share, from the family friendly hours and the strong representation of women in the Scottish Parliament, to Scottish Enterprise's initiatives to help women start up in business.

"Scottish women continue to benefit from UK legislation. Over 110,000 workers in Scotland benefit from the National Minimum Wage, around 70 per cent of whom are women. Over 127,000 Scottish families benefit from the Working Families Tax Credit. Improved maternity and paternity leave, protection for part time workers and equal opportunities legislation are all designed to tackle inequalities in the workplace.

"Many of these rights derive from, or are underpinned by EU legislation. The EU has brought about wide ranging social and employment legislation – and we have much still to learn from each other."

Key findings of the research carried out for Advancing Women in the Workplaceinclude:

  • Women make up 43 per cent of the European workforce, but are under represented at top levels. In the UK, women make up just over 20 per cent of managers and senior officials.
  • In a survey of 1,000 female managers, 81 per cent agreed that preconceptions of their roles and abilities remained a barrier to their advancement.
  • The availability of flexible or part-time working patterns for senior workers is a major issue. Difficulties arise when senior mangers want a better work life balance.
  • 83 per cent of senior women managers cited commitment to family responsibilities as a barrier to women's advancement.

NOTES FOR NEWS EDITORS

1. The conference, hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry, was also addressed by Patricia Hewitt, Trade and Industry Secretary and Minister for Women, and Barbara Roche, Deptuy Minister for Women, with contributions from business and the trade unions.

2. The Scotland Office is represented in the Advancing Women in the Workplace project, which is funded by the European Commission and led by DTI’s Women and Equality Unit, in partnership with Ireland and Denmark. The project will establish an authoritative picture of the current position of women in the EU labour market, and highlight the opportunities and barriers to their advancement.