What Holds Women Back at Work?

What holds women back at work?

Childcare, lack of role models and stereotyping and preconceptions of abilities...

According to new research the biggest barrier to women getting senior jobs is the need to balance work and family responsibilities, 82% of female managers and 54% of male managers see this as the main barrier.  The second biggest barrier is also related to childcare. 57% of women managers and 20% of male managers believe that women are seen as less committed to work because they may have family commitments.

The research called What Holds Women Back? from Opportunity Now, the gender campaign at Business in the Community, asked over 850 line managers what they thought the barriers to women’s progression in the workplace were. The results reveal that male managers are significantly less likely than women (in most cases less than half as likely) to recognise any of the barriers to gender diversity and women’s progression. The organisation asked the same survey questions in 2005 and the results show that there has been little change in perceptions in the intervening years.
After issues relating to childcare, the most cited barriers to women’s progression at work were lack of senior or visibly successful role models (according to 52% of female respondents and 26% of male respondents), stereotyping and preconceptions of women’s roles and abilities (cited by 49% of female respondents and 14% of male) and personal style differences (cited by 48% of women and 21% of men).

Helen Wells, Acting Director of Opportunity Now says:

 “It is disheartening that in 2011 women still pay a career penalty for having a family. As a society and an economy I believe it is vital that we find a way of better allowing individuals to raise families and fully participate in the labour market. What is also clear from the research is that the stereotype of women taking care and men taking charge is still pervasive. The fact that women are seen as less committed because they may have family commitments appears to be as much of a barrier to progression as the actual family responsibilities themselves. We risk wasting the talents of another generation of women and leaving the boardrooms of UK organisations without the diversity of skills, talents and experiences which will enrich decision making, enhance innovation and make the UK more competitive in the future.”

The research was generously sponsored by Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

“We recognise that regardless of the sector, many companies are still challenged by a low representation of women at the most senior levels. At Bank of America Merrill Lynch diversity and inclusion issues are at the top of our agenda, and from the boardroom level down, a diverse work-force is encouraged,” comments Clare Bass, head of Diversity and Inclusion for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
 “In addition to being the right thing to do, encouraging a diverse, inclusive workplace gives us the business advantage of understanding and meeting the needs of our diverse client-base, providing fresh ideas and promoting ingenuity.”

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

     A full copy of the research and recommendations can be downloaded from www.opportunitynow.org.uk/barriers

• 857 managers responded to the survey in September 2010.
• According to research from Cranfield University, the percentage of women on FTSE 100 boards is 12.5%, showing a three year plateau. (December 2010)
• 21% of FTSE100 boards have no women. (December 2010)

About Opportunity Now:

Opportunity Now empowers employers to accelerate change for women in the workplace because it makes good business sense. It works with its membership of  employers, from the private, public and education sectors to offer tailored, practical and pragmatic advice on workplace issues. Opportunity Now is part of Business in the Community, a registered charity.

Business in the Community (BITC) stands for responsible business.

It is a business-led charity with a growing membership of 850 companies, from large multinational household names to small local businesses and public sector organisations. It advises, supports and challenges its members to create a sustainable future for people and the planet and to improve business performance. 

 Business in the Community is one of The Prince’s Charities, a group of not-for-profit organisations of which The Prince of Wales is President. It works locally, nationally and internationally through a network of partners world-wide and has 28 years’ experience of working with communities in greatest need.

www.bitc.org.uk

www.opportunitynow.org.uk

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 57 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 5,900 retail banking offices and approximately 18,000 ATMs and award-winning online banking with 29 million active users. Bank of America is  among the world's leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in more than 40 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch is the marketing name for the global banking and global markets businesses of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., member FDIC. Securities, strategic advisory, and other investment banking activities are performed globally by investment banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“Investment Banking Affiliates”), including, in the United States, Banc of America Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, which are both registered broker-dealers and members of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, locally registered entities. Investment products offered by Investment Banking Affiliates: Are Not FDIC Insured * May Lose Value * Are Not Bank Guaranteed.

www.bankofamerica.com