Redressing the balance: encouraging moves towards gender parity

It’s been over two years since changes to the Equality Act compelled large firms of more than 250 employees to report on their gender pay gap figures at the end of each financial year, and fuelled the drive to empower more women to leadership positions. But how far have we come in our journey to achieve gender parity in the insurance industry since then?

Well, there was encouraging news from Insurance Business this week, which suggested that our industry is making strides to achieve parity in leadership positions. Figures released by gender diversity company, The Pipeline show that 30% of FTSE 350 insurance companies now have women on their executive committees, an improvement of 10% on last year, and insurance currently ranks as the fifth best industry for women representation in leadership roles. We’re still banging on the ceiling of board chairmanship, as 100% of those roles are currently held by men, but it’s a start…

The ’magic’ 30%

Interestingly, according to research from the 30% Club, 30% represents a “critical mass from which point minority groups can impact boardroom dynamics”.  When the campaign was first formed in 2010, only 12% of women held FTSE 100 board positions, so in these ten years the insurance industry has reached its aspirational target, but we should consider this the very minimum – ideally we’d see full parity, not only in management and c-suite positions but on boards as well.

A line in the sand from Lloyd’s

This brings me on to Lloyd’s. Yesterday it was announced that the marketplace has set new gender targets for companies operating within it, telling companies that women should hold over 35% of senior leadership roles by 2023, that is, board members, exec committee members and the direct reports of those EC members.  It also set out a medium-term ambition to achieve full parity in the next ten years.

CEO of Lloyd’s John Neal has been vocal in wanting to drive cultural change within the Lloyd’s market following several damaging reports of harassment and misogyny and I believe he is sincere in his ambitions. Lloyd’s itself currently has 47% of its senior roles held by women so hopefully we’ll see this as a case of leading by example.

What next?

Call me naïve, but while I absolutely commend any organisation that actively champions gender parity and broader diversity, and would love to see over 50% of senior roles held by women by the time I’m in my mid-forties, a decade still seems like an awfully long time to achieve parity.

I work with a number of influential and powerful women in senior roles but also see potential at all levels in all businesses I work with, so what’s the hold up?

With mandatory gender pay gap reporting on hold this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, time will tell how much narrower that pay gap has got (if at all…) but I’m hoping this initiative from Lloyd’s will at least spark further conversations at board level about how we can empower more women to reach these positions – it’s only fair right?

With thanks to:

Insurance Business - https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/news/breaking-news/revealed--the-truth-about-women-in-insurance-229030.aspx

The Financial Times - https://www.ft.com/content/715a056a-e72f-4948-9613-d14ca1ecbe41