A Gender Equalist: equality for women in business
I thought I’d made up a term today; Gender Equalist. But I googled it, and apparently it’s been used before, so no patent for me...
I used it today whilst speaking at the Bromley By Bow Centre for their International Women’s Day breakfast networking event for female (and male) entrepreneurs.
I was a panelist and speaker alongside Maria Morgan from Social Enterprise Kineara (launched following support and investment via the Beyond Business programme in partnership with Investec bank, as was my social enterprise business, The Canvas Cafe), and Bangs and a Bun, blogger, runner, writer and fitness editor of Elle magazine. Two really rather brilliant women who I was proud to speak alongside.
The main topic of the event was Female Entrepreneurship, and we were asked to speak about what this meant to us. I was up first, which was nerve wracking despite the warmth and solidarity in the room.
I opened my speech by introducing myself as a Gender Equalist, because it rings truer to me even more than the term Feminist.
I should clarify though; I am a feminist, of course I am.
But I think even more specifically, I’m a Gender Equalist. I passionately believe that men and women should be equal; different, but equal.
We still have a long way to go on our journey to gender equality, and personally I have a lot of questions about the perception of myself as a Female Entrepreneur. To be honest, I also have questions about the perception of myself as a woman.
You hear different reactions when you do something that “women don’t usually do”. I ride a motorbike, and most of the time, no-one comments whatsoever about the fact that I’m a woman rider.
However, I have also been told that my bike is too large, too powerful, and that I’m not safe on it - specifically because I’m a woman.
Now, I’m also a female business owner; is that the same thing as being a woman rider? Am I again doing something that a woman “doesn’t usually do”? Is my gender an issue here? Is it something people would notice?
And the answer is, I’m not sure.
Men have very often told me how I should be running my business.
But, they have always been older men; would they have also given the same advice to a young male entrepreneur?
Is that an age issue, rather than a gender issue?
Similarly, when people say ‘Oh! You’re the owner!’, are they expressing surprise at my gender - as I assume they are - or are they just excited to be in such a small, independent business where the owner also serves them the coffee?
Am I guilty of wearing my gender as a badge, or carrying it as a burden; assuming everyone is seeing me first as a woman, before anything else?
Do I perceive myself as an entrepreneur, or a female entrepreneur?
And crucially, what’s most helpful in the battle for equality?
Personally, I feel an important step in that battle, that we’re currently really stuck on, is the perception of a woman being the child bearer, and therefore also the child rearer. And I believe that until shared parental leave is culturally accepted in the workplace, women will never have equal opportunities to men.
While shared parental leave is now a legal entitlement for employees, it’s not culturally accepted, at least in a business environment. I’ve spoken to men and women who work in various large corporations across London who have categorically told me that a man asking to take 6 months’ shared parental leave would be laughed out of the office.
Which is a travesty, because culturally accepted shared parental leave would allow women to finally be given the same career opportunities as men. Any man in an interview or promotional situation could be just as likely to go off work on shared parental leave as a woman.
Women would no longer be viewed as a potential ‘maternity leave’ burden for a business; every single employee could feasibly leave for 6 months every time they had a baby.
Now, I may be the owner of a very small business, but I feel I can do my bit in the battle for equality as an employer by ensuring equal opportunities for all my staff, and making them all feel they can take shared parental leave.
But am I doing this as a female employer, or an employer who cares passionately about gender equality?
For me, it’s both - of course it’s both. But does that make gender equality, and International Women’s Day, a female issue?
I don’t think it does. The fight for gender equality is a battle we must all fight; as forward thinkers. Male and female, in the fight together.
And to return to my questions:
Are female entrepreneurs doing something “women don’t usually do?” And if we are, what does that mean; what does it say?
Are we wearing, should we be wearing, our gender as a badge?
What is most helpful in the battle for gender equality?
Today is the day to ask the questions: #IWD2016













