Bradford Chamber of Commerce launches network for businesswomen (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bradford Chamber of Commerce launches network for businesswomen

3:08pm Monday 23rd November 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

More than 80 female entrepreneurs attended the launch of a new networking and support group for business women in the Bradford district.

Bradford Chamber of Commerce has launched the the Network for Enterprising Women’s Success to help career women and those running their own firms.

The event, at the Dubrovnik Hotel, Bradford, coincided with Women’s Day in Global Enterprise Week, which aimed to raise awareness of and promote opportunities for business.

It was held as a new report from Cranfield School of Management revealed that the number of company directorships held by women had remained the same over the past year, leaving boardrooms still male-dominated.

Sandy Needham, the Chamber’s chief executive, said the time was right for an effective support group and network to address the imbalance in the proportion of men and women running businesses.

She said: “There are fewer women running their own enterprise or heading up a medium or large company than you would expect from the law of averages. After all, girls are higher performers at school.

“Talking to successful women, to those thinking of starting out on their own and those still climbing the ladder, there is a clear message that there is a need for a women’s network with a business focus.

“If a woman wants to attend a women-only development workshop on presentation skills or to have a female mentor, she should be able to do that. Just being able to link with someone similar to compare ideas and learn from others’ experiences can make a big difference.”

Professor Beverly Alimo Metcalfe, of Bradford University’s School of Management, said that gender diversity was critical to the future success of the global economy.

The Cranfield research showed that only 12 per cent of directors in Britain’s top 100 firms were female. There are currently 113 women holding 131 FTSE 100 directorships, compared with 834 men holding 947 posts. The research revealed a “discouraging” picture for women, showing the number of companies with female executive directors down to 15 from 16 last year.

There was also a decline in the number of companies with women on their boards, with one in four being exclusively male.

One of the few positive findings from the report was a considerable increase in the number of women at executive committee level.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)