Connected Woman: Race to the Top

This Connected Woman: Race to the Top event will look at how companies are providing solutions to put women at the forefront of economic empowerment in the workforce to bolster economic inclusion, trade and investment.

Together, National Black Women’s Network and Westminster Business Council’s Women of Westminster bring you a panel of female leaders to debate the empowerment of women in employment, economy and education.

About this Event

As culturally diverse as the UK has become, diversity in leadership and business should now be the norm. Regrettably it is not.Companies continue to wax lyrical that they are highly committed to diversity and gender equality; but that commitment has not translated into meaningful progress. The findings of the Gender / Race Pay Gap have highlighted how progress has disappointingly, stalled. And it’s not from a lack of trying.

Contrary to conventional beliefs, research shows that women are asking for promotions and negotiating salaries at the same rates as men. And, more importantly, they are staying in the workforce at the same rate.So what’s the problem?Of course, women are making strides but they also have an uphill battle that needs to be addressed.  Women still remain underrepresented at every level of business and leadership, with BAME women the most underrepresented group of all, lagging behind white men, BAME men and white women. 

It’s time for leaders to demonstrate tangible commitment to diversity and gender equality, not just in word but deeds.So, what does that look like? To capture the full benefits of diversity, companies need to focus on embedding “diversity inclusion” as they develop, implement and monitor the effectiveness of their multidimensional programmes, policies and practices whilst holding leaders accountable for change.It means taking bolder steps to create a respectful and inclusive culture where women (and all employees) feel that they “belong” at work. It requires closing gender gaps in hiring and promotions, especially early in the pipeline when women are most often overlooked in their career.

Join usConnected Woman: Race to the Top is the second of four panel discussions under this heading. The events look at ensuring companies are providing solutions that put women at the forefront of economic empowerment in the workforce and in business in order to bolster economic inclusion, trade and investment.

Our Speakers:

• - Councillor Ruth Bush, Lord Mayor of Westminster
• - Elizabeth Crowther Hunt, CEO, Westminster Business Council
• - Debra Ward, Managing Director, Camm & Hooper Ltd
• - Louise Chandler, Media and PR Communications Manager, Hartford Care
• - Fi Bendall, Global CEO, The Female Social Network (TFSN)
• - Detective Superintendent Shabnam Chaudhri, Head of Safeguarding, New Scotland Yard

The evening provides a great mixture of informative debate, impactful insights and powerful networking.