The Facts About the Cloak Of Invisibility
It’s a super power really, sometime around fifty the cloak of invisibility descends upon women. We become invisible.
Politics and The Cloak of Invisibility
Women now make up 34% of MPs and 30% of Cabinet Ministers – but progress is still too slow. There are no women of colour in the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales or Northern Ireland Assembly. As I write (Oct 2022) the UK government has 30 posts in cabinet and 6 are held by women. One female politician when asked about this, said:
‘I just want good people in government. This isn’t the time to be going on about equality.‘
Which is why we need quotas. We need legislation to make this happen. When systems are under pressure the status quo always holds sway. Women have suffered disproportionately throughout the pandemic and it looks set to continue.
The Civil Service and The Cloak of Invisibility
Only a fifth of senior civil servants participating in the Civil Service Board are women (21%). Just over a third of permanent secretaries (35%) are female. There are no women of colour in these roles.
The Law’s Cloak of Invisibilty
Women make up around a quarter of those in senior positions in the judiciary – but this falls to 17% for the Supreme Court.
Business and Invisible Women
Women make up just over one in 20 CEOs of FTSE 100 companies (6%). None of these CEOs are women of colour.
Media & Arts and The Cloak of Invisibility
We women are a clear minority across almost all areas of the media and arts. Women make up only 21% of national newspaper editors – with just four women in the top jobs.
Women are also missing from the top jobs in trade unions, charities, professional bodies and sports bodies. Under-representation is consistent and persistent across sectors. Women of colour, disabled women, and LGBTQ+ people face intersecting barriers and discrimination meaning they may be even less likely to be represented.
Femageism is rife. We need to cast off the cloak of invisibility, and fast.
Source: The Fawcett Society Sex & Power 2020
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Posted on October 30th, 2022 by Jane
