AIBU to be disappointed that the new CEO of the NCT is a man?

[ArcheryAnnie]

The new CEO of the NCT is due to start work shortly - a man, Nick Wilkie.

The NCT's mission is to support parents during pregnancy, birth and early childhood. Their line re the new CEO is that men can be parents, but my line is that it's only women who get pregnant and give birth.

There are many, many senior, suitably qualified women in the UK who could perform this role. Furthermore, from my experience with the NCT, all the events I went to, it was women who do most of the work. I'm tired of organisations where women make up the majority of the volunteers, or the workers, but where a man is the CEO. I didn't expect it of the NCT.

AIBU to feel massively disappointed that the NCT are putting a man in charge?

YABU. It's unreasonable as disappointment that a lead consultant in urology, chairperson of a male football team or, looking at male orientated jobs, director of an engineering university department, is a woman.

A CEO is an important person. They are partly a figurehead. Having a man as a figurehead sends out a particular message.
They also help to set the direction the organisation moves in, its overall strategy.
It is quite clear that NCT is focused on parents, rather than women. When maternity care in this country is in such a mess, that makes no sense. There should be at least one organisation in the country lobbying for a much better deal for women.

No-one can deny that the glass ceiling still exists, but it's a sad brand of feminism that automatically assumes that men can't be passionate advocates for women's issues, and that if they apply for a senior position in an organisation which specifically focuses on women - not that NCT now does - they're only doing it out of a sense of entitlement, for their own career advancement (in which case the private sector would be a much more lucrative option) and to impose their will on women. If that was the case we should have given up a long time ago. In the same way not only ethnic minorities campaign for racial equality, and not only gay people campaigned for equal marriage, there are plenty of men out there who are supportive of women's issues.

Purple - football and engineering don't require certain genitals. Only women can give birth.
It is like having a woman as the CEO of a charity about men's rights. Although of course because men have a tendency to be in management positions in women dominated organisations, it is only partially the same.

It is quite contradictory that for women to succeed we need an equal society when the responsibility for childcare should be equal as long as men no their place that the reality it's all about women looking after the child and the NCT is run by women for women and no room for men in this. This man has been heavily involved with issues surrounding children, and it seems he was appointed by a female heavy board.

jonny5 because it is happening to the NCT now.

Yanbu

NCT's focus should be on childbirth, and women. Sick of this what about the menz. Men are predominantly in management roles. They rule enough. Let women govern our interests. I don't give a fuck about a man's perspective on childbirth and pregnancy.

This, 1000 times over.

Where did you see this news OP?

Morage my point is that CEO of a childbirth charity doesn't require certain genitals either. Yes, women give birth- but this job is a different role. Not having given birth, nor the ability to give birth (assuming the man is not transgender here) does not affect the ability to champion a cause and to have empathy. If it is about giving birth, should we exclude women who choose not to have children, women experiencing infertility, women who have adopted, women who haven't yet started their families, those who have used surrogates or who foster?

If women want equality, which I very much vouch for, it has to work both ways.

Things don't change for minorities if everyone in the majority is against them. We need men on side to bring about the changes which will create a more level playing field for women. They need to want to take equal responsibility for child-related issues. Maybe a male CEO will help promote that as previous posters have said.

Yes, there will be CEOs out there who are In their positions purely by virtue of being men, but to make that assumption without being privy to the recruitment process is no less offensive than suggesting a female CEO slept her way to the top.

YABU, irrespective of gender I want the person to get the job. Don't buy the 'but it's a woman who gives birth so understands etc'. That is creating a divide and where would it end?

I think people are being very naive about what the role of CEO actually involves. Of course it's different for different organisations and sometimes it will be a more administrative role, directing staff and resources. Sometimes it's about sales, marketing and business growth. For a campaigning organisation, like the NCT, it's usually a figurehead who can advance the cause but of course NCT may need something else this time.

BUT every single company/organisation I know of expects its senior employees to live and breath their product. DH used to work for a beer company and they expected everyone to drink their beer (even soft drinks were frowned upon). Hugely discrimatory but accepted as just the way things are. A CEO who was teetotal or (god forbid) drank wine would be laughed out of town. Clearly not many women on their board. Yet NCT for some reason should play by different rules.

Exactly, a CEO is a figurehead. And appointing a man as a figurehead does send out a certain message.

WellErrr first on social media, where women I know were talking about it, then I googled, and got charity trade mag articles on it.

Yet NCT for some reason should play by different rules.

Surely his attitude towards women and childbirth is more important than him experiencing it himself? If personal experience trumps everything else, Baby P's mum would be a great person to give parenting advice having had four kids.

Surely his attitude towards women and childbirth is more important than him experiencing it himself?

DHs beer company didn't believe that. They expect their CEO to actually drink their beer, not just to have a good attitude to it.

It hasn't had much publicity, but it's hugely sad that Susie Parsons, the NCT's interim CEO, died a few weeks ago.

On this particular question, I don't think it matters that it's a man. The NCT is positioning itself these days as an organisation for parents, and they're running a lot of parenting classes for third parties (such as local authorities), not just childbirth classes. And the job of a CEO is multi-layered - whoever does it will have to raise the profile of the organisation and make sure it's well-funded (which it isn't, at the moment). As long as he's sympathetic to the aims of the organisation, then it shouldn't matter that he hasn't given birth.

After all, one of the tricky things about giving birth, ime, is that some women generalise from their own experience - they have an easy birth and assume everyone can, or they have a terrible birth and assume it's the same for everyone else. At least a man isn't going to do that.

Karma, that's partly down to them not wanting to lose face if he's snapped drinking someone else's beer. Like celebrities with sponsorship deals who get sacked if they're in the media drinking Pepsi rather then Coca Cola.
And because, understandably, they want staff to be passionate about their products.
I'm sure the NCT must believe their new CEO will live and breathe their values.

You're being sexist so yes YABU. The CEO should be the best person for that job regardless of gender. I cannot agree with your assertion that you are being reasonable in being sexist, sorry.

Actually, that's not the case. DH and his colleagues often drank competitor beers because it's important to know what the market is doing. Obv they they also drank soft drinks and wine but it was clear that their beers should be everyone's "main" drink and drink of choice.

I'm still left wondering what he has actually done to demonstrate that he lives and breathes their values.

Methinks Archeryannie is the CEO doing a little secret shopping. Equality-best person for the job, please. I remember what a hard time my husband got as a parent sharing 50% of childcare from "wimmin" who think they know better! Btw many people who choose or can't have children read and contribute to this website too. Do people want a 'uterus been used successfully' test before they login?

I'm still left wondering what he has actually done to demonstrate that he lives and breathes their values.

That's what the selection process is for. I doubt he just turned up, showed them his exam certificates, passport and penis, and was offered the job!

Karma what would he have to do to convince you?