Women in Business Awards

[MonkeyGoneToHeaven]

The firm I work for has sponsored the Women in Business Awards, run by the local paper, which apparently aims to promote and reward women in business 'because they are often overlooked'. This is the same newspaper which published a 'Power 50' of the most influential people in the area - needless to say, only a handful were women.
I feel deeply uncomfortable about separate awards for women in business. I think that it promotes the idea of women as 'other', i.e. existing outside the proper, male, business arena. I declined to attend the awards or otherwise take part in the event but I haven't said why, partly because I don't feel that I'm articulating my view very well. I guess it feels as if women are allowed a pat on the head once a year for setting up a cupcake business and then the men get on with the important stuff.
Any opinions on these awards?

Hi Monkey. I know what you mean: you've probably also wrestled with the pros and cons of all-women shortlists, enforced percentages of women on boards of companies etc.

I don't know about these particular Awards, but I can tell you that the inaugural Women in Architecture awards earlier this year were really well done by the organisers (an architectural publication called AJ) and recognised women who I'm quite sure would otherwise be overlooked. [I should say I'm not an architect but I work for an architectural practice.]

And remember: if most cupcake businesses were set up and run by men, they'd be taken seriously by men.

Woul/ do you feel the same about the MOBO awards in music?

Cupcake businesses are taken seriously if they make a lot of money. I don't think anyone gives a shiney sh!te if they are run by men, women or rhesus monkeys.

I heard a program on R4 recently, talking to 3 or 4 women directors of UK companies. They were discussing quotas of women on boards of businesses, and whether they are a good thing. Funnily enough, these women didn't think quotas, i.e. positive discrimination, was a good thing.

You are never going to get a consensus for quotas or positive discrimination in any arena of public like. There are sound arguments for both viewpoints. However, personally I think they are a good thing IF there are candidates of high enough quality. I guess feminists who want to fast-track equality in the business arena will have to swallow their pride and support these kind of activities.

avenueone no, I don't think I'd feel the same about the MOBO awards because those awards, to me, feel like a celebration of music of black origin rather than an attempt to promote an underrepresented group. I don't think that musicians/music of black origin is underrepresented (at least in the US and UK) and I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that non-black musicians are 'better' or more talented. So I don't think one can draw that parallel.

interesting to get your view point thanks.

Hi Monkey. Personally I'm in favour of such things as it gives other women some role models to aspire to. Ideally we wouldn't need such things, but in reality we do.

I'm also in favour of quotas as I think we will be waiting a long time for companies to change voluntarily. In Norway for example where they have had quotas at board level for some time this has filtered down to the lower levels and led to much more women at senior positions than you see here. They also have state subsidised and organised childcare from 1 year old and everyone (male and female) can work 80%. I can only assume that these are linked as you can't expect companies to recruit more women if they are mostly at home looking after the kids.