This Financial Conduct Authority consultation closed on 22nd October:
www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-consults-proposals-boost-disclosure-diversity-listed-company-boards-executive-committees
Previous threads here:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4309898-FCA-Diversity-consultation?pg=1
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4377305-FCA-consultation-on-self-ID-for-women-on-boards-of-large-companies
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4375852-Please-read-if-you-work-for-a-public-listed-company-or-in-financial-services
There was an article in The Times
archive.md/mqWQE
I don't think we should just wait for the FCA to declare whatever it decides after the consultation (which hardly anyone knew about).
If you or anyone you know works in a financial services business regulated by the FCA, I don't think it's too late to send a polite email to someone senior at work, to the FCA itself, or even to your MP to point out the absurdity (yet again) of the definition of 'woman' being changed.
The FCA is totally muddled in their references to the Equality Act, the protected characteristics etc, as shown in this nice short submission to the FCA from Fair Play For Women.
fairplayforwomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/FCA-consultation-October-2021.pdf
I imagine it’s because they took the US approach from NASDAQ and then shoehorned it into the UK context with references to the EA etc but it doesn’t work. I don’t know anyone who agrees with the FCA proposal but there’s a risk that if we don’t speak up it will just happen.
So, even though the deadline has passed, it may still be worth saying 'Up with this we will not put!'