Trans women included in push for more female chief executives in FTSE 100

[IwantToRetire]

Trans women are included in a push to get more female chief executives into the FTSE 100 by next year, the head of the campaign has said.

The 25x25 initiative, which is backed by major companies including Unilever, NatWest and BP, was created in 2021 with the target of getting 25 female chief executives <a class="break-all" href="https://archive.ph/o/XEKnU/www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/02/22/women-must-top-board-roles-2025-companies-told/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">running bluechip companies by 2025. There are currently only ten.

Tara Cemlyn-Jones, chief executive of the non-profit organisation, confirmed that people self-identifying as women count towards that target.

Ms Cemlyn-Jones said “anyone who identifies as a woman, is a woman”, though she stressed that 25x25 were “not an authority on this subject” and would always defer to partners on “language, aims and ambitions” in this area.

She said: “Our focus is on succession and talent planning using gender broadly as an indicator. To suggest anything else would be very misleading.”

25x25’s decision to include trans women within its goal comes amid a debate into how men who self-identify as women should be included in diversity targets.

Critics argue that including trans women alongside biological women in data and targets could skew figures on things like the <a class="break-all" href="https://archive.ph/o/XEKnU/www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/01/23/women-quitting-being-fired-top-jobs-more-than-men/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">representation of women on boards and average salaries.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/03/16/trans-women-push-ftse-100-female-ceo-diversity/

Not maybe quite the cricles most of us are part of, but another sign or the attempt to erode women let alone work towards actual equality!

Can also be read at https://archive.ph/XEKnU

We are struggling to find enough women for this thing about women so we'll just make up the numbers with men!

Makes perfect sense!!!

Are there many of the new improved ‘thinky thoughts’ type women in the frame to successfully run a FTSE100? I’m just imagining a Denham Renham scene in the IT Crowd…

A great opportunity for all the Pips Bunces.

Also agree that while we’re (probably) not in this demographic it trickles all the way down organisation so impacts many more women

Good point.

Ms Cemlyn-Jones said “anyone who identifies as a woman, is a woman”, though she stressed that 25x25 were “not an authority on this subject” and would always defer to partners on “language, aims and ambitions” in this area.

She said: “Our focus is on succession and talent planning using gender broadly as an indicator. To suggest anything else would be very misleading.”

Deep down she knows it’s wrong but is scared, I am slightly acquainted with one of their ambassadors I’ve no idea her personal views/statements on this subject but I know she has a good understanding of the difference our biology makes on our lives.

Our focus is on succession and talent planning using gender broadly as an indicator. To suggest anything else would be very misleading.

Okay...

But then why tout it as "a push to get more female chief executives into the FTSE 100 by next year"?

If that's your aim, that has to be your success measure. If you won't make it your success measure, don't pretend it's your aim.

Seriously, just fuck off now!

Pathetic pandering to go with a pathetic quota. Doing women no good whatsoever

Yeah that'll end up with no women in the women's category.

So if there are 25 transwoman CEOs and no actual woman CEOs in 2025, she will be saying "job done"?

Gives me a chance to add this classic cartoon, which is looking more realistic by the day

Right now there’s little point running these types of initiatives. You need sponsorship and the big companies who sponsor these are fully on board with TWAW so your choice is acquiesce or don't run the initiative.

A few years ago I was asked to set up a women’s award for an industry group I was involved in running. A big 4 consultancy was prepared to sponsor (but not do the hard work involved in organising). I refused and told the male board it would end up being open to men in dresses and I wasn’t prepared to do the work to set it up for that to happen. Not sure I’d get away with being that blunt these days..

If anyone who identifies as a woman, is a woman, then anyone who identifies as a man, is a man.

So I might just decide to identify as a man. Doesn’t matter that I don’t have a penis, I’ll just stick on a lumberjack shirt and shade a moody 5o’clock shadow, then I’ll be a trans man.

or perhaps they’ll let me be an ultra featherweight boxer - must be some advantage there, or a jockey. An exceptionally small framed not-a-man.

I could stay a soprano longer in the choir too.

there must be so many perks! And I don’t need permission! Should I just turn up? Could be a good way to get a promotion too, especially with all the culture and diversity ticks. Finally, the inclusive career I dreamed of!

For those in doubt, this is tongue in cheek.

I can see why young people aren’t having kids. Family commitments are treated as an inconvenience not an investment these days. Mums are still needed in the home (shocker!) and this impacts the commitment you want to make to a job that will f you over for someone with an identity.

I wonder if all these programs and workplace flexibility policies are going to have a negative effect in an unforeseen way - like how the pill was supposed to result in less unmarried parents and help families but somehow we’ve ended up with single parents, low income families, more people on welfare etc. Are we going to have so many policies they become irritating and meaningless and gameable.

Scotland is waaaay ahead of you.

The Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Bill 2018 aimed to ensure that 50% of these boards comprised women, and - wait for it - included TW in its definition of women.

So a board comprising 50% men and 50% TW (and that’s 100% male people) ticked the box.

I know FWS were appealing it - did it get changed to women being defined as female people?

It's depressing these people don't know the meaning of the word 'female'. Or maybe just don't care.

I'm sure I saw this predicted on these boards at least five years back.
Still depressing to see it come true though.