Agent for Change

At the Southbank this year, as part of the Cultural Olympiad running alongside the Olympics, a stunning presentation: UNLIMITED. Artists with a variety of abilities celebrating arts and culture, in collaboration with London 2012, British Council and ARTs Councils of England, Wales, and Creative Scotland and Northern Ireland.

One of the speakers, the Agent for Change, Caroline Bowditch (they're everywhere, these Aussies).

An inspiring woman who works as the agent for change. A dancer and choreographer, and a great believer in the importance of role models and mentors, the theme of WISE Woman on a Mission. She now finds herself a role model. Here are some extracts from her interview with SyncLeadership:

Role Models and Mentors

"There was a guy called David Craig, he very much believed that disability should not prevent you from having a good time. He would organize the Friday night discos and, for everyone who kind of had those concepts about people having to be tucked up in bed at 9 o'clock at night, he just kind of blew that out of the water.

Jenny Shaw organized a residential weekend to get more disabled students into university at Deakin. You had to make your own way to the weekend, it sounds tiny, I just had to get on the train and it wasn't far, but it was a huge thing.

I think Jenny was a huge influence on me and David was a huge influence too. And I think the older I get and the more young and, I suppose, unconfident disabled people I meet, reminds me of how far I have come and what I've learned.

Click here to find out who is the "Dance Agent for Change"? on YouTube.

"I was a mentor for a young woman in Melbourne who had the same disability as me, coming when she was 14. She would get on a bus and spend weekends with me once every two months. And she would just live my life. We built up a very close relationship in that time, so she kind of became my baby sister. It's really amazing because she literally followed my path. She went to the same university as I did, she then worked for the organization I worked for five years earlier. Now she's finally split off and is doing her own thing. I was able to support her through her kind of learning what it is to be independent, to live on her own. It wasn't any formal leadership programme. It was about living; it was about what is it to have a life when other people think that you can't." 

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Diversity In The Board Room

Where Have The Women Gone?  

Where are the high profile visible women?

The Guardian: 

Women Matter 2010, a report by management consultancy McKinsey, suggested that companies with gender-balanced executive boardrooms are 56% more profitable than all-male boards. So Norway, in theory, has not only struck a blow for sex equality, it has encouraged better management.

'Number of women appointed to FTSE 100 boards doubles'

Despite the jump since Lord Davies asked Britain's top companies to sign up to a 25% target, the proportion of female executives is barely over 13%.

The Norwegians were given 5 years to achieve their target of 44% but have only got to 42%, and here, many of the appointments are non-executive directors.

History would seem to show a decline of women in positions of influence, especially if the recent parliament is anything to go by.

Sue Akers at the Leveson Inquiry: Police officer in charge of investigation into phone hacking. Sue Akers, phone-hacking inquiry head, to retire from Met. 20th May 2012

Dame Ann Owers

Dame Anne Owers, formerly Chief Inspector of Prisons, moved on to South Africa, but replaced by a man.

 

Dame Suzi Leather Accused of Bias at Charity Commission - January 2012, The Mail

 

But she has been warned she will be replaced as chair early unless she falls into line, according to Cabinet Office sources.

 

"The Charity Commission quango, which regulates the affairs of UK charities, is supposed to be politically impartial. But Dame Suzi, 54, has repeatedly angered Ministers, using her position as a platform to attack the £5billion of spending cuts planned for the voluntary sector."

 

She said: 'If you cut the charities you are cutting our ability to help each other, you are cutting what structures our neighbourliness. That is what the Big Society is all about.' Daily Mail.   Please click here to read more. 

http://tinyurl.com/99m5tl6

Caroline Lucas MP

  

Caroline Lucas MP, Green Party Leader, has been recognised by a prestigious political body as the MP who has most influenced the political agenda in 2011. Replaced by a woman, although an Australian journalist.

 

Louise Mench moved to America, leaving a colourful and observant gap in the Conservative Party. An astute and perceptive questioner on Select Committees.

 

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