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Harman: I'll make firms put more women on their boards
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent20.10.09
City firms risk losing lucrative government contracts if they fail to appoint more women, Harriet Harman warned today.
The equalities minister vowed to end the "nightmare" of men-only boards and left open the prospect of laws to force companies to promote more women.
Giving evidence to the Treasury select committee, she rejected claims by a high-flying female financier that women were damaging their careers by taking long maternity leave.
The MPs were also told that ministers are discussing a pledge with the CBI on preventing sex discrimination. One effect of having more women on boards was said to be more men turn up for meetings.
Ms Harman spoke of the impact the flagship Equality Bill, which is intended to tackle discrimination against women and ethnic minorities, could have on the financial sector.
The Government and town halls will be able to favour firms with a more diverse workforce when granting public procurement contracts. Ms Harman made clear that male-dominated firms faced missing out on work. "Procurement is a major lever," she said.
She called for more flexible working and cultural changes in the City, saying: "If you want to make sure that you don't have the nightmare of men-only boards, you have got to change the terms on which men and women participate."
Ms Harman stopped short of backing a 40 per cent quota for women or men on boards as adopted by Norway. She believes greater transparency, encouraging firms to take action and pay audits for companies of at least 250 employees are needed.
She rejected arguments made by mother-of-three Nichola Pease, deputy chairman of JO Hambro Capital Management, who claimed women's career prospects were undermined by measures aimed at protecting them in their jobs. Ms Pease told the committee last week: "I think we have got too long maternity leave. A year is too long and sex discrimination cases that run into tens of millions are ridiculous."
But Ms Harman argued there were wider benefits of 12-month maternity leave to the family and the economy.
Reader views (17)
All of those who lead us have no understanding of the business world, the majority have degrees in the arts or are ex barristers, the Oxbridge brigade wont be happy until they have driven us to the level of a third world nation.
- Barry, peterborough
Let us hope we are rid of this dreadful woman immediately after the election, never to be heard of again. I hope she loses her seat too.
Her only use now is to assist Labour in losing the election to an even greater extent. Even women I speak to in businss have no time for her sill views.
- Michael, London, UK
Typical socialist, in the midst of one of history's greatest recessions chuck another spanner in the works of wealth creation. Where does she think the much needed tax revenue is going to come from?
In any event, as "Leader" I would have thought she had enough to do getting her own "House" in order!
- John C, Leatherhead, UK
City lawyer Kate Johns, 39, would be an excellent candidate. She should join a bank. What... she already has..?? Oh Dear!
- Haskey, London SE1
More grist for the mill, Harman.
Quotas reduce efficiency of any group. People being forced to accept others they would not otherwise have picked, or bypassing others that they WOULD have picked - or just the perceptions alone of accepting a "lesser quality" choice to meet the quota, tend to have less respect for those forced upon them. Big, small, fat, thin, black, white, this or that religion, male, female, ugly, good looking (or any variation of these listed alternates and others) - it doesn't matter as long as their attitude is that they are part of a team that's there to work together and do a job. If they are the best for the job then they should get the job. Anything else would be to the detriment of that job, whatever it is.
...Oh, and Harriet - when you mention "Women and ethnic minorities"... you exclude the male "ethnic minorities" too with your illogical and damaging pronouncements as "Equalities Minister".
But Harriet Harman's campaign against men never has relied on logic or worthiness - only on her seemingly personal witch-hunt agenda.
- Rogan, Irving
Please, can we have Harridan Harpy as PM, right now?
We'd have a general election by the end of next week!
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
No you won't as you will be out of a job next year.
- Peter, Harrow, UK
"One effect of having more women on boards was said to be more men turn up for meetings". What is this nugget of wisdom based on? Some lecherous old acedemic imagining sexy female directors in boardrooms? This is a free-market economy and the people most able to do a job should be chosen irrespective of sex or any other biase. Somebody show Harperson the dictionary definition of equality please!
- Mark, London
What's this woman whining about? She's going to be out of a job soon, and then we won't have to read her rubbish.
What part of 'on merit' are you too stupid to understand, Harman? I'm surprised you still use that surname, doesn't it grate that it has 'man' in it?
- Ralph, London
Why is this openly sexist and discriminatory woman allowed to continue to spout her biased drivel?
- Tom, London
What is the pathetic parasite Harperson spouting today?
JOE PUBLIC COULD NOT CARE LESS, NO MATTER WHAT THIS MUPPET IS ON ABOUT.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR
That's it, force people onto boards whether they are qualified or not. The entitlement crowd will not stop until anyone can do anything at anytime. Meanwhile the political elite continues to build their power.
And in the end, a woman who is "forced onto a board" will never have the respect of having earned her position.
- Trunk, US
If the Conservatives return us to "Small Government" there will be no need for City firms to grovel to a Government that would consequently not be handing out any contracts of importance.
Harman's big stick will be neutered.
- Bingham Macnamara, lymington, hampshire
Mrs Harmen dear, clearly you know nothing about business and commercial enterprise, your better, Mr Mandleson, appears to be more in tune with this area than you.
It's highly likely that you will not be in a position of influence after the next election, for that matter even an MP, perhaps you should now start to learn your place, be quite and let the big boys play with the financial toys before you do any more damage to the British economy.
Women, if they are good enough, have every opportunity to do well. Stop putting them down by claiming that they need additional rights because they are not good at getting to the top.
- James, City of London
When will we see the back of these wretched buffoons?
- Gary, London
Will this quota apply to 'public bodies' - such as the Cabinet of the United Kingdom? and were Mrs Balls to be with child again - would she maintain her Cabinet position, even though on a very long leave?
- John Fowler, London, England
"Ms Harman spoke of the impact the flagship Equality Bill, which is intended to tackle discrimination against women and ethnic minorities, could have on the financial sector."
Like other sectors of industry it will decimate it. Right person for the job, no the politically correct person for the job.
Harpy Harman's piece of discriminatory legislation has nothing to do with equality and a hell of a lot to do with her misandry.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
