Demonstrators wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets have picketed the opening of a “northern powerhouse” conference over the lack of female representation.

The protesters bore placards and handed out leaflets to delegates at the two-day summit in Manchester, which provoked controversy when it emerged that all 15 main speakers were men. Only 13 out of the 98 speakers over the two days are women.

Kate Fox, a writer and comedian who organised the protest, said: “It felt that this was a good opportunity to say this is not OK and hold up a mirror and reflect delegates back to themselves. Is this the diverse cosmopolitan north that we want people to invest in?”

Organisers apologised on Sunday following resignations from its advisory boards and announcements from influential women that they would boycott the event.

Keith Griffiths, managing director of UK Northern Powerhouse International Conference and Exhibition, told delegates at the conference that there will be “no single-gender panels” next year.

In an apology posted on the event’s website, Griffiths said the conference did not adequately “reflect the gender balance of the north” and in future this would be addressed.

But critics said the apology came far too late and was a complete U-turn from the conference organisers’ initial defiant response.

Kate Willard, chair of the Atlantic Gateway development, said the conference’s pledge was “too little, too late and missing the point”.

She said: “If we want to start a proper economic rebalancing and a brilliant north of vibrant, connected communities, we should be talking about this with diverse groups of people.

“If this discussion is not diverse and has diverse thinking and creative thinking and innovation at its core, we will self-limit and we will not achieve the step change we need to me.”

Willard added: “This has nothing to do with women whining about being on stage and getting a bit of the limelight. This is us as intelligent women saying don’t self-limit by having a northern powerhouse debate which is only about the views of white men.”

Willard said it was “simply ridiculous” that women were “typically less than 10%” of the speakers and the audience of such conferences.

She added: “So why, in bloody 2017, didn’t the lack of diversity scream at them when they were planning the event? Why is it still incumbent upon women to drive this productivity debate – because it is about productivity.



“It’s about innovation, creativity and productivity. It’s not just about getting women on stage. It’s about making sure that if we really want economic rebalancing and a beautiful and brilliant north of highly charged and connected neighbourhoods, we need illuminated and illuminating diverse debate. An apology – how interesting. Predictable but vacuous. Too little guys, too late.”



In a reference to the gender row, Judith Blake, the leader of Leeds city council who was left off the organiser’s press release for the event, told delegates that “we need to celebrate” the growing number of female council chiefs across the UK.

Speaking outside the Manchester Central Convention Centre, where the conference is being held, Fox said delegates had been supportive as they passed the group of around 20 demonstrators, clutching placards emblazoned “#lasswar”.

Fox added: “At first they [the organisers] said ‘It’s not our fault’ then the chief executives of Wigan and Doncaster councils said ‘We’re fed up’ and that began a bit of a critical mass.

“We didn’t want the delegates to arrive today and to forget that this is an issue.”

Donald Trump’s election in the US had made people “realise that sexism is still a thing” but that “people aren’t noticing it in their own back yard”.

She added: “All the pictures of the northern powerhouse from the beginning have been so heavily male and I’ve spent the past two years looking at it and tutting.”

Kay Wesley, of the Women’s Equality party, said the image presented of the northern powerhouse was of heavy industry dominated by men.

“This whole image that the north is about heavy industry and men in hard hats is so antiquated,” she said. “I was really surprised and very, very disappointed when the conference speakers list was announced.

“It says something about our business policy that anyone would think 15 male keynote speakers is OK. It’s not OK.”