Scotland Scotland is “poised to be a leader” in tackling workplace equality for women as a result of measures such as legislation to introduce gender balanced public boards, an expert said.

Allyson Zimmerman, the executive director of Catalyst Europe, said other countries were looking at Scotland as Holyrood considers making a 50/50 gender split on public boards mandatory.

But she also warned there could be a “pushback” against the use of gender quotas, and stressed it was also key that the legislation have an impact outside of the public sector.

Catalyst was established in 1962 and works with corporations and professional companies to improve the advancement of women at work.

ADVERT

Ms Zimmerman, who is based in Zurich, was in Scotland for a conference at the same time as MSPs at Holyrood are taking evidence on the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Bill.

The Scottish Government introduced the legislation in June this year in a bid to increase the number of women in non-executive positions on public boards.

It sets the target of having a 50/50 split between men and women on boards by 2022, and if passed would apply to colleges, universities and some public bodies, including health boards, enterprise agencies, the Scottish Police Authority and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Catalyst is “very neutral” on the use of quotas Ms Zimmerman said, although she added: “What we do like is the effect of them.”

ADVERT

The expert, speaking exclusively to Press Association Scotland, stated: “The problem with the word ‘quota’ is it really jiggles people’s jello, and the number one thing people think is somebody got there because they didn’t deserve it.

“That is the pushback you get with that word.”

But she continued: “Do I think the intention is good – absolutely.

“Every business has targets, we all have targets whether we publicly disclose them or not.”

She argued introducing gender targets was “not about giving women a hand up – it’s about looking beyond the usual suspects”, adding the “bias and the mindset” that business leaders and politicians should be male needed to be broken.

With Scotland also having its first female First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has appointed a gender balanced cabinet, Ms Zimmerman said: “There is definite eyes on Scotland in this way, but let’s see it trickle down into other parts.

“I’m very impressed so far with Scotland, but I would have to look and see how many women are in power across corporations, not only in government but corporations

ADVERT

“You are poised to be a leader in this region, very much, but let’s see it trickle down into corporations.”

The most recent census in 2011 showed that women made up 51.5% of Scotland’s population but were underrepresented on public and private sector boards and across political institutions, including both the Scottish Parliament and the House of Commons.

In 2015, for the first time, Scottish ministers appointed more women than men to regulated public boards in Scotland, helping to bring the overall percentage of women to an historic high of 42% in December 2015.

The proportion of female applicants and appointments continued to increase: in 2016, with 43% of applicants for posts 59% of those appointed being female – an increase of 12 and 20 percentage points respectively from 2012, and a jump of 5% in female appointees in a single year.