This is the year the nation celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act 1918 – the law that made it possible for all men and a minority of women over the age of 30 to vote for the first time.
It would eventually pave the way for universal suffrage 10 years later.
Despite this milestone, many companies still struggle to overcome gender imbalances in their top tiers, with many boardroom photos looking like a centre spread from a men’s Saville Row catalogue.
Thankfully, this is changing in Scotland.
The Gender Representation on Public Boards Bill has just been passed in the Scottish Parliament, which means public sector boards must work towards a target of having 50% of non-executive members be women by 2022.
This covers health boards, colleges, universities, police and the fire service.
It means ministers and public authorities will have a duty to encourage women to apply to board positions and, where there are two or more equally qualified candidates, boards should appoint a woman if this helps to meet the 50% target.
If you’re looking for a senior management position on s1jobs, there are also pioneers proving it’s possible to reach the very top in business.
Here are just two to get you motivated.
Really? Go figure!
Lynne Doughtie is CEO of KPMG and the first woman to hold the top position at the professional services firm. Having trained as an accountant, she worked her way up the ladder but says she got her first start by helping her parents with paperwork for the family’s rubbish collection company when just a kid.
Her words of advice? “We need to break down these myths of a woman’s approach is the wrong one and she should be acting more like a man. We should think about how we, as business leaders, embrace the differences of all people and advance the careers of all.”
In the driving seat
If you thought the world of cars was only for boy racers and mid-life crisis gents, think again. The Chair and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors Company is one Mary Barra.
She began her career with GM in 1980 as a General Motors Institute student intern at its Pontiac Motor Division, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering followed by a Masters in Business Administration.
Under her guidance, the global car manufacturer has set out a mission to create a world with zero crashes, zero emissions, zero congestion and, for the company, major profits.
Find your ideal position from the Executive and Management roles on s1jobs.