Title

Local government minister, Meg Munn, has called on councils to make more top jobs available to women. Speaking to Localgov.co.uk sister title, The MJ, the minister said there should be ‘more availability of part-time work at higher levels' to encourage women, who have children, to take on more senior posts. ‘One of the things I want is that women would see local government as a career opportunity,' she said. The gender equality duty, which came into force on 6 April, forces councils to make an obligation to promote sex equality and end sex discrimination. The minister said men could also be disadvantaged if they could not use council services because of childcare repsonsibilities. ‘Councils have got to think about meeting the needs of both men and women from the outset,' said the minister. ‘They must look at whether they are meeting the different ways men and women approach employment. Are there barriers which stop women reaching higher levels? ‘They need to study whether they require people to work long hours, which might make it difficult for women to meet their carer repsonsibilities. ‘Each local authority is different,' she added. ‘They have got to look at what remedies they might need to put in place.' Mrs Munn said councils should look at whether council meetings should be held in the evening or during the day, depending on whether councillors and officers could attend. ‘What we are saying is each local authority needs to ask what they are doing at the moment. ‘It is not that we are expecting, from 6 April, that we will have completely eradicated gender equality,' she added. ‘It's about saying we have a duty to promote gender equality.'

Title

WHITEHALL

Give women more jobs at top – Munn

SUBSCRIBE TO CONTINUE READING