MANCHESTER, U.K.–It’s International Women’s Day today, and one credit union here—which is the spiritual home of suffragettes in the U.K.—said it is leading by example. Meanwhile, the World Council is also encouraging women to apply to scholarships from the Global Women's Leadership Network.
In the U.K., 23% of board directors of U.K. financial services companies are women, but just one in seven (14%) executive committee members are female, according to figures from think tank New Financial. But at Manchester Credit Union, three-quarters of its senior management positions are filled by women and its board has an even split of men and women, according to the South Manchester News.
The credit union’s CEO, Christine Moore, told the publication, “We want to lead by example and show there is a better way to work in the financial sector. MCU has two goals: to contribute towards the alleviation of poverty within the community and towards the economic regeneration of that community. We pride ourselves on providing ethical and affordable financial services to a diverse membership. And so it is right we demonstrate diversity from the banking culture norms. We want to show women belong at the top of financial organizations and all institutions can only benefit from a stronger female presence.”
The financial industry in the U.K. is so dominated by men that in 2016 the government launched a Women in Finance Charter to combat the huge gender inequality at all levels across financial services firms, the Manchester News added.
Meanwhile, the World Council's Global Women's Leadership Network is encouraging female credit union leaders to apply for a Network scholarship. Scholarship winners receive complimentary membership to the Network and participate in the 2017 World Credit Union Conference activities and Global Women's Forum in Vienna, Austria on July 22 - 26.
More than 40 scholarships have been provided to women from 21 countries. Scholarships are made possible through funding from annual membership donations and sponsorships, including the generous support of CUNA Mutual Group (USA), TMG (Iowa, USA) and the Susan Adams Scholarship Fund, which was established in honor of former Entrust Financial Credit Union CEO Susan Adams supported by OneAZ Credit Union and PSCU.
The annual Forum event is an all-day workshop that takes place during the World Credit Union Conference and connects credit union leaders from all over the globe. For the first time in the event’s nine-year history, the 2017 Forum will be open to all conference attendees and men are especially encouraged to attend.
Focusing on professional development, participants engage in interactive dialogue sessions, expand their knowledge and grow business relationships. Featuring an internationally renowned keynote speaker, working luncheon and round-table discussions, attendees walk away with personal action plans, new skills, and professional resources.