International Women's Day - reflections

Reflecting on International Women's Day, celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, I wondered where are the voices of older women? 

While there is still much to be done to secure economic parity for women, in the UK many aspects of women’s lives have changed in the last century for the better and Britain (generally) has become more inclusive. Look at one of Britain’s traditionally ‘male’ institutions, the City of London’s Liveries; many now are led by women or have women in senior positions on their Court (acts likes a Board). My own Livery, The Worshipful Company of Communicators has had four women and four men as the ‘Master Communicator’ over the past decade, with the incumbent being male, Jason Groves, and his deputy being female, Sally Sykes, with the next ‘Master Communicator’ likely to be a woman. 

So I was interested to read the CIPR Communications’ report published last week on ‘Missing Women’. Like many reports and observations, it is heavily focused on the impact of having children on a woman’s career and well-rehearsed arguments about changes in the workplace. However, the research raises the issue of age discrimination, particularly affecting women over 40; according to the report there is a ‘troubling pattern where older women face increasing marginalisation and their experience is often devalued or dismissed’. Over the years I have lost count of the number of times that I have felt like agency side of the industry is a ‘no-go-zone’ for older women and the report’s commentary reflects that feeling. Unfortunately, the report underplays the obvious point that age discrimination results in people not being employed – there is plenty of evidence that people over 50 are less likely to return to work (after redundancy or leaving) in the short-term than younger people – and the link to the economy. 

It’s the story about long-term unemployment that reveals the true damage to the UK’s economy. The UK Government’s own figures paint a disturbing picture: the economic inactivity rate for women aged 50 to 64 remains statistically significantly higher, at 31.3% in 2024, when compared to men of the same age (23.2%) and, of economically inactive people aged 50 to 64 years, women (17.6%) were twice as likely as men (8.9%) to report ‘looking after home or family’ as the main reason. In my industry, Communications & PR, those missing women who have joined the economic inactive probably have at least one degree, maybe a Masters, will have decades of direct experience of management, directing campaigns, building brands or protecting corporate reputations. All of which is wasted and not benefiting our economy. 

With a population that is living longer, isn’t it time that age discrimination against women was given the boot?