Mentoring and development boosts representation in PCS
PCS undertook a gender proportionality survey to identify barriers to activism among its under-represented groups. The majority of PCS members are women (59.9 per cent), which is reflective of the gender make up of the civil service. 53 per cent of all civil servants and 57 per cent of civil servants in admin officer/assistant posts are women. Women continue to be under-represented within PCS structures as 44.3 per cent of activists are women. Results from 500 responses identified that the most effective way to boost women’s participation in the union and other under-represented groups would be to introduce mentoring and so the union devised a pilot mentoring project.
The participants in the pilot cited a range of reasons that could deter them from taking up a position in the union. These included: male ‘gatekeepers’ in some key positions who discouraged women’s development or portrayed a negative image of the union to women; lack of knowledge of the union and its structures; and lack of confidence when taking on a union position without any shadowing or handover period.
A couple of the women had taken up branch officer positions at short notice. One of the women explained: “I really started to feel out of my depth and it started to knock my confidence. So the mentoring project was perfectly timed for me.” She added: “Many of the barriers women face are actually psychological... lack of confidence is a barrier and is the result of not feeling adequately prepared for a role, not wanting to sound silly or be slapped down by men.”
PCS also holds a national women’s seminar that aims to develop confidence, skills and knowledge, as well as to increase participation. At the end of the last seminar each delegate completed an action plan, which has been followed up to monitor their level of activism.
Case study from Equality Audit 2014: Improving representation and participation in trade unions
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