It’s official – we love women’s minister Nicky Morgan!
This week, during a webchat on Mumsnet discussing women in politics Mrs Morgan said that Parliament should be like "any other work place" and consider "flexible working, including job shares” in an effort to get more women into politics.
Hear, hear we say!
The Loughborough MP also added that that while her initial instinct was two people sharing the role of on MP would cause problems, she had seen the practice working well in many “stressful corporate” environments in the private sector.
In her former life as a solicitor, she said, two women managed to juggle a job share in a pressured environment.
The Liberal Democrats have proposed the idea of job-shares to encourage more women to consider getting into politics, but some Conservatives have poured scorn on the idea branding it unworkable. Until now.
Mrs Morgan wrote: “I have been thinking about this - my initial instinct is that this wouldn't work because to do the job of an MP well you need to do both constituency and Westminster work.
“But then in my former life as a solicitor I worked with two women who did a job share in a stressful corporate environment so maybe it would.
“I do think that, like any other work place flexible working, including job shares, should be considered.”
She added: “I do wonder what the electorate would make of having to vote for two people for one role.”
The Lib Dems have suggested that job-share candidates could stand on a joint ticket with voters choosing whether or not to the vote for them the same way they would with a single candidate.
David Cameron has come under fire for the female MPs in his party and the number of women he has promoted to his Cabinet, with Labour criticising the Government for putting just three women in Cabinet positions as heads of Government departments, out of a possible 22.
Last year Sarah Wollaston, the Conservative MP and head of the health select committee said that job sharing would help mitigate the impact of family life on female MPs and it’s the issue that deters the most women from becoming MP’s.
Mrs Wollaston, who job-shared as a doctor for 11 years before entering parliament said it was a “wonderful way to work” and makes for “built in mentoring”.
We think this would be a great step in not only encouraging more women into politics but also flying the flag for job sharing. By seeing high profile, successful job shares in action, it can only serve to help other employers to follow suit.
Lets make it happen.
To find your perfect job share partner in whatever sector you work in register for free now with Share Your Job.
