The 51%

What if women’s equality was at the heart of an inclusive economy?

Join us as we discuss the systemic disadvantage faced by marginalised groups, and explore how to build a more inclusive economy.

Women make up 51% of the population, but mainstream economic development has remained silent on how it will address the barriers women face.

Efforts to rebuild and recover economic prosperity in a time of crisis often fall back on morale boosting images of – generally male – executives, gathered around a building site with hard hats. Economic partnerships and task forces assembled to help areas develop new plans for the future, too, can struggle with diverse representation, not only from women but from marginalised communities of all forms. Even the way in which we evaluate economic progress – in assuming that it will emerge automatically from economic growth – underestimates the importance of prioritising economic equality and diversity as a foundation to a more inclusive economy.

We at CLES are developing a programme of work to put gender equality, diversity and inclusion at the forefront of our thinking and doing approach. This event will inform a campaign for local economic equality: building connections, understanding and shared action to put women’s equality at the heart of local economic development policy and practice.

The event will open with introductory remarks from Sarah Longlands, Chief Executive of CLES, and Sarah Reis, Deputy Director of the Women’s Budget Group. We will then open a broader discussion with all attendees.

We will discuss:

• some of the major gender inequalities which pervade local economies;

• some of the strategies which can be used to address them; and finally

• how these strategies can be expanded and scaled up so that gender equity is built into future economic planning.

We’re aiming to bring together people who are working in local economics with an interest in feminism, and women’s rights advocates with an interest in local economics.

We hope to see you there.

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