What is the work environment like in the City? Is it still so male dominated?

In the second article of the series considering what it is really like for women working in the City, I will be exploring the idea that there has been huge change in the City and that it is no longer completely male dominated.

 

The idea of the City being a men’s club was quite realistic in the past, however, it seems that in recent years it has been massively changing, especially since the #MeToo movement which shed a lot of light on all of the overt and engrained sexism that still exists across the world, especially in the workplace. After speaking to women who work in the City from investment banks focused on UK growth and mid cap companies and corporate finance focused firms, I have been able to understand quite how much life has changed since the movement and the conscious effort that firms as a whole are putting into inclusivity, diversity and making women feel comfortable and represented in the City.

 

The improvement of treatment and representation of women seems especially noticeable across the City in senior positions, as well as at the most junior level where at many firms’ equality is becoming more and more visible; through affirmative action when hiring and even, in some places, the implementation of positive discrimination in hiring across the board. On top of this, many firms go to universities to promote their equality and have introduced apprenticeship schemes for which they aim to include an equal number of young men and women.

 

Author: Pippa Seager