BAIRD BOLSTERS THE WOMEN’S NATIONAL COMMISSION

19th November 2009

BAIRD BOLSTERS THE WOMEN’S NATIONAL COMMISSION

Vera Baird, Solicitor General and lead Minister for the Equality Bill, will today announce four new replacement Commissioners who will join the board of the Women’s National Commission (WNC).

Ms Baird will make the announcement in a key note speech to the WNC All Partners Conference which marks their 40^th anniversary.

The Commission is an official and independent advisory body giving the views of women to Government. It is an umbrella organisation representing women and women's organisations in the UK such as Stonewall, Unison, and Amnesty International and works to ensure women's views are taken into account by the government and are heard in public debate.

The WNC is currently looking at better ways to tackle issues of violence against women and is reporting to the United Nations on the progress the UK has made in meeting its’ International obligations to cut gender discrimination.

Most recently the Commission has also been working with women’s groups to increase the number of women taking a role in public life such as by becoming a school governor, a councillor, or a board member of an organisation.

Ms Baird said:

“These four new Commissioners each bring with them a wealth of experience and excellence that will further bolster the Commission in tackling the difficult issues of unequal pay, violence against women, under representation and family responsibilities.

“Each of the Commissioners has outstanding track records of achievement and will become a positive force within the Woman’s National Commission.”

The four new Commissioners announced today are:

• Prof Liz Kelly CBE – Roddick Chair on Violence Against Women and Director of The Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit;
• Ms Bronagh Hinds – Consultant with experience of gender equality;
• Mrs Janet Floyd-Douglass – former Zurich UK Ltd Head of Corporate Pensions;
• Ms Olivia Bailey – NUS National Women’s Officer;

Baroness Joyce Gould Chair of the Women’s National Commission said:

"I want to both congratulate and warmly welcome all four Commissioners to the WNCBoard.  I am thrilled that we will have such a strong, influential and respected group of experts joining our existing Commissioners.

“With our new Board, we will progress and I hope extend our current activity.  Working with our 500+ partners, I am looking to develop further our existing activities, such as on violence against women, on the developing equalities machinery, and the increasing role that women play in public life.

“I look forward to working with the new Board to further strengthen the WNC's independent voice, and to influence and support the Government to take action on those areas that are of most importance to women in the UK."

The appointments will be for a period of three years starting from early November.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Please contact the Government Equalities Office press office on 0207 276 0932.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. The four new Commissioners will join the Chair and ten existing commissioners.

They are:

• Baroness Joyce Gould of Potternewton (Chair)
• Baroness Prof. Haleh Afshar
• Adele Baumgardt
• Beatrix Campbell OBE
• Brita Fernandez Scmidt
• Vivienne Hayes
• Ann Henderson
• Helen Jackson
• Juliet Lyon CBE
• Mary Ann Stephenson
• Sarah Veale CBE

    2.   The principal responsibilities for the commissioners are as follows:

• Establishing the overall strategic direction of the WNC;
• Provide impartial and specialist advice on gender issues to government, key stakeholders and the general public;
• Gathering, representing and reflecting women’s views on key issues, and creating strong, positive links with a range of partners.

    3.  Among its recent workIn March 2008 WNC has been working with the Cabinet Office on a new iinitiative to encourage more women to apply for posts on public bodies.

    4.  The Government Equalities Office has increased the budget of the WNC from £434k to £753k during the current financial year in order to meet their business needs and support work streams including WNC 40^th Anniversary outreach activity and Women in Public Life.

    5.   The posts will be renewable subject to satisfactory discharge of duties and the procedure laid down is guidance issued by the Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments.