Scottish firms offering best career ladder to women

Research by accountancy firm Grant Thornton revealed that 21 per cent of Scottish businesses had senior female managers, higher than the UK’s national average of 18 per cent.

However, women are still vastly under-represented in British boardrooms, with 38 per cent of UK firms having no females at all in management positions – a situation which has not significantly changed over the past 10 years.

Firms in East Anglia were least likely to have female management, with just 12 per cent of top positions filled by women.

Businesses in the Midlands and Northern Ireland also fared badly, containing just 12 per cent and 15 per cent of female managers respectively.

The UK also lagged behind most of its international competitors in terms of female representation, with 75 per cent of American firms having women managers, compared with 33 per cent in German, 29 per cent in Japan and 27 per cent in the Netherlands.

Despite various sex discrimination laws and initiatives encouraging women into the workplace, such as flexible working, research has shown that an ‘old boys network’ is still hindering the progress of female workers.

Female entrepreneur numbers are far lower than in countries such as the USA, with old attitudes preventing many women from going it alone.

According to the Equal Opportunities Commission, discrimination against pregnant women is still rife, with expectant mothers routinely fired from their jobs.

Sacha Romanovitch, of Grant Thornton, said the situation for women should improve.

“Although there are regional differences, it is clear that many businesses are not retaining women through to senior management positions.

“Recovery in the economy leads to greater employment demand and as talent becomes scarcer, businesses cannot afford to ignore women, who make up 50 per cent in the workforce,” she said.