The Co-operative Women's 2020 Challenge: Co-operatives UK wants your say!

Co-operatives UK has been invited to partner with the Co-operative Group on an exciting new initiative: The Co-operative Women’s 2020 Challenge, and we want your say!

The Co-operative Group are setting a 10 year challenge to its members after research showed that although women make up 51% of the population, they are under represented in almost every area of public life.

As the national trade body that campaigns for co-operation and works to promote, develop and unite co-operative enterprises, Co-operatives UK is taking up the challenge with its wider co-operative membership base.

The primary challenge the Co-operative Group have set is to ensure that their membership is properly represented across their structures and businesses, and that they operate in the members’ best interests.  Within this overarching aim, there are three subsidiary challenges they hope to take forward.  These are:

• Taking steps to ensure that democratic structures are more representative of their members. 
• Looking at ways in which they can enhance the presence of women at senior management levels within their corporate structure and businesses. 
• Fulfilling their commitment to the values and principles by taking the message outwards, and rediscovering the movement’s historic role in taking forward gender equality.

The challenge will be launched at a National ‘Missing Women’ Conference in Leeds on the 2^nd July as part of Co-operatives Fortnight.

At this first stage Co-operatives UK would like to know if you want to be involved in this initiative and are keen for your feedback on a few core questions.

The questions can be found at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/co-operativewomen

For further information please do contact Sarah Alldred at Co-operatives UK on: sarah.alldred@uk.coop or call 0161 246 2934.