Some of the women who gave evidence to the Treasury Select Committee and prefer to remain anonymous say they don’t wish to be defined by complaints about sexism given that they built successful careers despite it.
One non-exec at a major bank said: “I’m hopefully bigger than the person that nearly walked out of a certain employer because a then member of the board threatened me and my family as I was leading an investigation of harassment against someone in their team.
“I’m hopefully bigger than those all too many moments when the men that arrive in the room literally ignore you, walk past you and don’t shake your hand, searching out the men, and then when they discover what you do they say ‘you’re a pretty little thing to have done so well’.
“But I do love the ‘gotcha’ moments when the power tables turn and they realise that they can’t ignore you.”
One other very high-profile City woman told the Standard: “The bar is generally set much higher for women across the board, when many female executives also face the challenge of the ‘motherhood penalty’.
“Lip service is often paid to flexible working, while behind closed doors there are mutterings about ‘part-timers’ or getting 100% of the output for 80% of the salary, when women are still putting in ultra-long hours. It’s little wonder that many opt to keep their heads below the promotion parapet.
“When women do ‘lean in’, they have to overcome critique about their appearance, which often clouds judgement about their ability and experience. I was talking with a group of senior women at an industry event, when we were asked if we were ‘the secretaries’ by a key attendee.
“Ageism is rife. Early in your career you are held back for being ‘too young’, then there’s an invisible line you cross when you suddenly become ‘too old’. It is unsurprising women are leaving to find more rewarding jobs outside the City.”
