Mayor's actions applauded by pub campaigner

Andy Street, the Conservative mayor of the West Midlands cancelled his slot on a panel at his party’s conference after discovering there were no women speakers involved

Jackie Moody-McNamara, who recently launched the campaign #inviteustospeak to call on the pub sector to improve the ratio of female speakers at industry events, said the decision was to be applauded and something the pub sector should note.

Campaign launched

She said: “This decision by Andy Street is exactly what we’re calling for across the pub sector - people need to think about the events they’re taking part in, and if those events aren’t stepping up and getting more women involved, those people should be asking themselves whether they should be involved or attending.”

She launched the campaign​, which is being backed by The Morning Advertiser​, at the recent MA Leaders Club event in Leeds.

The campaign is urging all events within the pub and bar trade to improve representation of women by ensuring at least 30% of the speakers involved are female.

Better representation

At the launch she said: “It would seem over the last few weeks there have been many face to face conference and events which have caused a very negative response from not only the women in the sector but men too.

“I started receiving messages and images of all male panels at events where there was only one woman out of 18 speakers at the podium.The elephant in the room is like a dirty little secret, we know it’s happening, everyone knows it’s happening and frankly, we have not made enough effort to change it.”

She said the industry needed to follow the example of Andy Street and push for better representation at events.

To lend your support to the #inviteustospeak campaign, contact Jackie on Wnpxvr@or-oevyyvnag.pb.hx​.