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Insuring Women’s Futures – Equality control

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Open-access content Tuesday 8th November 2016

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The CII is speaking up for gender equality, spearheading UN Women's HeForShe campaign across the profession. The Journal finds out more about the campaign and explains how you too can make the commitment.

On 5 September, insurance became the first profession to join United Nations (UN) Women's global HeForShe initiative, following in the footsteps of world leaders such as UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon to publicly commit to making gender equality a reality.

The campaign forms a part of the CII-led Insuring Women's Futures programme, which seeks to lead the profession in better understanding women's risks and how insurance could better respond to their needs.

CII CEO Sian Fisher was joined on stage at the launch event at Lloyd's of London by Association of British Insurers director general Huw Evans, Lloyd's CEO Inga Beale, Aon UK CEO Dominic Christian and Insurance Institute of London president Russell Higginbotham, to share their own personal commitments in support of gender equality.

The Old Library at Lloyd's was packed to standing room only with more than 200 attendees, including many leaders from across the insurance and broking community.

Immediately following the launch, a new facility was opened on the website -- www.insuringwomensfutures.co.uk/heforshe -- for anyone to submit their own unique and personal commitment. At the time of going to press, a total of 172 commitments were published -- including some submitted as videos.

Raising awareness

The CII is leading the HeForShe campaign as part of the Insuring Women's Futures programme, in order to raise awareness of gender equality throughout the profession and to give everyone the opportunity at every level to have a voice in driving change.

Sian Fisher, chair of the Insuring Women's Futures committee, comments: "[This] marks a real turning point for our profession and shows that we are committed to driving change. While women in the UK are more successful, have more senior roles and more disposal income than ever, they are still less engaged with insurance protection products than men and significantly underprotected.

"This is going to change. We, as a profession, have taken a stand today and committed to raising awareness and challenging conventions. This is not a 'gender' issue, this is about a cultural shift towards something that we can all be a part of in better understanding and reflecting the needs of wider society. I am delighted that so many great minds from across the sector have made this commitment and am looking forward to see what disruptive innovations will be born as a result of this." ●

→ To find out more about HeforShe and to make your commitment go to: www.insuringwomensfutures.co.uk/heforshe/

→ To watch the HeForShe video visit: bit.ly/2ez2rpw

70,000: Number of visitors to WOW festival

1,500: Number of visitors to the IWF website

172: Number of commitments for HeforShe to date

72: companies have signed the Women in Finance charter

Examples of commitments you could make-¦ I'm going to-¦

Make a point of talking to my male and female friends and family about gender parity, and to encourage them to learn and support each other to improve the situation.

Make sure I act with sensitivity and understanding when I experience emotional situations and vulnerable people.

Ensure when I meet new people that I don't allow unconscious gender perceptions to dominate how I relate to them.

Make sure both men and women are involved in planning our client and office entertainment activities.

Make sure the 'usual suspects' don't do all the talking in team meetings.

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