The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has signed up to a government charter designed to improve gender diversity in senior positions within financial services.
The HM Treasury's Women in Finance Charter reflects the government's aspiration to see gender balance at all levels across financial services firms. It sets out how to implement the recommendations of the review -- Empowering Productivity: harnessing the talents of women in financial services -- undertaken by Jayne-Anne Gadhia, the chief executive officer of Virgin Money.
By signing the Charter, the CII has pledged to promote gender diversity by:
- Having one member of the senior executive team who is responsible and accountable for gender diversity and inclusion;
- Setting internal targets for gender diversity in senior management;
- Publishing progress annually against these targets in reports on the CII website;
- Having an intention to ensure the pay of the senior executive team is linked to delivery against these internal targets on gender diversity.
Sian Fisher, CEO of the CII, said: "The CII's commitment to enhancing women's opportunities in the insurance profession is at the forefront of our efforts.
A diverse workforce is the key to a customer-focused and well balanced profession. Yet it could be argued we are lagging behind others in making a gender-balanced workforce a priority. This attitude needs to change; we need to be doing more to take action."