How many networking groups does a PR woman need to belong to?
I already belong to a couple of female only groups, plus one with men in suits, and am not a regular attender due to more pressing commitments.
So when an invitation came along to the launch of Women on Top in Cambridge today, I wondered if this group had anything different to offer to tempt me to join.
My first impression was that it doesn’t and; as someone observed, they had not done their homework about Cambridge.
There is no doubt that Angela and Linda, pictured, are committed to making networking fun for businesswomen. They already have branches in Harlow, Thurrock and Hertfordshire. A group is planned for Dublin too.
But their diary of future events does not seem to have a professional or business focus – it is based on image, tips and tricks, a summer sizzler – I think you get my drift.
Would a man want to join a networking group if that was its main focus? Most definitely not.
With pop music playing in the background, and an apparent emphasis on girlie fun, I half expected The Chippendales to burst into the room at any moment.
The Working on Top blurb says they aim “to inspire, enthuse, inform and celebrate aspiring women entrepreneurs and corporate high-fliers”.
I couldn’t possibly imagine a high-flier joining their group in Cambridge; a friend put her finger on it when she said it would appeal to hairdressers (and no disrespect is meant to that honourable profession).
But I will give credit where it is due, Angela and Linda found a great venue for the launch and meetings at Madingley Hall, a 16th century country house with stunning grounds.
I do wish them well, but maybe I take my fun more seriously.
It does seem condescending, especially in a world like ours where women are already on top (or are certainly in the majority).
Public relations is no longer so exceptional either. It appears that the large majority of medical students are female, so tomorrow’s doctors will mostly be women.
Networking clubs for beleaguered, insecure and threatened men, perhaps?
C’mon Richard! You must move in a very rarified atmosphere. Admitedly there are more women in the professions than 20 years ago but the vast majority of working women are still paid lower rates than than their male counterparts & are still patronised & passed over for promotion by and for men who are younger & less competent.
I’m not spouting sour grapes here because I, like many women, decided not to work for anyone else so I don’t have to put up with all that c… anymore. However, every day I meet women who do – from solicitors to secretaries. The glass ceiling is still firmly in place.