North Northamptonshire Council Celebrates International Women’s Day with Focus on Female Empowerment

Staff and councillors at North Northamptonshire Council are rejoicing in the spirit of International Women’s Day today, highlighting the theme of this year’s celebration.

During the recent Full Council meeting, Jason Smithers, the Council’s Leader, emphasized the significance of the day and acknowledged the 23 female councillors in the Council, including those on the Executive team, and the female workforce within the Council. The Council’s workforce in March 2023 was predominantly female, with 68.5% of employees being women.

Attention was drawn to the female representation at the top echelons of the Council, with the recent appointment of the first female Chief Executive, Adele Wylie, alongside prominent figures such as Barbara Jenney, Sanjit Sull, and Lora Lawman.

North Northamptonshire Council expressed the need for continued efforts to encourage more women to aspire to public office and roles within local government to achieve more balanced female representation at all levels of governance.

The Council’s strides towards reducing the gender pay gap have shown progress, with the median pay gap dwindling to 4% by March 2023, translating to female employees earning 96p for every £1 earned by male counterparts. The mean pay gap stands at 4.3%, notably lower than the national average of 14.3% as per data from the Office of National Statistics.

International Women’s Day festivities at the Council involved empowering discussions with women employees exploring the significance of the day. Insights and perspectives shared by staff will be highlighted on the Council’s social media platforms, and a special vlog featuring Adele Wylie and other female leaders was shared with staff.

Adele Wylie, the Council’s first female Chief Executive, expressed her pride in assuming the role and highlighted the importance of inclusive and respectful environments irrespective of gender, emphasizing the need to celebrate women’s accomplishments.

Jason Smithers, the Council Leader, commended the milestones achieved in female representation within the Council, citing the appointment of the first female Chair and Chief Executive as significant progress. He reinforced the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, ‘Inspire Inclusion,’ calling for enhanced female presence across all levels of local governance.