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Women in the UK Intelligence Community
66. We are encouraged by efforts in GCHQ and MI5 to reach all
parts of the organisation, including middle management. The GCHQ
Diversity Festival in May 2014 raised awareness and celebrated diversity
in its broadest sense; linking greater diversity to business success is to
be commended. However, we note that staff have said that it is those
individuals who do not engage in diversity events who are exactly the
ones in more need of a change of behaviour.
67. Breaking down barriers through greater contact between staff
and management can also help to change attitudes and behaviours
towards diversity. We note that at MI5, lunchtime lectures and staff–
management meetings with the Director General and members of
the Executive Board have been organised by the women’s network.
We would encourage these as a useful forum in providing advice and
sharing experiences.
68. Building and sustaining more women’s networks to counteract
“Building and
sustaining more
women’s networks
to counteract the
influence of traditional
male networks
would allow women
from across the
organisations to come
together and share
experiences.”
the influence of traditional male networks would allow women from
across the organisations to come together and share experiences.
It is recognised in the recently published Civil Service Talent Action
Plan that increasing opportunities for networking can help talented
individuals in under-represented groups reach their potential. The plan
envisages roles for Diversity Champions to help to establish networks,
and members of the SCS in under-represented groups to lead the
networks. If these networks are officially sanctioned, organisations
could make use of them to examine particular issues and to make
recommendations. In order to change attitudes and behaviours, we
believe that it is important that these networks should include both
female and male middle managers.
MI5