Women of the Decade accolade for Sarah Waddington CBE

The Women Economic Forum celebrated its 100th event in London from 28-31 October 2023, gathering under the theme of Economic Cooperation for Recovery and Resilience: Empowering SHEconomy. North East leader Sarah Waddington CBE scooped a Women of the Decade award for her voluntary work and activism.

Make diversity initiatives fully socially inclusive was my call to action at the Women Economic Forum (WEF) event in London I was privileged to attend at the end of October.

Having been given a platform to speak after receiving a Women of the Decade award, I used the moment to underline that diversity needs to needs consider class if we are to truly attract the best workplace talent and unlock potential.

According to a study of nearly 150,000 financial services staff for diversity group Progress Together, socio-economic background is a greater block to career progression than gender and ethnicity.

It’s an issue that affects all sectors but the public relations industry offers a good example.

A Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre report says the UK creative industries are underrepresented by 250,000 working class voices. Extrapolating data from this and the PRCA Census suggests the public relations world is short by 13,500. It’s one of the reasons my husband Stephen and I founded Socially Mobile.

Class intersects with gender, race, disability, skills and place, creating a double disadvantage. We need to be vigilant and intentional about leaving the ladder down whichever industry we work in as this is not unique.

Opening up entry to different careers is vital, especially attracting, recruiting and retaining school leavers from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Social inclusivity is a great way to avoid group think and succeed commercially. To date, class diversity has been neglected here in the UK and policy makers, businesses and entrepreneurs need to work together to do better.

The WEF fosters conversations, community, connections and collaborations among women worldwide. The enabling ecosystem of exchange and sisterhood ignites and inspires greater enterprise and leadership, propelling women's economic empowerment and influence in ALL walks of life.