Women in Co-operatives: A Canadian Perspective (1996)
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This document has been made available in electronic format
by the International Co-operative Alliance ICA
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July, 1996
(Source: Review of International Co-operation,
Vol.89, No.2/1996, p.26-33)
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Women in Co-operatives: A Canadian Perspective
by Dr. Lou Hammond Ketilson*
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Introduction
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To address equitable representation in democratic and staff
structures is right and proper in itself. It is also more than
that. When co-operatives deal with issues that cluster around
equity, they address questions that have to do with how
co-operative organizations `do democracy', and how they do
business. A study that addresses the status of women in
co-operatives does not arrive at just a set of `women's
issues' but rather at ways to think about a range of issues
vital to co-operatives, their placement in the economy and the
community. In other words, thinking about equity in democratic
and management structures is one of a number of `ways in' to
thinking about the relevance and effectiveness of
co-operatives in general. It is also a way to begin
considering barriers that affect all under-represented groups.
The research1 described in this paper was conducted under the
auspices of the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives,
University of Saskatchewan. The broad aim of the project was
to uncover and document helps and hindrances women have
encountered in their experience as elected officials and as
employees in decision making positions in Canadian
co-operatives. This was accomplished through two methods, case
studies and a survey.
Individuals in staff and elected positions in five
co-operatives located in various regions of Canada
participated in the case studies. The co-operatives included
first tier or primary co-operatives as well as federations,
associations or centrals. They were: Co-op Atlantic,
Co-operative Housing Association of Ontario, Saskatchewan
Wheat Pool, Calgary Co-operative Association, and Van City
Savings and Credit Union. In addition, a survey of all members
of the Canadian Co-operative Association (C.C.A.)2, the C.C.A.
itself, and each case study co-operative, was conducted to
develop baseline data on women's participation as elected
officials and employees.
Findings and Recommendations
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The recommendations presented here are drawn from information
gathered through the research project, which focused on
uncovering helps and hindrances to women in decision making
positions. They suggest ways co-operative organizations can
build on the successes and address the barriers the study
identified.
Elected Group: Build on Positive Experiences
---------------------------------------------
Various training grounds exist from which people later move to
positions as delegates or board members. Participants
emphasized several ways in which early experience, in
organizations and in other aspects of their lives, equipped
them for their positions. It allowed them to: develop a
profile among the membership; see how others fulfill their
leadership roles, and to envision themselves in the same
positions; prepare for the politics of elected bodies; and,
become familiar with the organization, thus reducing the
intimidation factor associated with holding an elected office.
- Communicate, through public documents and personal
behaviour, recognition of the value and relevance of
previous experience, including experience traditionally
associated with women's lives, which candidates bring to
elected roles.
- Actively recruit members of under-represented groups to
committees and to the board. Encourage preparation for
elected roles through committee membership.
- Identify avenues for members to develop a visible
profile, and encourage candidates from under-represented
groups to take advantage of these. Examples are:
committee positions; community projects and other special
projects; member relations initiatives which link the
organization more closely with under-represented groups.
- Support committee members in their roles by establishing
terms of reference and by having past chairs orient new
chairs to the job.
Elected officials draw support from knowing they are involved
with an organization that works toward, or has the potential
to work toward, goals that are consistent with their own.
- Through member orientation and communication, work to
address members' perceptions of the organization overall.
Be clear about the co-operative's profile of its services,
its relevance.
Learning is Bonus
-----------------
The learning, both formal and informal, which accompanies the
responsibility of elected office is not only a necessity which
enables people to serve properly; it is also a personal
benefit. This learning ranges from financial management to
leadership, confidence, and group dynamics.
- Publicize the opportunities an elected position presents
for people to learn new skills and to broaden their
networks.
- Offer training which deals not only with the specific
organization, but which also places the organization
within the larger co-operative and credit union movement
as a whole.
- Clarify board and management roles through training,
clear communication processes and terms of reference.
Sources of Support
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There were many instances where women were not optimistic
about the climate of support for women in their organizations
as a whole, but most could identify key individuals on staff
and on the board who recruit women and/or help to create a
climate that supports women. Important support comes from
personal contact with committed women and men who are active
locally, regionally, and nationally in the co-operative
movement, and from other women who introduce new board members
to how things are done. Family members and employers are
essential sources of support. Those who have less flexible
work or family lives feel additional pressure.
- Show leadership at the senior level to create a climate
of support for women in leadership positions. Recognize
that the more women employees who are in decision-making
positions, the more there will be a climate that
encourages women to seek election.
- When child care or elder care is necessary in order for
aboard member to attend meetings or training events,
cover expenses.
Elected Group: Address Existing Barriers
----------------------------------------
Anxiety surrounds running for and holding office. Elections
can be gruelling political contests, and the information
members have on which to base their choice in large
co-operatives is thin. Elections tend to favour incumbents.
Once a board member is elected, there can be a negative change
in the way people treat her or him. A "we/they" division often
develops between board and membership.
- Improve the democratic climate of the organization
through meaningful consultation processes which allow all
members to bring their views to the board and membership
for consideration.
- Institute regular reviews (interviews with members and
elected officials, hearings, avenues for anonymous
" registration of concern) to continually monitor and
evaluate the organization's political climate in light of
the following questions:
* Do the actions of the board and staff, and do member
orientation programs, work to eliminate division
between the board and members?
* Does the board, and do committees reflect the
constituency the board hopes to serve? Does the
organization define its constituency as one that
reflects the diversity of the Canadian population?
Negative climate
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Co-operative leaders need to ask whether their board and
delegate body create a climate that turns away women or
members of other under-represented groups. Signs of a negative
climate experienced by women in this study include: exclusion
of women from more prestigious committees or offices on the
board; perception among board members that the recording role
is appropriately filled by a woman; resistance to gender
neutral language; the assumption that the lone woman at the
table represents "all women."
- Establish a clear policy to deal with instances of sexual
harassment in the democratic structure. Communicate the
policy clearly to all elected officials and staff.
- Incorporate discussion of climate issues and material
about differential treatment of women into board training
programs. Include discussion of the importance to the
board of people with varied backgrounds and leadership
styles.
- Adopt a communications policy which includes guidelines
on the use of inclusive language and non-sexist
communication.
- Institute regular reviews (interviews with members and
elected officials, hearings, avenues for anonymous
registration of concern) to continually monitor and
evaluate the climate for elected officials in light of
the following questions:
* Are women, by design, tradition, or perception of
their level of capability, excluded from certain
offices on the board? Are they expected to fill
gender-stereotyped roles on the board?
* Do women on the board need to work harder to
establish their credibility than men do?
Weight of Responsibility
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The stresses of elected office include divisive issues, legal
responsibility, unclear roles, physical fatigue and time
pressure. Co-operatives can help both women and men who are
elected officials meet responsibilities to their families and
communities with policies that make commitment to the
co-operative possible.
For women, the stress of an elected position can be compounded
by the loneliness of being the only woman or one of few women
in that position, and by the sense of being marked as
different because they sound different, look different and
dress differently from their male counterparts. To be seen as
different is to be more closely watched. Some research
participants were keenly aware of having to prove their
credibility to an extent that was not required of their male
colleagues.
- Conduct exit interviews with female board members to
learn of barriers they encountered or supports that were
particularly helpful to them.
- Ensure elected roles are characterized by reasonable work
loads and flexibility, such that people who have family
responsibilities and people who work in jobs with low
flexibility can participate.
Employee Group: Building on Positive Experiences
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Attitudes of co-workers and management affect both the daily
experience and the long-term success of female employees. A
climate that accepts women in decision making positions comes
about only with commitment from senior management. Research
participants gave examples of how acceptance, encouragement, a
sense of belonging, and flexibility in hours create a
supportive
climate.
- Senior management must demonstrate a clear and articulate
commitment to addressing barriers to all under-represented
groups through practice and policy.
- Allow flexibility in determining hours of work.
Encouragement and Recognition
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Research participants recognized the role that supportive
managers and supervisors played, either through direct
encouragement or through seeing their potential and giving
them the opportunity to take on challenges and show
initiative.
Encouragement and recognition is a responsibility of
management and supervisory staff, who should:
- Demonstrate confidence in women employees; assist employees
to identify opportunities to take on new challenges and
expand the scope of their positions; and,
- Support employees in meeting these new challenges with
appropriate training, release time, teamwork and resources.
Models and Mentors
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It is important for women to see other women in senior roles
from an early stage in their careers. Mentorship often occurs
informally. A formal mentorship program creates opportunities
for a greater number of female employees to take advantage of
mentor relationships.
Organisations should facilitate mentor relationships in one or
more of the following ways:
- Establish, or provide access to, training which helps
employees to choose mentors and to be effective mentors;
- Establish panels of senior employees with whom other
employees can meet and from whom they cn learn as a
group;
- Match new women employees with senior women employees in
mentor pairs.
Opportunity
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Clear promotion procedures should be coupled with enough
flexibility that employees with initiative have room to expand
their jobs. A visible path to promotion lowers the chance that
informal mechanisms that disadvantage some groups will
continue to operate. Flexibility is important, since some jobs
evolve during a person's tenure as the organization grows,
affording the incumbent the opportunity to grow with the job.
- Ensure open recruitment channels for women to pursue
non-traditional jobs. Establish appropriate guidelines
for advertising jobs and conducting interviews.
- Establish training across functional areas to
de-segregate primarily male and primarily female career
paths.
Training
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Research participants emphasized that employees need
information about opportunity and eligibility for training.
People cannot self-identify for development programs if they
are not aware of the possibilities. Opportunities for
cross-training on the job in a variety of work areas, with
release time to take advantage of such training, have been
crucial for some research participants. Decisions about
training should not be in the hands of supervisors alone.
- Publicize training possibilities to all staff so they can
self-identify for opportunities.
- Go beyond granting the opportunity to self-identify for
training. Encouragement is important.
- Establish training opportunities for part-time staff.
- Facilitate access to training events outside the
organization, such as `Women in Management' seminars, where
women can share concerns and approaches with other women.
Existing Barriers - Negative Climate
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One woman noted that, especially in her field, which is a
non-traditional area for women, a woman has to be especially
tenacious in establishing her credibility.
By virtue of being part of what is still a relatively new
phenomenon, a woman in senior & management is inevitably visible
in a way her male peers are not.
Some women feel strong resistance when they raise questions
about sexism, sexual harassment, and gender neutral language.
This resistance pressures them to curb the extent to which
they speak out. Others find their work styles do not fit with
hierarchical, bureaucratic structures and adversarial
approaches to labour relations.
- Establish a clear policy to deal with instances of sexual
harassment. Communicate the policy clearly to all elected
officials and staff.
- Institute regular reviews (interviews with employees,
hearings, avenues for anonymous registration of concern)
to continually monitor and evaluate the organizational
climate in light of the following questions:
- Do employee groups at all levels reflect the constituency
the organization hopes to serve? Does the organization
define its constituency as one that reflects the
diversity among the Canadian population? Is it normal,
not exceptional, to see women in leadership positions?
- Are provisions such as flexible hours and cross-training
available consistently throughout the organization, or
only in areas where supervisors support change?
Unclear career paths
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Since experience across a variety of work areas is
increasingly seen as a prerequisite for promotion, opportunity
to train across functional areas is crucial. At the same time,
inherited assumptions about the set of skills required for
promotion to a particular position should be examined. When
criteria are re-thought to ensure that the appropriate set of
skills, properly weighted, are the basis for assessment, the
result may be an expanded or different pool of candidates for
promotion.
- Monitor differences in wages between areas where women
achieve management positions and areas where they do not,
to determine if management positions held by women are
less valued.
- Assess prerequisites for promotion to specific positions
to determine areas where the organization is limiting
itself to a male-only pool of candidates for promotion.
Juggling Work and Home
----------------------
The increased stress and work load that accompany promotion
lead to a two-dimensional struggle for balance. One challenge
is to juggle the commitments within the job; the other is to
balance the job with life outside the office.
Given heavy work loads and the still-strong societal pattern
that leaves women bearing the greater share of domestic work
and child and elder care, senior positions can become
unmanageable for some. As responsibilities in the home come to
be shared more equally, policies which accommodate workers'
multiple responsibilities will aid both women and men.
At the same time, such policies can increase the likelihood
that men will take on a larger share of the domestic load.
- Audit the organization's effect on health, family and
community:
- Are work loads such that all employees can achieve a
reasonable balance between work, personal life, and
responsibilities to family and community?
The Role of Larger Co-operatives
--------------------------------
It would be naive to assume that change across the
co-operative system will occur without leadership from the
system's largest and most influential organizations. Larger
organizations, particularly second and third tier
co-operatives, have the opportunity to encourage and support
meaningful, sustainable equity initiatives.
In order to encourage co-operatives that may be unwilling or
unable to undertake equity initiatives in isolation, second
and third tier co-operatives should show leadership in
initiating efforts and in encouraging and supporting efforts
made by co-operatives to address equity for under-represented
groups in management, staff and democratic bodies. Examples
are: provide staff and/or speakers; sponsor workshops; train
workshop facilitators; ensure that issues related to equity
for under-represented groups appear on agendas at conferences
where co-operative representatives meet.
Concluding Remarks
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This report presents recommendations based on primary research
with a group of case studies in various regions of Canada.
With the exception of Co-op Atlantic, the cases represent
primarily English-speaking Canada. Canadian co-operatives are
now in a position to benefit from a synthesis of their own
research with guidelines developed by various human rights
bodies, and research by large employers, including
universities across Canada.3
Footnotes
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1. A complete copy of this study is available from the
Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, University of
Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5B8,
under the title "Research for Action: Women in
Co-operatives" by Leona Theis and Lou Hammond Ketilson.
2. CCA is the national association of English-speaking co-
operative organizations in Canada. CCA members include
regional and provincial, co-operative and credit unions.
members include organizations in agriculture and
fisheries, consumer and supply, financial, and service
sectors. The national organization runs programs and
activities in the following areas: education; government
affairs; research and policy formation; co-operative
formation; and, information distribution.
3. See, for example, "Reinventing Our Legacy", Saskatoon:
University of Saskatchewan, 1993.
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* Dr. Ketilson, is an Associate Professor of Management in
the College of Commerce, a faculty member for Centre for
the Study of Co-operatives, both at the University of
Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The Centre
for the Study of Co-operatives is a research unit devoted
to publishing on issues affecting co- operatives across
Canada.
