''More management jobs'' for women in finance

A renewed focus on gender equality in the financial industries could help to raise the supply of management jobs for women.

The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) reveals that it is expanding its "longstanding" efforts on the issue in order to widen the availability of management jobs for female financial services practitioners.

Delivery of the initiative is to be coordinated via the REC's Association of Executive Recruiters following reports of pay gaps between male and female managers in the sector.

Chair of the association Derek Smart says: "Women make up half of those employed in the financial services sector but only 11 per cent of senior management."

But he adds that collaborative efforts between recruiters and City firms can help to redress this balance in the future.

Gender equality is one issue addressed by the REC as part of its work to enhance workplace diversity, along with ethnic diversity and work to accommodate an ageing population.

Morgan Jamison, marketing manager at Careers and Jobs UK, comments: "For equal opportunity policies to take hold every level of job needs to adhere to its principles before making promotions or hiring new staff. This is especially true of management jobs which have often been difficult for minorities to achieve with many hitting what has become known as the 'glass ceiling'. So the REC's efforts should be welcomed."