Aye Aye Chief
Women's Only London Club launch leads me to wonder who will be in the room where it happens?
When I read about Chief, my interest was piqued, and Amal Clooney is involved, hearing her speak at Daughty Street Chambers’ Women’s Day Event was amazing. Women that had done the work and broken the glass ceiling and were kicking ass coming together to plot world domination. Sign me up. Oh wait. It was only for the uber elite. The 1%.
But, hold fire. Let me give them the benefit of the doubt. Let me reach out and explain who I am and what I am doing and the access I have to incredible women on the ground doing the work that need their support and attention to finance bringing their messages to the world. Who all need the backing of blue chip companies.
If they are setting up a route to progress and equality, I want access. So I reached out.
I wrote to Lindsay Kaplan on February 5th “I saw a headline and clicked on Chief intrigued and excited to find more ways to be in the room where it happens, but don’t tick any of the boxes in terms of eligibility. But the box I do tick is having become an activist and campaigner for women’s safety and police reform…and wonder in terms of diversity of ideas and experience if the C-level requirement won’t narrow the pool so drastically the you will end up with a ton of consultants but not the drivers of actual change. So much ESG is strictly environment and D&I is mostly race and sexual orientation (in London) that women’s needs and intersectionality are left out. There are amazing women getting policy and legislation changed whose work will impact your members. Flex Appeal, Pregnant Then Screwed and a huge push about menopause are all currrently happening here. I wonder if there isn’t room at Chief for a liaison or outreach role, where someone like me who is already in those communities is able to strengthen and widen the reach your members have. So that when they are looking for speakers or hiring pipelines or want to improve their company image; I would act as a conduit to those people they bring in that would suit their company values. Generally there end up being six speakers that everyone uses for IWD and the rest of the year are invited to speak for exposure. Just a thought but would be happy to have a coffee and learn more about how you expect Chief to land in London and what are the areas of concern”
And followed up on February 19th. And then saw pictures that belong in any country club of just rich white women. Last week physically walked by. Never mind. This isn’t a club that would ever welcome me. Let alone answer my messages. I’m small fry and poor small fry at that.
So I wasn’t at all surprised to read in Forbes about just how White and gilded the cage is https://www-forbes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2023/03/18/private-womens-membership-group-chief-is-being-called-out-for-white-feminism/amp/ by Janice Gassam Asare. And as I am a White American woman so according to the claims being circulated this week would be much more likely to be considered than my BAME counterparts.
Groucho Marx’s quip: ‘I refuse to join a club that would have me as a member’ doesn’t quite fit as they wouldn’t let me through the front door; but Chief isn’t our route to equality and progress. Replicating the old White boy’s club doesn’t get us to where we need to be.