Women need to be appropriately represented in the optical bodies in order for their views to be heard in the profession.
This is the verdict of College of Optometrists' chief executive Bryony Pawinska on the Women of Vision 2010 survey which revealed that female practitioners are falling behind men in the profession in salaries and job prospects (News, 22.10.10).
Pawinska, a former CEO of the Institute of Career Guidance, told Optician: 'As the number of women now exceeds that of men in the sector as a whole, we all have to find ways of ensuring that women are appropriately represented. In the same way as we need a range of views that reflect the age, work context and ethnicity of our members, we need that same balance of views by gender.'
She added that the College had modernised its governance structure and introduced proactive measures to improve the age and ethnic balance on its board and council. But she acknowledged that more needed to be done to ensure these bodies were representative. 'Women remain under-represented on both despite the introduction of reimbursable child care expenses, and a genuinely family-friendly attitude throughout the College,' she said.
The College is currently conducting its own Optometric Workforce Survey and expects to publish the findings in the new year. 'It's hoped the results from this work will not only inform the College's own development, but also offer a clear picture of the characteristics of the profession as a whole, including but not limited to gender differences, ' said Ms Pawinska.
? The Women of Vision survey was conducted jointly by Optician and CIBA Vision between July and September, and involved 808 optometrists and dispensing opticians. More results from the survey will be published in next week's issue.