Scotland’s whisky industry received some sobering news after the first-ever global survey of women working within the sector revealed ‘widespread examples of unconscious bias’ and ‘micro-aggressions’ against women, which could ‘build up over time to have a devastating impact’.
The study, carried out by the OurWhisky Foundation – a not-for profit body set up to support women in the industry – found more than two thirds had experienced inappropriate or sexual remarks at work, while around a third had been inappropriately touched.
Disappointingly, more than 80 per cent of women who make, sell and promote whisky said that they had been asked by colleagues and customers if they even like the drink, with 89 per cent of those surveyed agreeing that consumers still widely perceive whisky to be a ‘man’s drink’.
OurWhisky Foundation founder Becky Paskin said: “The escalation of these attitudes into inappropriate verbal and physical behaviour cannot be ignored. The industry needs to take this issue extremely seriously”.
I couldn’t agree more. Not only is this totally unacceptable, but whisky is big business for Scotland – its global exports grew to more than £6bn for the first time last year – so it is imperative that the industry recognises the work that needs to be done to rectify the woeful findings of this study.
It seems to me that the industry needs to address this from the top down, creating an industry that promotes equality, diversity, and a more inclusive work environment. In doing so it will help ensure that women have equal opportunities for growth and advancement.
It makes good business sense to ensure women in the workplace have equal opportunities. Businesses that harness the power of the female workforce perform better. It is well documented that diverse teams bring different perspectives, are more creative and have greater problem-solving skills.
While women must be able to participate on a level playing field within the workplace in Scotland without fear of discrimination or harassment – which should go without saying in the 21st Century – we also need to make progress in encouraging more women entrepreneurs in Scotland.
According to the Federation of Small Businesses, firms owned and run by women contribute £8.8bn of gross value add (GVA) to the Scottish economy and have created over 230,000 jobs. This is more that the GVA of the sustainable tourism (£2.5bn), food and drink (£5.5bn) and creative industries (£4.6bn) estimated by the Scottish Government.
There is copious amounts of evidence that the entrepreneurial and related capabilities of women are equal to those of men. And more than half of Scotland’s population is female. However, only one in five of Scotland’s entrepreneurs are women – so clearly room for improvement.
Start-up businesses, founded by women in Scotland, receive only two per cent of overall investment capital. This is a poor situation and represents both an enormous loss of talent from Scotland’s start-up economy and a denial of opportunity on, quite literally, an industrial scale. However the latest UK figures show the situation might be improving.
The recent Rose Review Progress Report noted that female founders in the UK started more firms in 2022 than ever before. The latest figure of 150,000 new start-ups led by women was more than double that of 2018 – encouraging numbers.
While the UK is making progress, the situation here presents a compelling case for Scotland to leverage this untapped pool of female talent to drive and grow the entrepreneurial economy. As, thus far, the poor participation rates of women entrepreneurs in Scotland has remained more or less constant over many decades according to the Scottish Government.
This is a complex situation, and I was shocked to read the findings of the OurWhisky Foundation Study. I wouldn’t be surprised if this also had a knock-on effect on women-led start ups. Scotland prides itself on being a progressive country, but this study demonstrates there is still a long way to go until that is reflected within our business landscape.
Who’s Really Objecting in Kenmore and Balloch?
I was intrigued by a recent online article regarding an overwhelming number of objections for a £300m redevelopment of a tiny village on the banks of the River Tay.
A US real estate firm has revealed plans to renovate Taymouth Castle and the area around Kenmore into a luxury playground for the wealthy, which seems to have caused a bit of a stir.
A petition to halt further development has already reached over 150,000 signatures – much to the confusion of members of Kenmore and District Community Council, who highlighted there are only around 200 people living in the area.
I couldn’t help but draw similar parallels to the ongoing Flamingo Land saga on the shores of Lomond Banks.
Despite support from weighty business figures in the area – including Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce – a petition objecting the development, led by the Scottish Greens, has mysteriously reached nearly 75,000 signatures, despite the local population of Balloch only being around 6,000.
From business owners and members of the community I’ve spoken to, the feeling around the proposed world-class, sustainable tourism resort is largely positive.
You have to question where this significant number of signatures has come from. At the end of the day, surely it should be the people living and working in Balloch that have the final say on this? Especially if it will bring much needed jobs to the area.
Perhaps the Greens should be transparent in the sourcing of these so-called objectors – that’s certainly a document I’d like to see.
It Made Me Laugh
Nessie’s Still Got It
I was delighted to see flocks of tourists descend on the banks of Loch Ness recently for what organisers described as the biggest search for Nessie in more than five decades.
Hundreds of volunteers from around the world were allocated their own spots around the 23-mile-long loch to monitor for signs of the elusive creature, while others braved a boat ride onto the water to try and spot the big beastie for themselves.
The search brought a spotlight back on this picturesque part of our country, drawing tourists from the world over to marvel at Loch Ness’ stunning landscape.
But of course, their efforts to find her were of no avail, and Nessie managed to escape the peering eyes of monster hunters for no doubt another half a century.
It Made Me Weep
Low Emission Zone, Low Confidence
It’s more grim news for Glasgow City Council’s poorly thought-out Low Emission Zone, as a growing number of businesses in the city centre express their dismay at the scheme.
The owners of Boteco Do Brasil and AXM Club have blasted the initiative, claiming a huge drop in the number of taxis which can now operate in the city centre has left it looking like a ghost town.
While I’m not against turning our city’s streets greener, GCC’s lack of social listening around the scheme is laughable.
Perhaps while it tries to backfill the £100,000 it forked out to cover its own fleet vehicles that don’t meet LEZ standards, it can also rustle up financial support for those businesses affected too.
