Deborah Coddington: Global view could just reach top of tokenism

Sometimes a situation needs the "now what?" test. Does the Government ask itself this question as it reads the convoluted Review of the Foreshore and Seabed Act?

It's easy to get into these tar babies; much harder to get out.

And on a far more trivial issue - for it is of girlie matters today I write - are the elite and powerful members of the newly launched organisation, New Zealand Global Women, admiring their perfectly manicured nails and asking each other, "now what?"

Because, as a woman, I would like to know what all the publicity has been for.

Over the past several months it seems every women's or business magazine has carried a tribute to the formidable marketing and public relations skills of Global Women's chairwoman and founder, Mai Chen. She has achieved publicity others crawl over ground glass for.

There have been articles everywhere, illustrated every time with photographs of Chen, culminating with Chen and former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley interviewed for 30 minutes by Kathryn Ryan on National Radio.

To top it off, this exclusive club was launched in Auckland by Prime Minister John Key, no less.

According to press reports it was a champagne-fuelled rip-roaring success, with Chen's only concern they "nearly ran out of alcohol".

The column inches written, the broadcasts and interviews have been uncritical, with the notable exception of the Herald's Fran O'Sullivan "Beware the impromptu gushing".

O'Sullivan remains the only business journalist who covered Global Women, who was bold enough to canter in the opposite direction, and I wager she'll be ostracised for it.

But perhaps the sisters will heed O'Sullivan's savvy barbs about the real meaning of equity.

But I'm curious why this organisation was formed. Shipley was quoted in May saying the most important issue was "creating a network for people who are there at the top ... it's lonely at the top.

"Time will tell, but by making these women more accessible to each other, the sum total of the whole will be better."

Lonely at the top. Randy Newman sang that once, in irony. I think Shipley had a straight face.

And who says these women are at the top? Top of what?

No wonder it's lonely there, when they have to pay $500 each to join Global Women.

Tell that to the women in Carterton who have been laid off by the clothing factory and haven't received their final pay.

I wonder if it's lonely in the land where you don't dare dream about lap-band surgery, Adrienne Winkelmann, or running out of champagne. But dieting is sooo last century.

Chen says the group plans to identify and mentor emerging women and "do what is necessary to see women well represented in senior positions, in boardrooms and in top management".

The group is alarmed because, according to the 2008 Census of Women's Participation report, of the top 100 companies listed on the stock exchange, only 8.65 per cent of the available directorships are held by women.

But isn't this just tokenism? Isn't this what the left push for? If you did a survey, you'd find lesbians under-represented on boards.

Would the country be better off if every company on the stock exchange had a token gay director?

Of course not. Directors should be chosen on merit, not on gender or sexuality.

Anonymous blogger Cactus Kate, who regularly tears me apart, will loathe me even more for favourably quoting her, but she's correct when she says, apropos of Global Women, "successful people don't wake up in the morning thinking, today I want to be on the board of Mighty River Power.

"They wake up and think, how much more money can I make today in my own business for myself?"

Despite this, I know some great individuals have joined Global Women and I wish them well, but I doubt the platitude-speaking Chen is their best frontperson, as she witters on about validation and inspiration; "my agenda is to get beyond gender".

And a Chen example of mentoring?

A woman applying for a chief executive role in a male dominated area was encouraged by Chen to put her best foot forward.

Fancy that.