How Blockchain leads an Equal playing field for all.
Will this be the only sector that brings equality to all within and outside of its business?
A couple of days ago people across UK celebrated 100 years since women suffragettes that fought for the better lives of women in the UK, by getting the vote for women in 1918. Coincidentally this was one month after World War 1 had ended. During the Great War, women, took on numerous jobs, that were left empty by males who had gone off to fight abroad. Some would argue, and some evidence would suggest that the 4 years, that women were involved in what would have been a male’s job between the Great war of 1914–1918, was a major contributor to allowing women the vote, although not all women got to vote. You must have to be over 30 and a householder to vote, although this was 21 for men.
This turning point went on to aspire women around the world to fight their own rights and to be treated as equals, although unfortunately those fights still go on.
It got me thinking about equality and discrimination in the workplace and how far we haven’t come.
You know the current amount of CEO’s only sits at just 6.4% with Fortune 500 companies. Furthermore, with the FTSE 100 companies, there are more people called Dave (8) as CEO’s, than there are women (6)
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Have things really moved on though, how people would have wished, over 100 years? I mean compared to what it would have been like in pre-1918, then yes, however, you would think by 2018 certain things would be in place to avoid discrimination to women and the BAME community, by HR and employers. However, it still exists in such shocking ways. What I find more shocking though, is when I researched through the court hearings in the UK, many of the lodged tribunal complaints against large companies (in discrimination or unfair dismissal cases) were later strangely enough withdrawn, by the claimant themselves. Large companies managed to get out of attending court with a settlement being paid to the claimant, as the ‘Claimant withdrew from the tribunal’. Keeping everything nice and hush hush.
Why do we rarely hear about maternity discrimination tribunals? Well when these are lodged, especially against senior execs, companies will do all they can to settle this out of court and get the claimant to sign an NDA. In the last year, there have been 54,000 of cases of maternity discrimination in the UK. Women are being forced out by their jobs, just for being pregnant, this is an extremely awful statistic.
As someone who has been involved in my partner’s discrimination case (Hence why this got me thinking and researching, on the 100-year anniversary story) since she became pregnant 2 years ago, before leaving to go on maternity leave, all during her pregnancy and after going back to pushed out and bullied. Ok, some can argue that some sectors are better than others but can’t really be backed up too much, although a few sectors are trying, it isn’t really what you would say is progress, however.
Whilst reading the stories of the suffragettes, it really started to make me delve into the job that keeps me up 20 hours a day, Blockchain. I thought about the teams I work with as an advisor and the number of females involved in this sector, in every aspect of the company. You see as its still such a new sector, you could argue that it hasn’t had time to fall into a male-dominated culture just yet. People are in the blockchain game for the results, and you go get who is best. With that is turn, it has allowed a playing field to flourish, into one that is equal. When people pick their exec team or advisors, the co-founders are really doing it on the skills that person has, regardless of gender or colour. From the onset you are building an equal and global team, to go with your product.
Since working in Blockchain the networking I have done has been incredible, the new cultures and countries I have visited. Consequently, as we all aim for the common goal of disrupting many industries with blockchain technology, we have created an equal sector that is growing month by month
Although there is not too much data out there to say the percentages of women involved at the higher level of blockchain companies. Some give a rough figure of almost 20% being co-founders in Blockchain start-ups are women. Some worth following are Catheryne Nicholson, CEO of BlockCypher, Toni Lane Casserly Co-Founder of Coin Telegraph and Manju Mohan CEO of Ionixx Technologies, to name a few
What we should do, is make a promise to ourselves in the industry, is to make sure this continues, and we embrace this equal playing field. As people would much sooner see Tottenham vs Chelsea, rather than Tottenham vs Leyton Orient. It is healthy for our industry, as it enables us all to grow together and independently.
So, let’s build teams that are a great mixture of global talent, combined with an equal amount of female voices at your next board meeting
I see some ICOs and their team section has very small amounts of women or are all males from the same country. As an advisor, this is one of the first things I say, if not actually the first.
This is a brief article, however, I wanted to voice my opinions on this matter, as it just seemed to be a perfect time, with what I am going through, the anniversary and the great strides women have made in blockchain. It would be good to get a world board going on how Blockchain can keep leading the way on Equality in the workplace. Especially so no young family would have to go through the two years of stress, we have had from discrimination from a major intuition. Most sectors will keep discrimination one way or another, however much they try, as they are too ingrained into the past. Blockchain, however, we are young still, we can mold how we proceed into the future, we can say bye to the boy clubs, the old male dominated boring board rooms.
It’s not just within the organisations that see these changes, it’s how these organisations can change life for women around the world. You know 42% of women are without bank accounts, that goes without saying how blockchain can help there, with helping these women complete financial transactions and from their own their own homes, own business’s. There is also the argument that land contracts on blockchain can help women also, compared to current set ups.
On top of this and regarding everyone that works in blockchain. This sector allows you to grow very quickly as an individual and earn respect within the field. Where as in traditional sectors, you follow the same old grading system, where say a manager doesn’t want to lose you, he marks you down, keeps you from any promotions. Blockchain totally flips that on its head, and allows individuals to grow at accelerated rates, and be will sought after, managing their own progression lines, and not managed by the old guard.
Blockchain has not just disrupted the status quo, but it has brought people and cultures closer together. The only other thing that usually does this is the world cup, which ironically starts in Russia tomorrow (I literally cannot wait), though even then there is a tendency for a full-on…….
An actual book addressing my chaotic but fantastic first two years of fatherhood will be published in early 2019. There will be enjoyable reading for those fathers who will relate to it in areas, mothers who can relate too. It includes me standing in as a solicitor, climbing the ranks in Blockchain sector gradually, getting snowed in Amsterdam after a blockchain evening and in the same evening being robbed with a gun pointed at me. This on top of losing my best mate, and father in law. Plus, an emergency appendix operation, it will be quite some book. Some say depressing, but ill be certain to entertain in there also.
In the meantime, keep an eye out for my new co-founded Real Estate Blockchain, Block Estates, the website will be launching shortly!
As always if you need an ICO advisor, or are in need of a Post ICO consultant, please contact rob.tomkins@realpound.io or my Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-tomkins-1861a615a/
If you would like to hear more info on Block Estates which once launched will be revolutionary for Real Estate, then please email me at rob.tomkins@blockestates.io
Bobby Tomkins
ICO Advisor & Co-Founder of Block Estates (Website Launching soon) Article Writer for Cryptocurrency Hub
