Women in Leadership scholarship is also open to men

A business school's Women in Leadership scholarship that aims to ensure female "voices and issues are heard" is also open to men.

Henley Business School says its scholarship, which offers one winner a fully-funded place on its part-time Executive MBA programme worth up to £44,500, offers “practical support for the development of strong female talent”.

But the competition, which opened on International Women’s Day this year, is open to “both men and women who have relevant experience in the workplace either in managing a team, running a project or planning strategy”.

Henley, an “elite” triple-accredited business school based in Henley-on-Thames, Oxon, received criticism on social media after advertising the scholarship with the slogan: “Leadership. No longer a boy’s club.”

It was pointed out on Twitter that the opportunity was also open to male candidates, with one woman writing: “You’re not even pretending this is for women”.

Henley Business School defended its position, however. It responded: "[The Women in Leadership Scholarship] aims to ensure that women’s voices and issues are heard and considered regardless of who is in the room, and as a result is open to both genders."

It also emphasised that since the competition was first launched in 2012, the scholarships have been awarded to 11 “outstanding women candidates”.

Focus on childcare

There was further criticism for the institution’s choice of question for this year’s applicants, focusing on childcare.

Entrants for the competition must answer, in 800 words or less: “Affordable and flexible childcare is a challenge that concerns everyone. What role can employers and policymakers play?”

One Twitter user responded: “This makes me livid. ‘Women you could get a scholarship by writing an essay on childcare'.”

Candidates must draw on their own personal experience to support their arguments in their applications, as well as data, research and other evidence.

“We want submissions which make us think differently - challenge the status quo and demonstrate a real understanding of the dilemmas faced,” the judging criteria states.

Highly rated school

The competition will be judged by a panel of three women: Dr Ana Graça, the interim programme director for the school’s Executive MBA; Laura Whitcombe, a global campaign manager at the 30% Club; and Harriet Arnold, assistant editor of the Financial Times Special Reports.

Up to 10 finalists for the scholarship programme, which is organised and administered by the 30% Club, the Financial Times, and Henley Business School, will be shortlisted from all entries received by the deadline of May 22.

Henley Business School’s Executive MBA programme has been ranked seventh overall in the UK, and first in the country for the percentage of women in its full-time faculty.

Some of the school’s notable alumni include Amina J Mohammad, the deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, and Richard Byarugaba, CEO of the National Social Security Fund.

A spokesman for Henley Business School said: “Over the 11 years that the competition has been running, the scholarship has always been open to men and women, recognising that men have a role to play in advocating for women in leadership at both an individual and organisational level."