Forward thinking of a tireless champion of women's equality

There are few people who can claim to understand women’s issues better than Etta Cohen OBE.

There are far fewer still who can say they have made as big an impact when it comes to championing women in the region.

After two decades in teaching, at schools in inner-city Leeds, Ms Cohen was left feeling disillusioned with the education system.

This quietly spoken woman had seen too many young people slip through the net. Talent that she felt was going to waste.

At the same time Ms Cohen spent 15 years as a magistrate where she once again witnessed young people, young potential, slipping through the net.

“Maybe that’s where my interesting in nurturing the talent that we have and using it lies,” says Ms Cohen.

Around that time she also got divorced, bringing up two children on her own, but that didn’t stop her.

She went onto work at the Training Enterprise Council (TEC) where she began to culminate business world contacts and from there to the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward.

While at Yorkshire Forward, in a business development role, things would change overnight, or over lunch even, for Etta.

She said: “One day I had lunch with a lady bank manager, who I am still in touch with today all these years later, and I just happened to say to her next time we meet why don’t we invite some more ladies.”

From this lunch meeting Forward Ladies was born, a relaxed business network that has never looked back since that lunch. The numbers grew organically, the ladies started delivering their own presentations and speakers started dropping in.

Ms Cohen said: “Yorkshire Forward was then looking to spin off some of its projects to become self-financing and sustainable. So they spun it off in 2006 and I spun off with it.”

As the leader of the organisation she took Forward Ladies from strength to strength. Ms Cohen says: “As we grew we actually had a voice that could influence because I sat on many groups and consultations in London and we took the ladies to Westminister several times.

“We had senior politicians come to speak at the events held at Westminster and we got a lot of publicity promoting what we were doing.

“I think it gave women self belief and confidence.”

The financial directors of Tesco and Asda, leading politicians such as Iain Duncan Smith and Theresa May are just a few of those that have held court at Forward Ladies events.

The unique thing about Forward Ladies is that it’s not just a network for women. The organisation’s events attract male attendances as well.

Nearly 14 years after helping launch Forward Ladies, Ms Cohen took the difficult decision to step away and hand the reins over to Griselda Togobo, 18 months ago.

“Griselda Togobo is now taking it from strength to strength,” she says.

She added: “Just a few months ago she ran the Women in Business awards – right across the country. It was absolutely the right thing to do. She understands the issues, she’s very focused, she’s very hardworking and she will take it to the next level.”

Ms Cohen says it was the right time for her to step back. She said: “It needed new impetus, new vision, new focus.

“I could have held on to my baby. It might have gone up, down or whatever but I realised it was time and there are other things that I can do still with the diversity, women in business agenda.”

Her passion for diversity and equal opportunities remains undimmed. She is currently a board member at the Yorkshire Asian Business Association (YABA), championing women’s issues.

“I would just like to see a time when there is actually probably no need for a Forward Ladies as such. When we do have the level playing field.

“Where if women want to progress be it in a company or in growing their own business then there are no barriers.

“Interestingly enough I have spoken to some people who feel things in some areas are actually getting worse not better. That’s scary. That is scary.”

But as we go through different generations Ms Cohen hopes that the mindset will change when it comes to diversity and gender equality.

That change in mindset perhaps would not have been possible without the work of the likes of Ms Cohen.

Her influence was recognised when she was awarded an OBE for services to women in business last year.

To Ms Cohen the OBE isn’t so much about her but a recognition that leaders are taking diversity issues seriously.

She said: “They’re realising that women in business, entrepreneurship is key to UK plc. That’s what that meant to me.”

Ms Cohen may have left the education system a long time ago but she feels that institutions can do much more in helping young people achieve great things.

“We are not doing enough in schools, colleges and universities to engage, for me anyway, the next generation,” she says.

Quite often businesses and schools seem like they speak two different languages from one another she adds.

“There’s nothing wrong with a young person wanting to set up a business. Where is the support and help for them to do that?

“I think we need to connect education and business even more.”

While Ms Cohen’s journey really took off over lunch, it has culminated with afternoon tea.

Her latest venture is Scones, Jam and Cream – a sort of Trip Advisor for afternoon tea.

“It’s a site dedicated to afternoon tea and it means I spend a lot of time going for afternoon tea, which I love.”

After a life’s work dedicated to helping others do what they love, you could say it’s well deserved.

Etta Cohen OBE factfile

Title: Founder of Forward Ladies

Lives: North Leeds

Favourite holiday destination: Israel

Last book read: Do No Harm by Henry Marsh

Favourite film: Shawshank Redemption/Calamity Jane

Favourite song: Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler

Car driven: Corsa

Most proud of: My children

Education: Teaching Certificate, Institute of Linguists Final Diploma-French