Assumption is the mother of all..
metaverse, mining, chocolate & nightingales, Edition 50
Happy Sunday,
If my teenage self was around this week, she’d have smirked and thrown my favourite movie quote right at me! “Assumption is the mother of all f***ups!” Sure, it’s from one of the most underwhelming of 90’s movies, Under Siege 2 (the Steven Seagal version of Die Hard) and was a bad guy quote to top it off - but it fit this week.
I’ve lived through the sexual harassment, the racial discrimination and the other stuff any woman in the workplace or frankly anywhere knows all too well and has experienced. But I had assumed that post #Metoo, men now think twice, or five times about behaving like any day, is a day out of an episode of the show Mad Men. But this week I was proved wrong and Under Siege 2’s super bad guy was once again, absolutely right! His words are now an ear worm that I won’t get rid of anytime soon.
I outline for you, the case in point below:
Exhibit 1 — A report released by Rio Tinto this week outlined a culture of bullying, harassment and racism at the global mining giant across its global operations. The independent report by former Australian sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, who surveyed more than 10,000 of Rio Tinto’s 45,000 employees found — systemic bullying, sexism and racism were common. Almost half of the workforce reported having been bullied and more than 1 out of 3 female employees aged 25-34 had experienced sexual harassment in the past five years. Those in Rio Tinto’s fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workforce, were even more targeted — with more than 40% of women experiencing sexual harassment. The report shockingly also included 21 complaints of actual or attempted rape or sexual assault over the past five years.
Exhibit 2 — Chevron has reported 22 workplace sex complaints over past five years. On the back of the Rio Tinto report it is now planning to engage an external consultant for its Australian operations to advise on how best to tackle unacceptable behaviour in the workplace. The company though is not going as far as to initiate an external review like Rio Tinto.
Exhibit 3 — Since McDonald’s won’t come up with a plan, its workers in the U.S. are taking things into their own hands. They’ll be training themselves to fight discrimination, harassment, and violence in the workplace. The fast-food giant’s lack of attention to the issue is surprising considering more than 50 civil lawsuits, including one that has been certified as a class-action lawsuit have been filed in the U.S. alone. In April 2021 McDonald’s promised new training to help employees by January this year, but that deadline is well past with only deafening silence to accompany it. That silence combined with the fact that back in 2020, the company filed a lawsuit accusing its own ex-CEO of fraud (after a company investigation found “photographic evidence” that he had sexual relations with 3 employees in the year before he left), is telling about how deep the problem runs. Of course, both parties in that lawsuit settled so we’ll never know details.
Exhibit 4 — Talking about bosses in sexual relationships with employees with HR none the wiser — this week media mogul and CNN boss Jeff Zucker had to resign. He was found to be in a relationship with CNN’s chief marketing officer Allison Gollust, though when it all started depends on whom you ask (media insiders say years ago, Alison says during Covid). The pair’s relationship seems to have been an open secret within New York society and media circles.
It’s not the best look to have had an undeclared relationship with an employee, while CNN reported on her former boss, the former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on sexual harassment allegations. CNN subsequently also fired CNN anchor and the governor’s brother Chris Cuomo for privately helping his brother navigate the fallout of those harassment charges. Chris Cuomo may have revealed the Zucker-Gollust relationship in his legal battle with CNN for being fired, but in the larger scheme of things the revelation shines a light on a company culture that isn’t above reproach. Glass houses and all that!
Exhibit 5 — Academia’s harassment problem hasn’t gone away. Not even in one of the world’s oldest and most respected colleges. The dean of one of the oldest colleges at the University of Oxford stepped down this week following a three year battle about claims of scandalous behaviour, unsound judgement and sexual harassment. Christ Church college concluded its mediation process between itself and the dean, the Very Rev Professor Martyn Percy (yes, that is his title). The Anglican priest and theologian may have been forced out, but he still gets a seven-figure pay-out. The college has said the woman accusing him of sexual harassment has also settled her claim with him. Christ Church interestingly has produced 13 British prime ministers, 10 chancellors of the exchequer and 17 archbishops.
Exhibit 6 — We’re still trying to get our heads around the Metaverse, but women are already being groped, assaulted and raped in the virtual world. That explains Meta’s announcement this week to get people to keep their distance with no touchy touchy allowed for their Metaverse avatars. The first step to get icky creepy guys (and some gals) to keep their paws to themselves? The addition of ‘personal boundaries’ in Meta’s virtual reality platforms Horizon Worlds and Horizon Venues. This virtual bubble installs a 4-foot space that stops avatars coming into close contact with each other. The feature is now enabled by default and Meta says it “will help to set behavioural norms”. Over time, the company may think about allowing people to “customize the size of their Personal Boundary.”
I guess “assumption is the mother of all f***ups” after all,when it comes to thinking that work cultures were changing and fast. I rest my case.
Business of governing
Russia on our mind
Sanctions & gaffes
Russia and Ukraine are top of everyone’s mind as the world waits with bated breath to see if all the posturing is going to lead to all-out war. And despite the digs about ‘London-grad’ and Russian money flowing rather freely in the country, the U.K.’s foreign secretary Liz Truss announced a raft of plans to sanction Kremlin allies and Russian companies. Hit the money flow to deter more military manoeuvres is a pretty logical approach. But only if it targets the right Putin allies and is actually enforced. Liz hasn’t gone as far as a ‘seize and freeze’ strategy for Kremlin backed assets in the UK yet, but observers say ‘seize and freeze’ maybe the only way to get the Kremlin’s attention.
But trust Liz’s boss to blunt the effect of what could’ve been a really big statement by the U.K. He was so busy with #partygate he cancelled his meeting with Vladimir Putin, resulting in the Russians branding him ‘completely confused’. Liz then laid herself wide open to Russian mockery with her knowledge of geography.
Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for Russia's foreign ministry, took a pot shot at poor Liz after she mistakenly said that Britain would support 'our Baltic allies across the Black Sea.' I’ll give it to the Russians, the dig was a valid one to make considering the two are completely different bodies of water, more than 700 miles apart.
“The Baltic countries are called so because they are located precisely off the coast of this [Baltic] sea. Not the Black [Sea]. If anyone needs to be saved from anything, then it is the world from the stupidity and ignorance of Anglo-Saxon politicians.” — Maria Zakharova on Facebook
A southern front ignored?
French defence minister, Florence Parly, trekked out to Niger this week to try and devise a new security strategy for the Sahel. This is an area that covers more than 3 million km² between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. With all eyes on Ukraine, the fear is that Europe and NATO may fail to stem the growing Russian presence toward the south of the continent —specifically in the Sahel.
Mali has become the central focus for now, but the problem is widespread. In Mali for example the French are leading an EU troop task force. They have a vested interest after all in their former colonies. But tensions are at a tipping point between France and the Mali military government. It also doesn’t help that there are coups ongoing in neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso.
In response to the EU and the French pushing sanctions to get democratic elections in place, Mali’s government has invited mercenaries with strong Russian ties in. It’s asked the task force’s Danish troops to leave, and this week even expelled the French Ambassador. The EU task force is in disarray too. Norway this week reversed a decision to take part in the force, Sweden also confirmed its withdrawal, while Germany is discussing what to do about its deployment.
It’s a similar uncertain and unstable picture across the Sahel, which is home to some of the world’s poorest nations, including Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad. The region is a cauldron of problems at a boiling point that range from food crises and porous borders to escalating armed conflict. That’s given the Russians an opportunity to step into the void, bearing gifts ranging from arms and troops to Covid vaccines and food.
Mining for support
Alessandra Herrera is the new mining and energy minister of Peru. Her appointment was part of the Peruvian president Pedro Castillo’s announcement of the third cabinet of his turbulent six months in office this week. The rejig included a new prime minister and a whole new cabinet.
Alessandra is a lawyer with plenty of experience in the public sector, but very little exposure to the private and is taking charge of the country’s most critical industry. The mining sector accounted for nearly 62% of Peru's export value in 2020 and 10% of GDP. But her job maybe a short lived one if her boss can’t address corruption scandals and beat a possible impeachment that many critics are predicting is around the corner.
Checked the provenance of that Guinness?
The heads of Northern Ireland’s politicians are rolling and I’m imagining Mairead McGuinness is probably sipping on her Guinness this weekend, satisfied her anger has had its intended effect. The EU Commissioner for financial stability, former vice president of the European Parliament and the Irish woman known for speaking her mind didn’t hold back as cross-channel relations reached a crisis point. Even as the U.K. government tried to wash its hands off the matter, Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) took it upon itself to call for a stop to food inspections flouting the Northern Ireland Protocol. Mairead went onto a media warpath condemning the halting of Brexit port checks in Northern Ireland as a breach of international law by the country.
Business of business
To ESG or not to ESG, that is the question
While Unilever is getting bashed by its investors about the company’s focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies, luxury goods makers Prada, Moncler, Louis Vuitton and others are making visual commitments to their strategies and doubling down on ESG. And why not, it makes perfect business sense. The burgeoning sustainability market was slated to reach $150 billion by 2021, according to KPMG, and fashion is a critical part of that.
We’ve seen Louis Vuitton making that visible commitment to ESG by adopting and filing applications for the registration of a logo for its upcycled sneakers. Certain Moncler products now bear a recycling-centric logo to show its use of low impact materials, while Prada’s adopted a special sign for its recycled products — a mark that consists of the word Re-Prada. The company is now taking its ESG commitments to the very top. This week it inducted ESG experts Pamela Culpepper and Anna Maria Rugarli to the company’s Board which now at almost equal gender representation —a total 11 members with 5 women and 6 men. Next up, the establishment of Prada’s ESG Board Committee. Unilever can perhaps take that as a sign, to not listen to investors stuck in the 20th century.
Grocery boss
Natasha Adams has been made the new CEO of U.K. grocery giant Tesco in the Republic of Ireland. She’ll be reporting to Group CEO Ken Murphy when she officially steps into the role in April. Natasha is currently Tesco’s group chief people officer and is based in the UK. In addition to relocating to Ireland, she will also become a member of Tesco’s Executive Committee and the Tesco UK Leadership Team in April.
Good to know
Poverty & your chocolate addiction
Enjoy this year’s Valentine’s Day chocolates! It might be a while before you get a massive haul again! Chocolate is about to get mucho expensive and it’s because climate change is set to badly impact cocoa crops, the key ingredient of the $110bn (£85bn) global chocolate industry.
70% of the world's cocoa comes from the Ivory Coast and Ghana. Cocoa makes up 60% of the Ivory Coast’s exports. Farmers in the region dependent on this cash crop have been scanning a cloudless sky waiting for rain that shows no sign of coming. Downpours are any way scarce in what is the Ivory Coast’s dry season (November-to-March). But farmers are warning the lack of rain combined with periods of high heat being experienced could reduce the size of beans starting from March and effect the first phase of the upcoming mid-crop. That means poor quality beans and the potential shrinkage of the April to September mid-crop.
Other than chocolate getting expensive, the reason I’m pointing this story out is to highlight a real time example of how disproportionately climate change impacts women. While only 25% of landowners in the Ivory Coast are women, they are the invisible backbone of the cocoa industry. They do about 70% of the work on farms but receive only about 20% of the income, according to the African Development Bank. Cocoa producers already live below the extreme poverty line – the average Ivory Coast cocoa farming family member is estimated to survive on 74p ($1) a day. For women that figure is just 23p ($0.30) a day. A bad crop will not just leave them vulnerable; it will be an outright disaster.
Doctor on call
If you missed the scandal back in 2018 of how Japan’s prestigious medical schools were stacking the admissions odds against female students, it was a doozy! A 2018 government investigation found that at least 9 Japanese medical schools, including the prestigious Tokyo Medical University manipulated their entrance exams, making it harder for women to get in. It created a public uproar.
What’s happened in the 3 years since? Well this week we found out that women’s admission rates to Japanese medical schools have surpassed those of male applicants for the first time, after that discrimination scandal. In 2021, 13.6% of female applicants won a place, just a little more than the 13.5% of men. It’s a small win, but a win nonetheless in a country where female doctors struggle even if they manage to get admitted and qualify.
Platinum Jubilee
It’s a milestone moment for the U.K. The Queen’s been in her job for 70 years! That’s longer than any monarch in recorded history. And she was pretty sprightly as she celebrated her record on the job. From cutting cakes and perusing documents to letting the world know she likes Camilla Parker Bowles. The biggest announcement wasn’t about the size of her party cake or even the jubilee plans - it was that she definitely wants Camilla to be known as Queen consort when the time comes. This summer should be a fun one in the U.K. as the actual Platinum Jubilee celebrations kick off.
The Nightingale will sing no more
The soundtrack of my childhood was dominated by two women, two sisters Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, the elder of whom died on Saturday night at the age of 92. Lata Mangeshkar, an icon of Indian music, known to a billion and a half people as the nightingale of India, the melody queen and Didi (older sister) died of complications from Covid-19.
After a more than 70 year career her voice will live on forever in classic songs that now represent Indian cinema. She will also forever find a place in the annals of history for giving playback singers their rightful place in cinema — fighting for royalty rights at a time when women were seen and not heard and even ensuring film award ceremonies created a category for playback singers (critical to India’s musical, lip syncing movies). India will be honouring this diva of music with two days of national mourning, with the national flag flying at half-mast.
I leave you with some of her most classic and iconic songs.
Inspiration of the week
“I wish to call on you to join hands in the building of a world in which less people will be forced to flee, and in which refugees are protected until they can safely return home one day.” — Sadako Ogata, Former UN High Commissioner for Refugees