Opportunity Now was originally set up as Opportunity 2000 in October 1991. Its aim was to increase the quality and quantity of women’s participation in the workforce. Membership is open to any organization, large or small and by June 2005 over 350 organizations, including British Airways and Jurys Inn’s, had signed up. Those organizations joining Opportunity Now commit themselves to overcoming the barriers to recruitment, retention and development of women. Opportunity Now provides advice to employers and shares information on best practice in areas such as developing flexible working arrangements, improving childcare, career break options and training and education to increase women’s opportunity at work. To further help organizations Opportunity Now also runs a benchmarking exercise on gender equality, which helps employers to chart progress whilst at the same time providing a checklist for organizational change. Derived from IDS (2003); Opportunity Now (2005).
