Has having a daughter increased your awareness of gender inequalities, particularly bias in the workplace? 
 

Richard: "Honestly, no. Casual sexism and racism still passed as light entertainment in my formative years so unconscious (or 'obvious') bias was all the rage when I started working - along with XR3is, The Tube and Margaret Thatcher. 

I've seen shades of inequality throughout, along with a number of notable female success stories. Unfortunately, those successes were often achieved by those who went 'native' and chose mimicry of the dominant leadership style (I'm thinking Thatcher, despite the handbag prop), rather than overcoming the general myopia.

However, as we now seem to be able to articulate the benefit of diversity in a way that pulls at our collective £££ strings, I am increasingly aware of the absurdity of ignoring the obvious."

Joel: "Not particularly. Coming from South Africa and having parents who were in social work, I have always been very aware of inequality and unfairness in its various forms (material and racial in particular).

At home, I am surrounded by women (wife and two daughters plus my son). Having a wife who has worked professionally, I have been witness to the choices between family and career that she has had to make and I have also seen how stereotypes can work the other way - my son has often been one of the girls with a few of his own hand-me-down handbags from his big sister (at 6 years old he is a self proclaimed 'bookworm' with a penchant for dressing up!). Therefore being flexible and open at home and at work is a key mindset for me. My overriding feeling is that we are not being creative and flexible enough in our thinking on diversity."

What kind of world do you hope your daughter will grow up in? What one thing would you change for her?

Joel: "Like, I hope, most over protective fathers and mothers, I want my daughter to grow up in a world that is more sustainable with more hope, love and empathy and with less fear as well as material focus.

At an individual level, a world where potential can be nurtured and grown to create greater confidence and where culture is more open to different styles - not bound by stereotypes. We are seeing more of this everyday - men and women can be homemakers or breadwinners or both and shouldn't be bound by traditional formal roles (or what their parents projected on to them in terms of what they believed was right!). Ultimately, I want my daughter to grow up in a world where the causes closest to her heart can be championed and where family and community are front and centre. Feeling every day that she can be more of herself in anything she chooses to do"

Richard: "I'm hoping that the changes being brought about by strong female and male role models (eg. Helena Morrissey of the 30% club, Barack Obama on equal pay, Emma Watson on He For She) may mean that my daughters, Ashley (15) and BabyCakes (2), are more likely to achieve whatever is theirs by merit alone, without the need to learn new behaviours designed to emulate a dominant stereotype. I'll still be coaching them to avoid complacency though.

It may not come quickly enough for Ashley and she's not nearly as well acquainted with Sheryl Sandberg as she is the Kardashians and Abby from Dance Moms. So I'd like to speed things up a bit and move on from this period of positive discrimination (laudable but unsatisfying) to a world of unconscious equality."

When she grows up, I want my daughter to be...

Joel: "More conscious of always following the calling in her heart before she gets stuck in a career and relationship that restricts her fulfilment... One wants to be a paediatrician and the other wants to be Peppa Pig!"

Richard: "If not the next Lindsey Vonn (pre-limp), then at least able to put her acerbic wit and Philosophy & Ethics GCSE to good use. How many High Court judges are women?"