To coincide with International Women’s Day and Week, WeAreTheCity has revealed allies, lobbyists, mentors and campaigners committed to driving equity and societal change for women in the 2023 Trailblazer50 list.
Focusing on the #EmbraceEquity theme for International Women’s Day, the Trailblazer50 list highlights, incredible individuals working tirelessly to make society a better place for women. This is the second Trailblazer50 listing to recognise and celebrate those who step outside of their day job to drive conversations around domestic violence against women and girls, period poverty, race, menopause, FGM, child marriage and social mobility.
SPEARHEADING MEANINGFUL ACTION
From health, banking and law to sports, charity and broadcasting, these 50 equity trailblazers include activists, athletes, professors, CEOs, mentors and writers. Despite their different backgrounds, they share one common goal: to change the way we perceive equity and to spearhead meaningful action.
“First and foremost, our Trailblazer50 seeks to bring public recognition of the impact and influence these changemakers are having on society,” stated Vanessa Vallely OBE, CEO of WeAreTheCity. “In the spirit of their work and aspirations, we asked each trailblazer what action they would like to see organisations or the government take to drive gender equity.”
The varying answers including the following calls for change:
- Have shared and equal maternity, paternity and parental leave.
- Enable flexible working hours and job sharing at executive level.
- Eliminate the gender pay gap.
- Recognise and remove barriers.
- Acknowledge and address bias.
- Prioritise women’s health care and focus on prevention rather than cure.
- Realise that ethnicity and race can negatively heighten someone’s risk and experience of women’s health issues.
- Ensure a level playing field in girls sport to reflect recent elite level success.
- Introduce comprehensive education on gender equality for boys and girls.
- Engage men in the discussion around the need for equity in the workplace and society.
STRONGER TOGETHER: TRAILBLAZERS CALL FOR ACTION
Here are just some of the trailblazers, voicing the need for action this year. “Change takes courage and commitment. The Trailblazer50 list is full of people who are making a real difference in our community and furthering our collective goal of equality and inclusion. We applaud the recipients and congratulate them on the impact they’re making,” stated Sam Cooper-Gray, Head of Market Strategy and Engagement, Global Business Banking of HSBC.
Denise Wilson White OBE, Curator of Hampton Alexander Report, said she wants to introduce “equal parenting leave for men and women”. “If all public-listed and large private companies adopted this policy, it would be a game changer for families and would even-up the playing field in the workplace overnight.”
Amy Cashman, CEO of Insights Division (UK & Ireland) at Kantar, agrees: “Normalising a shared approach to parental leave and caring responsibilities more generally. We will not make the progress we need in gender equity in the workplace if the burden stays on one set of shoulders.”
Dr Nicola Rollock, Professor of Social Policy and Race at King’s College London believes that the government and organisations need to better understand and address gender experiences and outcomes: “For example, action needs to be taken regarding the disproportionate number of Black women affected by obstetric challenges such as heavy periods and fibroids and the impact of these on their careers and everyday lives. Crucially, action must be taken to address the number of Black women dying in childbirth.”
EDUCATION MATTERS
Ruth Davison, CEO of Refuge would like to see the government “introduce genuinely comprehensive education on gender equality, coercive control and VAWG.”
Jaspreet Kaur, poet and author of Brown Girls Like Me, agrees: “The key to true gender equity is education. We know that not only does education provide women and girls access to more opportunities, but it can also provide our male counterparts with the knowledge on how they, too, can, and should, fight for a more just and equal world.”
Robert Baker, Male Ally at Baker & Co, shares her sentiment: “Get men engaged! We will not achieve gender equity unless organisations engage men in the topic. These would include running workshops and communication programmes to help male leaders and colleagues.”
Deborah Frances White, Comedian/Human Rights and Gender Activist, believes that we need to “invite proper consultation from diverse groups of women to change the architecture, rather than treat women as remedial. Also, give them training to be better at fitting into spaces designed for and by men.”
“Across every sector and community we need to shift our understanding and relationship with our own health. It’s an absolute truth: prevention is better than cure. Employers need to put supporting staff wellbeing on their agendas and the government needs to fund and prioritise public health initiatives,” added Athena Laminos, CEO, Eve Appeal.
Anna Whitehouse, Journalist, Editor, Heart radio presenter, Aka Mother Pukka believes in “flexible working from day one for everyone; by default. So, the onus is on the employer to prove why it wouldn’t work, not on the employee to prove why it would.”
Finally, Helen Pankhurst CBE, wants “better collection and use of gender disaggregated data.” After all, as she rightly points out, “Good data is a powerful tool for change.”
TRAILBLAZER50 2023 LIST
This year’s Trailblazer50 2023 List, includes:
- Denise Wilson White, Chief Executive, The FTSE Women’s Leaders Review
- Brenda Hebb Trenowden CBE, Former Chair of 30% Club, PwC Partner, Senior Advisor to English and Wales Cricket Board
- Professor Rosie Campbell, Global Institute for Women in Leadership, Kings College London
- Rupal Kantaria, Partner, Oliver Wyman & Global Strategic Advisor 30% Club
- Amy Cashman CEO, UK and Ireland, Insights Division, Kantar
- Deborah Gilshan, Founder, 100% club
- Pinky Liliani CBE, Women of the Future, Asian Women of Achievement
- Rania Robinson, Vice President, WACL (Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership)
- Dr Nicola Rollock, Professor of Social Policy and Race at King’s College London
- Kelly Simmons OBE, Women’s Professional Game Director, FA
- Athena Laminos, CEO, Eve Appeal
- Kate Stephens, CEO, Smartworks
- Christina Blacklaws, President, The Law Society
- Clare Murphy, CEO of British Pregnancy Advisory Services
- Deborah Frances White Activist Human Rights and Gender Activism
- Jude Kelly CBE, CEO and Founder, WOW Foundation
- Jaspreet Kaur, Poet, Author of Brown Girls Like Me
- Dr Leyla Hussien OBE Activist, First Black female Rector of the University of St Andrews
- Taban Shoresh, Founder of The Lotus Flower
- Helen Pankhurst CBE, Senior Advisor to Care International
- Dana Denis Smith, Founder, Obelisk, Founder of First 100 Years
- Asif Sadiq MBE, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery
- Robert Baker, CEO, Baker and Co
- Anna Lane, President of Women in Banking and Finance
- Ann Cairns CBE, Executive Board Member, formerly chair of 30% Club Chair and former CEO of Mastercard
- June Sarpong, TV Presenter & Founder, Diversify
- Anna Whitehouse, CEO, Mother Pukka
- Professor Susan Vinnicombe CBE, Cranfield School of Management & curator of 100 Women to Watch
- Samina Akram, Managing Partner, Samak Ethical Finance
- Suki Sandhu OBE, CEO Involve/Audelis & founder of HERoes, Involve, etc.
- Sophie Neary, Group Director, Meta
- Tunji Atintoken, Senior Director, Head of Marketing Solutions, UK and Ireland, LinkedIn
- Liz Dimmock MBE, CEO of Moving Ahead
- Avivah Wittenberg Cox, CEO of 20-First
- Laura Bates Campaigner, Founder of Everyday Sexism
- Melanie Richards CBE, Non Executive Director of 30% Club
- Naomi Dickson, Former CEO of Jewish Women’s Aid & Chief Executive, Norwood
- Sue O Brien, Executive Chair at Teneo
- Professor John Ameachi OBE, Founder, APS Intelligence Ltd
- Payzee Mahmod, Child Marriage Survivor & Campaigner
- Elliot Rae, CEO of Music, Football, Fatherhood
- Dame Alison Rose DBE, CEO of Natwest & Author of The Rose Review
- Dame Inga Beale DBE, Portfolio Director, First female CEO at Lloyds
- Dame Lesley Regan DBE Chair, Wellbeing of Women and Health advisor for Government
- James Bardrick, Head of Citi, UK
- Gina Martin, Ambassador for UN Women UK and Beyond Equality
- Sophie Chandauka, Co-Founder Black British Business Awards
- Inez Murray, CEO, Financial Alliance for Women
- Amika George Campaigner, Masters Student
- Ruth Davison, CEO of Refuge
OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE BEST PRACTICE
HSBC Bank, sponsor of the 2023 Trailblazer50 List is also hosting a networking lunch at its HQ in Canary Wharf on 30th March. The aim of this is to enable the trailblazers to come together to connect, hear each other’s stories, share best practice and further strengthen their resolve to bring about change.
Click here to find out more.
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