Equity of opportunity
Our purpose
WHEN is dedicated to equity of opportunity for women in higher education.
Our method
WHEN helps women*, achieve their ambitions and works with institutions to remove systemic and cultural barriers.
* WHEN we refer to women, we include trans women and non-binary people who are comfortable in a female centred community
Our values
Guiding everything we do
Inclusion
We are a space for all women
We are different races, ages, roles, sexualities. Some of us are disabled, some of us are religious, some of us have children. We have different home lives, different roles, different levels of seniority. We take an intersectional approach and unite as women.
Respect
We understand and value our differences
Our differences are our strength. Being open to sharing our backgrounds, experiences, approaches and opinions is essential. We don’t cast judgement, we listen.
Cohesion
We are strong and supportive
We seek to share, learn from and support one another. We are stronger, together.
Action
We go for it
We use initiative to get things moving and encourage others to do the same. We are busy professionals but will find time to focus on what is most important to us.
Our team
Volunteers from higher education institutions
We are united in our commitment and energy for speeding up gender equality in higher education. Click here to see the full Advisory board and team.
Our beginnings
A grassroots network for women
In 2013, Emma Todd and Alice Chilver founded Astrea: a grassroots network for women at UCL. Astrea aimed to address the under-representation of women at the highest levels of the institution, bringing women together to share experiences, skills and support one another’s professional development. The value and benefits that the network brought to individuals and to UCL were significant. The appetite, enthusiasm and support from women was unrelenting. Through WHEN, Alice seeks to deliver these same benefits to women and institutions across the sector.
