About WHEN
We help women progress and institutions change
WHEN Equality works across higher education to accelerate women’s progression, strengthen leadership and remove the systemic barriers that hold talent back.
Our beginnings
Progress for women. Change for institutions.
WHEN began as a network for women working in higher education. Today, we are a national organisation working with women and universities to create measurable progress in careers, leadership and institutional change.
We believe women should not have to navigate unclear progression routes, exclusionary cultures or unequal access to opportunity in order to succeed.
So our work operates on both sides of the equation. We support women to progress, and we work with institutions to change the conditions in which that progression happens.
Our story
From a network to a movement for change
We started with connection
WHEN was created to bring women working in higher education together, creating a national network where women could connect, learn and support one another.
We moved into progression
As the network grew, so did the need for practical career development. WHEN began designing programmes focused on clarity, progression and leadership.
We began changing systems
100 Black Women Professors NOW demonstrated what becomes possible when career development is combined with sponsorship, allyship, accountability and institutional action.
Now we are scaling the model
Today, WHEN is extending this approach to more communities, more institutions and more forms of underrepresentation, while keeping the same ambition: measurable progress and lasting change.
Why WHEN exists
Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not.
Higher education is full of talented women with the ambition and capability to lead. But progression is still shaped by more than individual performance.
Access to sponsorship, influential networks, transparent criteria, developmental opportunities and senior advocacy all matter. And those opportunities are not distributed equally.
WHEN exists to make progression clearer, create stronger conditions for women to succeed and help institutions turn good intentions into measurable action.
Our consistent approach
3S Systemic Change Model
Lasting change needs to be specific, systemic and sustainable.
WHEN’s 3S Systemic Change Model helps institutions move beyond broad ambitions and one-off interventions by focusing on three things:
Specific
What exactly are we trying to change?
We start by identifying the exact progression challenge, the group experiencing it and the outcome we are trying to shift. That means moving beyond broad statements about equality and being clear about where representation, progression or experience is falling short.
Systemic
What barriers are getting in the way?
We look at the structures, processes, behaviours and relationships that shape progression. That includes the barriers women encounter, the opportunities they can access and the role of leaders, sponsors, managers and institutional systems in either enabling or blocking progress.
Sustainable
What will make the change last?
We design for lasting impact. The aim is not a one-off programme that disappears when a cohort finishes or a senior sponsor moves on. We help institutions build the capability, accountability and ways of working needed for change to continue over time.
The 3S model keeps our work focused on measurable outcomes, accountability for action and change that lasts.
Recognised for impact
Our work has been recognised for leadership, innovation and social impact, but the measure that matters most to us is whether women progress and institutions change.
Our team
Expertise in leadership, progression and change
WHEN brings together specialists in leadership, organisational development, equality and inclusion, coaching, programme design and higher education.
Our core team is supported by a national faculty of coaches, facilitators and sector experts who bring deep experience of leadership, progression and institutional change and crucially all share WHEN's values.
Alice Chilver
Founder and CEO
Former Director of Development at Oxford Leadership Academy and Director at UCL and Oxford University.
Marshah Dixon-Terry
Senior Faculty
Former Head of OD at City of London Police, Executive level coach and leadership consultant.
Professor Susan Lea
Senior Faculty
Former Vice-Chancellor, now C-Level Executive coach, consultant and mentor to Vice-Chancellors.
Dr Jummy Okoya
Steering Board Co-Chair
Associate Professor, University Dean, Executive Coach and Talent and Leadership Consultant.
What shapes everything we do
The values behind the work
Precision
Action
Respect
Inclusion
Cohesion
Want to create change with us?
Whether you want to support women’s progression, bring a WHEN programme to your institution or explore a wider partnership, we would love to hear from you.
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