At Pilotlight, we have the privilege of working with inspirational leaders of a wide range of small charities. Their passion, energy and drive are crucial for leading organisations that tackle some of society’s greatest challenges: low employment, economic disadvantage, ill health, abuse and gang involvement to name a few.
As leaders of small charities, they have to be flexible to changes in their environment, knowledgeable of local needs, and be the face of their organisation with a hands-on role as well as strategic oversight.
When it comes to leadership, the gender pay gap is a hot topic. While women’s equality has made great gains, there is still inequality of pay across sectors. In fact, in the charity sector it is growing. ACEVO’s 2013 pay survey showed the pay gap between male and female CEOs increased, with median male CEO salary at £67,000 compared to £54,530 for female CEOs. This is the biggest pay gap in the not-for-profit sector since 2008.
Part of the issue can be explained by the fact that, although 45 per cent of CEOs in the sector are women, men are twice as likely to hold the CEO role in larger charities. Smaller charities fare better on gender equality – a quick straw poll in the Pilotlight office shows that over two-thirds of our 79 partner charities are led by women. However, women are far less likely to be represented on charity boards: under a third of chairs are women according to ACEVO’s report.
In the private sector, the gender pay gap and numbers of women in senior executive and non-executive roles are the subjects of intense debate and scrutiny. Many of our corporate partners champion equality of pay, progression and development opportunities through strategic initiatives across their organisations.
However, these kinds of initiatives are few and far between in the charity sector. And understandably so – particularly in smaller charities, where resources are limited and infrastructure or core costs need to be kept to a minimum.
There are, nevertheless, charities that focus on women empowerment and, directly or indirectly, tackle these issues. Two of our partner charities who work with women, and for women, have personally inspired me. Both these charities champion the participation of girls and women in the economy and in education, providing a foundation for developing skills or entering the workforce and supporting those in male-dominated sectors.
Lewisham Young Women’s Resource Project is an inspirational organisation nurturing, educating and inspiring girls and young women in the London Borough of Lewisham. They provide a safe, all-female environment for their girls – predominantly from challenging backgrounds – to learn through their alternative education provision. The girls also gain confidence and life skills through their young mums programme and special needs work, broaden their horizons by letter-writing with girls across the world and get the support they need to make a positive contribution to their community.
The Women’s Engineering Society focuses on inspiring women to get into and stay in engineering. They work through their members, who are women engineers, female engineering students and engineering companies to encourage and inspire women engineers, support diversity in engineering companies, promote engineering to girls, and provide a voice for the sector on gender diversity. WES is celebrating its 95th anniversary this year and has its roots with the pioneering women who worked in engineering during World War I who, under pressure to leave the workforce after the war ended, campaigned to keep these roles and promoted engineering for women as well as men. They are leading the first National Women in Engineering Day on 23 June: a chance to raise the profile and celebrate the achievements of women in engineering.
The leaders of these two charities are passionate about their cause, tireless in their work and a real inspiration to their members and service users. International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of these types of organisations and the women who lead them. Their ultimate goal is to see gender inequality in the workplace and everywhere as a thing of the past.
by Rachel Lloyd-Williams, Project Manager, Pilotlight