Jemima is CEO of The Fawcett Society, the UK’s leading charity campaigning for gender equality and women’s rights. Their vision is of a society in which women and girls in all their diversity are equal and truly free to fulfil their potential creating a stronger, happier, better future for us all.
Jemima is a social policy expert with 15 years' experience working on issues around social justice and women’s rights. Her career has spanned national charities, local government and a think tank, working to tackle inequalities and improve life chances. She is an inspiration to us all and we're delighted she took the time to speak to Notable.
If you've got power, use it to challenge inequality and level the playing field for women.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role?
I’m Jemima Olchawski, I’m Chief Exec of The Fawcett Society—the UK’s leading membership charity, campaigning for gender equality and women’s rights charity at home, at work and in public life.
We’ve been fighting for gender equality for over 150 years, to close the gender pay gap, get more women into roles of political power and smash stereotypes that hold our children back from reaching their full potential. Right now, we’re campaigning to make misogyny a hate crime, so that women who are targeted get the same protection as other groups—whether that’s online abuse or a woman whose headscarf is snatched off on the street, those crimes need to be recognised as motivated by hate and taken seriously.
As the Chief Exec, I’m incredibly lucky to lead our brilliant team. As we’re a small charity, the role involves a bit of everything, from strategy, meeting politicians, decision makers and journalists to making sure salaries get paid on time and that everyone has the right kit to work from home.
“Whenever I feel overwhelmed or intimidated by something I think about how much those women have achieved in much tougher circumstances”.
What do you see as your biggest achievement to date?
Fawcett has such a rich history—our founder Millicent Fawcett was one of the earliest campaigners for women’s votes and she dedicated her whole life to achieving that. I’m extremely proud of Fawcett’s work on Gender Pay Gap reporting. We campaigned for the introduction of the requirement that larger employers publish their gender pay gap and then worked with those implementing it to make sure the data published is meaningful. I used to hear from lots of employers that they knew women were paid less than men in general but that it wasn’t a problem in their organisation. Gender Pay Gap reporting has made employers more accountable, now they have to acknowledge there are issues in their organisation. A third of women now check an organisation’s gender pay gap when thinking about applying for a job. It’s not a silver bullet but its an important step.
Which other women inspired you the most and why?
I’m inspired by women every day. The brilliant thing about working in the women’s sector is that I’m surrounded by incredible women who all lead in their own way – I think that creates less pressure to conform to male models of leadership.
I’ve been lucky to meet lots of women who’ve overcome incredible challenges to be advocates for themselves and other women like them, whether that’s survivors of abuse and gender based violence who campaign for better support, or the brave women who challenge their employer on equal pay. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or intimidated by something I think about how much those women have achieved in much tougher circumstances and try to channel just 1 per cent of their grit and general awesomeness.
What are your go-to brands and why? What do you think makes a 'brand of note'?
I’m always keen to see brands that have real values underpinning how they work and that are committed to social change, as well creating and selling something lovely. Fawcett is lucky to have worked with some great brands as partners, like Tatty Devine and Estrid.
What would you say to someone who says that feminists can't love fashion and beauty?
I say love whatever you like! There’s a profound sexism in dismissing something like fashion which is strongly associated with women while taking seriously sport, for instance, which is typically viewed as a male interest. Of course, there are more important things than face cream (and full disclosure I have more than my share of these) but we’re capable of being interested in and caring about more than one thing at a time.
I would encourage anyone who cares about women rights though to be a thoughtful consumer—and this is something I’m working on too. I ask myself questions like who made this? Is it likely to be a woman in the developing world, and if so, what are her pay and conditions like? Where I can, I want to use my spending power to buy better.
And we can also think about ways to spread the joy of things we love—so we can donate to charities like Little Village that support mums who can’t afford good quality maternity wear, baby clothes and equipment, or to our local women’s centre who may well be looking for quality clothing for the women they work with too.
Are there any female politicians/leaders that you particularly admire?
So many! I love working with women like Stella Creasy and Jess Phillips who are absolute powerhouse campaigners. Caroline Nokes has done an incredible job as Chair of the Women and Equalities select committee and is always willing to speak truth to power. Baroness Ann Jenkin has been a trailblazer, encouraging more women into the Conservative Party (and we’re lucky to have her as a Fawcett trustee). I’m really inspired by Carolyn Harris who has changed Government Policy on the menopause, among many other things. There are so many more!
Whilst your work has spanned many different causes, what would you say is the number 1 issue facing women today?
Care. To be blunt, men need to do more of it. Women still do most unpaid care work (and paid care too), making them more likely to be stuck in lower paid part-time work and less likely to progress. Once men are sharing those responsibilities, I’m confident we’ll start to see workplaces that are more responsive to the challenges of balancing work and care. Men playing a fuller role in care at home also lays important foundations in how future generations see women and men. It shows boys that men can be caring, gentle and thoughtful and that those are not unmanly characteristics. So, it also begins to address the toxic masculinity that does so much harm to all of us.
What is the number 1 thing that women can do every day to advance the feminist cause?
Support each other. Build networks, listen and raise each other up. In particular, listen to and take seriously the experiences of women with different backgrounds to your own. If you’ve got power, use it to challenge inequality and level the playing field for women.
If you want to campaign for change alongside incredible feminists, you can join the Fawcett Society. By supporting our work you are pushing for real change for women everyday and becoming a part of a community of people who share your values and are hungry for change:
Do you think it's a good time to be a woman?
It’s a challenging time to be a woman. The pandemic has laid bare that women continue to be hit hardest when things get tough—whether that’s being furloughed, trying to balance work with home schooling and care or tragically, the unacceptable levels of violence against women and girls. But the history of feminism shows that we can win real change when we stand together and challenge the status quo. I love being part of a community of women pushing for that.