3 March 2015
Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your interest in the position of Head of Policy and Insight at the Fawcett Society.
Fawcett is the UK’s leading charity campaigning for women’s rights and gender equality. We have a
proud history that we can trace back to the campaign for women’s votes.
As we approach our 150th anniversary, Fawcett continues to have a significant influence on those in
power, campaigning across the political spectrum to ensure that women are empowered to shape
their own lives at home, in work and in public life.
Our work already has an impressive reach and impact, but we are ambitious for more.
We are looking for a Head of Policy and Insight with a passion for safeguarding and developing this
charity; someone who can be an evidence-based reporter on the gender gap and a source of
solutions for closing it.
Our Head of Policy and Insight will lead, build and develop the Policy and Insight team to consolidate
and enhance our position as the leading evidence-based charity researching, educating and
campaigning for women’s rights and gender equality. This is a high profile and influential role that will
put you in direct contact with policy makers, politicians, influencers and the media. It will offer you the
chance to contribute to making real advances in women’s rights and gender equality and to work with
committed Trustees and a range of partners to deliver Fawcett’s objectives.
Working with our new CEO, your leadership of Fawcett’s Policy and Insight team will take the Fawcett
Society from strength to strength as we prepare to celebrate our 150th anniversary
To apply for this post, please send your CV and a brief explanation of your skills and experience that
demonstrates your suitability for this role (no more than one side of A4), to:
HR Department, The Fawcett Society, 11-12 The Oval, London E2 9DT by 24th March 2015.
Warm wishes
Belinda Phipps
Chair
The Fawcett Society is a Registered Charity (No.1108769) and a Limited Company registered in
England and Wales (No. 04600514), with a Registered Office at 11-12 The Oval, London, E2 9DT.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk email: recruitment@fawcettsociety.org.uk
Background Information
Our Vision
A society where women’s rights and freedoms are valued and respected, and where women and
men are equally empowered to influence and shape their own lives at home, at work and in public
life.
Our Mission
To consolidate and enhance our position as the leading evidence-based charity researching,
educating and campaigning for women’s rights and gender equality.
To achieve this we commission and conduct research, we inform and influence policy makers across
the political spectrum, and we disseminate our work widely.
We raise awareness of all aspects of gender discrimination by working in partnership with likeminded organisations, through publications and lectures and other means, including traditional and
new media.
Our Beliefs



Every woman has a right to be treated with respect and dignity and be valued for who she is.
Today’s political, economic and social structures were designed principally by and for men;
women should have the power to redress this state of affairs.
Change that improves women’s lives today also creates a legacy for future generations,
freeing both women and men from the limitations of traditional gender roles and
expectations.
Our History




In 1866 Millicent Garrett Fawcett began her life's work leading a powerful, mass campaign
for women's votes. Sixty years later, she achieved her aim.
Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett died in 1929, but her work lives on, with the Fawcett Society
renamed in her honour in 1953.
The suffragist Millicent worked alongside the suffragettes, who employed distinct tactics in
their campaign. Millicent’s skill was to navigate the case for women’s suffrage through
Parliament, using her intimate knowledge of the democratic process, hard-headed rational
thinking and constant good humour.
From the beginning, Millicent took an interest in women’s empowerment in its broadest
sense and argued that achieving women’s rights was integral to achieving social justice.
While the suffragette colours of green, white and violet stood for Give Women Votes, the
suffragist colours reflected their broader concerns ̶ green, white and red ̶ for Give Women
Rights.
The Fawcett Society is a Registered Charity (No.1108769) and a Limited Company registered in
England and Wales (No. 04600514), with a Registered Office at 11-12 The Oval, London, E2 9DT.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk email: recruitment@fawcettsociety.org.uk
The Need For Fawcett Today
While there is much to be celebrated in women’s lives today, the UK’s record on women’s rights is
still poor. Women and girls are exposed to inequality, discrimination and harassment, and face
significant barriers to achieving their full potential.
Women in the UK also have little sway over major decisions affecting their lives. Women are a
minority in politics, in boardrooms and in the editorial suites of our major media. This means that
the UK is, quite literally, “man made”. As a consequence, institutions, policies and practices reflect
the interests and experiences of only half the population.
Women pay a price for this every day. The UK experiences a large gender pay gap, limited access to
flexible working, high risks of poverty among women, high rates of maternity-based discrimination
and low rates of rape conviction.
Added to this, sexism is taking new and increasingly potent forms. The past decade has seen a
resurgence in childhood stereotyping, with girls encouraged to be passive spectators in a world
awash with pink. At the same time, the media is saturated with pornographic imagery and the sex
industry has become normalised in our high streets.
How Fawcett Delivers Change
Complex and deep-seated challenges to women’s rights require a strong and evidence-based
response.
Fawcett is the UK’s leading advocate for women’s rights, giving voice to the concerns, needs and
interests of women at the very highest levels.
Fawcett has the ability to combine the visionary with the pragmatic. This combination successfully
delivered the vote to women in the 20th century. In the 21st century, we continue in this tradition
by campaigning for practical solutions to the everyday challenges women face, while at the same
time confronting the cultural and social norms that constrain women's and men’s lives.
We bring a feminist analysis to all our work. Our campaigns are bold and challenging. Our voice is
amplified through our partnerships with other organisations. We empower both women and men to
challenge sexism in their everyday lives, giving them the tools to bring about change in their local
communities as well as engaging them in national protests and campaigns.
Who We Are and How We Are Funded
Fawcett is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. It is funded mainly by grants
from trusts made to fund specific projects; the remainder of the money comes from members and
donors.
The Fawcett Society is a Registered Charity (No.1108769) and a Limited Company registered in
England and Wales (No. 04600514), with a Registered Office at 11-12 The Oval, London, E2 9DT.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk email: recruitment@fawcettsociety.org.uk
Fawcett is a membership organisation with the majority of trustees elected by members. Our board
comprises active, experienced professionals who bring hands-on expertise and considerable
commitment.
Fawcett In The Media
Fawcett is consistently seen as the ‘go to’ organisation for women’s rights and gender equality. We
have a high profile in broadcast and print media, as well as a growing online presence. You can find a
selection of the media coverage we receive on our website: www.fawcettsociety.org.uk
The Fawcett Society is a Registered Charity (No.1108769) and a Limited Company registered in
England and Wales (No. 04600514), with a Registered Office at 11-12 The Oval, London, E2 9DT.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk email: recruitment@fawcettsociety.org.uk
Job Title - Head of Policy and Insight
Job description
Purpose

To commission, oversee and manage research into the gender gap and its actual and perceived
size across a broad range of themes, identifying evidence-based opportunities to close it.

To provide insights from robust research to drive and influence action on closing the gender gap
in the UK.

To develop and help implement robust, evidence-based plans for strategic policy interventions,
public campaigning, advocacy, partnership and service delivery work to close the gender gap.
Duties
Research and Insight

To provide evidence of the underlying causes of gender inequality in the UK and how these
interact to contribute to and exacerbate the undesirable effects of gender inequality.

To monitor trends in actual and perceived gender equality among the population in the UK.

To investigate the major areas where gender difference has an impact; e.g., poverty, health,
housing, mental health, benefits, work, power, wages, childbearing and child rearing, and
domestic work.

To provide robust evidence as to what works to close the gender gap, drawing from national
and international research.

To develop an evidence-based understanding of which aspects of gender inequality affect
Fawcett beneficiaries most, and which solutions are most appropriate bearing in mind the
diversity of our beneficiaries and specific issues relevant to young women, older women, black
and minority ethnic (BME) women, disabled women and disabled men.

To commission or conduct consumer insight research to enable Fawcett to understand how to
communicate the reasons why gender inequality matters and what can be done about it to
stakeholders and the general public (men and women, adults and children).

Outputs may include detailed research reports, parliamentary briefings, consultation responses,
amendments to parliamentary Bills and media briefings, web pages, infographics, You Tube
films, presentations etc. You will also help colleagues distil key research findings into easily
The Fawcett Society is a Registered Charity (No.1108769) and a Limited Company registered in
England and Wales (No. 04600514), with a Registered Office at 11-12 The Oval, London, E2 9DT.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk email: recruitment@fawcettsociety.org.uk
understood verbal, visual and written communications suitable for wider audiences across
multiple channels.
Solution Development

To produce and commission high-quality qualitative and quantitative, secondary, and
sometimes primary, research to establish how gender inequality gaps might be closed ̶ looking
at national and international examples of work that has been done and exploring the possible
effects of actions that have not yet been tried.

To provide evidence-based recommendations for actions involving legislative reform, policy
change (eg, economic policy), culture change, service delivery (eg, education) or other change.
Solution Implementation

Where relevant, to develop and deliver strategic activities in order to influence politicians and
policy makers in government and across the political spectrum, including through high-level
meetings and engagement in parliamentary forums such as all party parliamentary groups
(APPGs) and Select Committees in local and devolved government, as well as in Westminster.

To work with others to design and make available appropriate resources to enable Fawcett’s
members and supporters to take local and national action to bring about change.
Partnership working

In line with the strategic plan, to suggest and develop partnerships or alliances and coalitions
which will further Fawcett's work and objectives.

To act as the lead or deputise for the CEO where agreed and appropriate in partnerships and
coalitions.
Communication and Representation

When required, to act as a spokesperson and advocate for Fawcett’s work, including through
local and national speaking and live media appearances, and to contribute material to the
Fawcett website, social media and external publications.
Strategy
 To contribute to the development of Fawcett’s overall strategic direction, including short- and
long-term work planning processes.
 Working from high-level vision, mission and goals, to develop strategic and tactical plans to
deliver the required results.
The Fawcett Society is a Registered Charity (No.1108769) and a Limited Company registered in
England and Wales (No. 04600514), with a Registered Office at 11-12 The Oval, London, E2 9DT.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk email: recruitment@fawcettsociety.org.uk
Management

To commission and manage freelance workers, external experts, volunteers and partner
organisations, and monitor the quality of their work.

To develop and lead an effective research and insight team.

To manage and monitor project and activity budgets and contribute to the development of the
overall Fawcett budget and operational plan.

To work effectively as part of the larger Fawcett team of staff and volunteers, ensuring that
Fawcett systems, such as the database, are maintained and updated, so that all Fawcett contact
information is correctly recorded and shared with colleagues.

To support the organisation in generating income through groups membership, commercial
partnerships and trading, and to contribute to the identification of grant opportunities and the
production of funding applications and funding reports.
 To act in the best interests of Fawcett, and adhere to and promote Fawcett’s values and policies
across all your work.
 To undertake any other reasonable requests made of you.
Person Specification
Essential
Knowledge and Experience

Considerable experience of commissioning, managing and undertaking research nationally and
internationally, secondary and primary, qualitative and quantitative.

Experience of strategic and project planning in a campaigning or service delivery organisation.

Proven record in developing evidence-based solutions that have involved any or all of the
following; strategic policy interventions, public campaigning, advocacy, partnership and service
delivery.

Experience of developing and maintaining partnerships, alliances or coalitions.
The Fawcett Society is a Registered Charity (No.1108769) and a Limited Company registered in
England and Wales (No. 04600514), with a Registered Office at 11-12 The Oval, London, E2 9DT.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk email: recruitment@fawcettsociety.org.uk

Experience of effective team development, leadership and management of staff and volunteers.

Experience of writing funding applications, managing a budget and reporting to funders.

An understanding of UK gender equality issues and women’s rights.

A track record of supporting the delivery of parliamentary and public campaigns at national and
local levels and in involving local activists, or in designing public information campaigns or
evidence-based service delivery.
Skills and Attributes

An ability to think strategically, and to make an organisation-wide contribution to Fawcett’s
development.

Strong research skills in both qualitative and quantitative areas.

Demonstrably clear and fluent written and verbal skills.

Willingness to act as a spokesperson for the organisation.

Motivated, committed and flexible, with a "can-do" attitude and the ability to innovate and
grasp opportunities.

Ability to establish credibility and trust and to build relationships with a wide range of
stakeholders ̶ in particular, senior politicians, and policy and decision makers.

Ability to communicate complex issues clearly to others in an engaging way.

A demonstrable commitment to equal opportunities.
Desirable

Experience/track record in securing grants and income for policy and campaigning work.

Experience as a member of a management team reporting to a CEO.

Knowledge of EU and UN women’s rights/gender equality policy, and legislative frameworks and
institutions.

Knowledge of UK campaigning, policy or public affairs framework.

Commitment to gender equality and equal opportunities.
The Fawcett Society is a Registered Charity (No.1108769) and a Limited Company registered in
England and Wales (No. 04600514), with a Registered Office at 11-12 The Oval, London, E2 9DT.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk email: recruitment@fawcettsociety.org.uk
Note
Due to the nature of 24/7 media and parliamentary schedules, as well as the need to work with
trustees and volunteers who have full-time jobs, this is a role that is likely to involve occasional
evening/weekend work.
Interview Date
For successful applicants, interviews will take place during the week commencing Monday 30th March
2015.
Equal Opportunities
The Fawcett Society welcomes applications from all persons regardless of gender, gender
reassignment, race, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status,
pregnancy, disability, religion or belief, or age. Appointments are made on merit. Applicants may be
asked to provide evidence of their eligibility to work in the UK. We therefore ask you to complete the
separate online equal opportunities form either completely, or just those sections you are happy to
complete. Responses are anonymous and automatically submitted.
The Fawcett Society is a Registered Charity (No.1108769) and a Limited Company registered in
England and Wales (No. 04600514), with a Registered Office at 11-12 The Oval, London, E2 9DT.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk email: recruitment@fawcettsociety.org.uk