The Women's Leadership Network aims to develop a strong, dynamic and influential network of women leaders, to ensure equality of opportunity throughout the FE system.

Women's Leadership Network - about us

The Women’s Leadership Network is for women who hold or aspire to leadership and management roles at all levels in the further education and skills sector. It was established in 2007 as a successor to the original Women’s Network, to raise awareness of women’s issues in the sector.

If we are to deal with the challenges not only of recruiting and retaining good staff in provider organisations, but also of building sector-wide capacity for succession and the sustainability of high quality provision in FE, we must ensure that these issues are addressed.

Women, as well as men, are contributing to leadership and management of the FE sector in substantial numbers and at every level. A significant 'glass ceiling' effect still exists in senior management and governing bodies, however, and black and minority ethnic (BME) managers continue to be underrepresented.

Our purpose is to:

• help develop a strong, dynamic and influential network of women leaders, to ensure equality of opportunity throughout the FE system
• promote and represent the interests and aspirations of women in FE by influencing leadership thinking and policy
• encourage career progression by supporting women managers to pursue leadership roles and work to improve support for women in the workplace
• provide professional support and intelligence networks for female leaders in FE
• raise awareness of the under-representation of women in FE leadership
• be recognised as a source of good professional practice.

In order to fulfil our purpose, we propose to undertake the following activities:

• provide a network for female leaders and managers, nationally and regionally
• publish research into gender issues affecting the FE system
• lobby all stakeholders to recognise women’s issues
• invite members to share good practice and learning
• provide training and development that focuses on issues faced by women
• provide a forum for exchanging ideas, sharing good practice and learning from leading women in sectors outside FE
• offer support to women leaders in terms of mentoring and coaching.
• work with provider governing bodies to ensure that they understand and consider women's issues in their recruitment of principals and governors

For more details, please contact Tina Fahm on 020 7297 8449 or simply email tinafahm@wlnfe.org.uk

Press release