Women in Conservation Leadership Focus Areas

InstitutionalChange

Learning from Good

Practice

Personal Empowerme

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Women in Conservation Leadership 18 November 2013 Purpose and Principles

PurposeThe purpose of this network is to support women already in and those wanting to move into leadership roles so, as a

profession, we make best use of everyone’s skills to enhance conservation outcomes.

How are we defining leadership?We agreed that can be demonstrated in any position and is not exclusive to those appointed to positions of “formal”

leadership (e.g. senior management/technical expert roles, board membership). Some people do not aspire to be at the top levels of management in an organisation. We would like this network to

look at all kinds of leadership and not lose the broader definition of leadership by focusing solely on positions.

Operating principlesWe agreed that the network is:

• Open to all • Inclusive of everyone’s ideas and aspirations • To inspire people and promote/create role models • For women working in biodiversity conservation • For women in and wanting to move into leadership positions • Self organised and self sustaining • A Cambridge Conservation Forum (CCF) group • Promoted using the established CCF communications channels, mostly website and newsletters • To facilitate structural/institutional change as well as personal change • A collective voice to strengthen ideas and actions that individually might not have traction • Provide practical advice on how to approach and plan for all stages of people’s career

Women in Conservation Leadership 18 November 2013 Activities to support focus areas (not exclusive)

Supporting institutional change researching and sharing good practice in CCF organisations, group visits to CCF organisations, Considering the Athena SWAN Charter approachinfluencing organisations' approach to training in gender equality, recruitment practices, access to leadership opportunities, promotion of women to leadership positionsInfluencing organisations working with communities to recognise women's potential to contribute to conservation outcomes

Supporting personal empowerment a plethora of ideas to support 'leaning in' including mentoring, sponsorship, training, group sessions, coaching and job shadowing a knowledge sharing/informal communication space e.g. a LinkedIn or Facebook group, contributions to the CCF newsletter and websiteUsing social media or other technologies for members of the network in field conservation outside Cambridge

Supporting learning from good practice Events Formal - invited speakers, talks and discussion events, dinners

Informal - networking and social evenings Research

MPhil placement bid to examine the current gender balance in the leadership of CCF organisations and getting views on what barriers there are and how they might be overcome, what might be missing by not having more women in leadership roles via a series of interviews with CEOs, senior teams and HR leads.

Support from outside the network Men - a way for men who are supportive of the network and its initiatives to demonstrate their supportFinancial support - explore the potential for CCF organisations or external sponsors to fund any of the network activities