Beyond Suffrage is our flagship trustee programme, specifically designed to address the underrepresentation of women from Black, Asian, and minoritised ethnic communities at board level across the charity sector. This pioneering programme has been developed to create meaningful pathways for these women to access leadership roles, with a focus on building diverse and inclusive boards that reflect the richness of the communities charities serve.
About Beyond Suffrage
Measurable progress has been made towards achieving gender equality at board level within the charity sector, yet women from Black, Asian, and other minoritised ethnic communities continue to be significantly underrepresented at both senior leadership and board levels. This issue is not confined to the voluntary sector but extends across all industries in the UK. The lack of diversity in decision-making positions at the highest levels persists as a major challenge, even as conversations around equality, diversity, and inclusion have become more prevalent.
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The Beyond Suffrage programme aims to tackle this imbalance head-on by accelerating progress towards gender equality specifically for Black, Asian, and minoritised ethnic women at board level. The initiative adopts a robust, measurable long-term strategy designed to break down the systemic barriers that hinder the advancement of these women. At its core, Beyond Suffrage is dedicated to creating an organic and sustainable pipeline of talented future leaders from these communities who will eventually fill board positions in the charity sector, and beyond.
The Beyond Suffrage network, was developed following extensive consultation with young women of colour, who shared their experiences and perspectives on the challenges they face in accessing leadership roles. These insights have been instrumental in shaping a programme that addresses not just the symptoms of inequality, but the root causes of underrepresentation.
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To ensure the success of Beyond Suffrage and to maximise its impact, we are seeking to collaborate with charities that are looking to recruit new trustees to their boards. By joining forces with organisations that share our commitment to inclusivity and equity, we can create a meaningful movement that propels women from Black, Asian, and minoritised ethnic communities into leadership positions at board level.
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Together, we can turn the next decade into a period of transformative change—a decade of action and progress—where gender equality at board level is no longer an aspiration, but a reality for women from all ethnic backgrounds. It’s time to challenge the status quo, dismantle the barriers that hinder advancement, and build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future for leadership across the UK’s charity sector and beyond.
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Contact
We have a network of brilliant women looking for positions on trustee boards. Contact us to share your trustee recruitment pack with women in our network.