be the support that makes her dreams possible
We are working with forward thinking organisations and leaders to ensure that every woman and girl has the information, access, and support to navigate her path equitably and authentically from education to employment, transforming her aspirations into tangible realities.
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The Executive Challenge connects girls from under-represented communities with corporates to give them an insight and connection into the world of work.
This is a well rounded program that offers a unique opportunity for companies to inspire the next generation by facilitating conversations with executives, mentorship and work experience.
executive testimonials
Sharon Whale
CEO Global Markets & Operations
Oliver Agency
"I think it can be easy for young women, especially young Black women and other women of colour to feel othered and not good enough, so it’s important for me to carry on educating myself but it’s also important to provide support and allyship to young women. This project helps young women develop a sense of self and it helps them develop their ambition and not be afraid of it. - Sometimes you just need the access."
Jon Clark
EMEIA Oil & Gas Strategy and Transactions Leader
EY
"If I was 15 again I would love to have access to something like this. I have a 10-year old daughter and I’d love for her to have access to this. Just to learn all the different jobs that are out there is really valuable. I want young women to know that all of these people out there with important sounding jobs are just human beings.:
Ruth Leas
CEO
Investec
"I would have loved the opportunity to meet with someone and see how human they are when I was younger. This is a great opportunity to talk to someone and understand the personal side of business, it’s also very inspiring to talk to young people. I very much support the whole ethos of The Executive Challenge."
Girls' Careers Week
This program offers 50, 18–21-year-old young women insights, skill development, and connections across industries while providing businesses the opportunity to learn from this demographic.
During school holidays, we will collaborate with 5 different companies over a week, this will take place during (1) February half-term, (2) Easter holidays, (3) Summer holidays and (4) October half-term. Each company will take responsibility for one of the five days.
This program offers a unique opportunity for companies to inspire the next generation while providing valuable real-world experience to young women.
The Cannes Challenge is designed to elevate junior female talent by providing them with unparalleled exposure to senior leaders in the industry, mentorship opportunities, and visibility at the Cannes Lions Festival. Junior staff within the partner organisation will be paired with prospective talent, they will work on a live brief and present their ideas to industry leaders, many of which have led to actionable initiatives within the partnering companies.
“The Cannes Lions is the world’s biggest playground for creativity and has long been a source of inspiration for creatives and creative folk. With the Cannes Challenge we are aiming to open it up to aspiring creatives and those looking to move into a creative business, who wouldn’t ordinarily get the opportunity to attend. The Executive Challenge earlier this year was a powerful reminder that our future is in safe hands with the brilliant minds coming through, and Polly, Rob, Lol and I are looking forward to spending more time with and being inspired by more up and coming talent.”
Jemima Monies - Previous COO of McCann London
CHALLENGE: Google aimed to support women returning to work after career breaks, particularly following maternity, parental leave, and caregiving responsibilities. SOLUTION: Google offered 50 spots in their Digital Marketing & E-commerce certificate course to women in the AllBright community. AllBright developed a coaching programme, managed the learners, and created the Reignite partnership programme. RESULT: 246 women applied and are completing the Reignite pilot programme, surpassing average learning hours by 1019% compared to similar programmes. 36% completed the course early, compared to the usual 3-6%.
Case Studies:
our impact
OBJECTIVE:
To provide young girls from lower socioeconomic backgrounds with an opportunity to build a strong foundation for their future careers.
ACTION:
EY signed up to join The Executive Challenge from 2021 where they gave girls between the ages of 14-17 access to mentorship, conversations with their senior leaders and work experience.
OUTCOME:
Over 300 girls applied and roughly 90 girls were impacted by the program.
95% of the girls involved said their confidence has increased, 85% said their experience at EY directly impacted how they navigate their future careers.
Multiple EY staff involved from mentors to executives found this experience extremely rewarding and continued volunteering each year
Benefits of working with The Women's Association
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Employee Engagement: Working with us enables you to effectively educate people in your business about the need for equality for women by creating opportunities of engagement for all of your employees.
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D&I support: We support your efforts around inclusion, taking the bulk of the work required to manage these projects whilst enabling you to still have an impact.
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Attracting talent: You will enhance your company’s reputation for promoting diversity in the workplace: which will help attract a greater diversity of talent into your workforce and ensure that you are not simply paying lip-service to the concept of diversity.
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Transparency & Accessibility: You will increase the transparency and accessibility of your organisation to girls and women, especially those from lower-socio economic backgrounds, which can help diversify your talent pool
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Insights and Learnings: There are many learning opportunities where you get to hear from girls, women and other organisations/leaders. These opportunities help you in creating a truly inclusive company for women.
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Commitment to CSR: By aligning with The Women's Association, businesses demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility and the empowerment of young girls
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Investment: Joining The Women's Association is an investment in a brighter, more inclusive future, positively impacting society and contributing to the long-term success of businesses by fostering a generation of empowered and compassionate individuals.
