Allies, lobbyists, mentors and campaigners committed to driving equity and societal change for women have been named in the 2023 Trailblazer50 list compiled by WeAreTheCity. Revealed ahead of International Women’s Day 2023 in support of its #EmbraceEquity theme, the Trailblazer50 list highlights incredible individuals working tirelessly to make society a better place for women.
This is the second top 50 equity trailblazers listing to recognise and celebrate those who step outside of their day job to drive conversations around domestic violence against women and girls, period poverty, race, menopause, FGM, child marriage and social mobility.
Equity trailblazers represent a variety of voices
From health, banking and law to sports, charity and broadcasting, these 50 equity trailblazers include activists, athletes, professors, CEOs, mentors and writers. Despite their different backgrounds, they share one common goal: to change the way we perceive equity and to spearhead meaningful action.
“First and foremost, our Trailblazer50 seeks to bring public recognition of the impact and influence these changemakers are having on society,” says Vanessa Vallely OBE, CEO of WeAreTheCity. “In the spirit of their work and aspirations, we asked each trailblazer what action they would like to see organisations or the government take to drive gender equity.”
Their answers were many and varied, including the following calls for change:
- Have shared and equal maternity, paternity and parental leave
- Enable flexible working hours and job sharing at executive level
- Eliminate the gender pay gap
- Recognise and remove barriers
- Acknowledge and address bias
- Prioritise women’s health care and focus on prevention rather than cure
- Realise that ethnicity and race can negatively heighten someone’s risk and experience of women’s health issues
- Ensure a level playing field in girls sport to reflect recent elite level success
- Introduce comprehensive education on gender equality for boys and girls
- Engage men in the discussion around the need for equity in the workplace and society
Stronger together
HSBC Bank has kindly sponsored the 2023 Trailblazer50 List and is also hosting a networking lunch at its HQ in Canary Wharf on March 30th. The aim of this is to enable the trailblazers to come together to connect, hear each other’s stories, share best practice and further strengthen their resolve to bring about change.
“Change takes courage and commitment. The Trailblazer50 list is full of people who are making a real difference in our community and furthering our collective goal of equality and inclusion. We applaud the recipients and congratulate them on the impact they’re making,” Sam Cooper-Gray, Head of Market Strategy and Engagement, Global Business Banking, HSBC.
The full 2023 Trailblazer50 list is below.
You can find out more about them and their work.
Meanwhile, below please see a little insight from a few that you may like to share.
Let’s look deeper into the trailblazers’ calls to action
“Introduce equal parenting leave for men and women. If all public-listed and large private companies adopted this policy, it would be a game changer for families and would even-up the playing field in the workplace overnight.” Denise Wilson White OBE, Curator of Hampton Alexander Report.
“Normalising a shared approach to parental leave and caring responsibilities more generally. We will not make the progress we need in gender equity in the workplace if the burden stays on one set of shoulders.” Amy Cashman, CEO, Insights Division, UK & Ireland Kantar
“The government and organisations need to better understand and address gender experiences and outcomes. For example, action needs to be taken regarding the disproportionate number of Black women affected by obstetric challenges such as heavy periods and fibroids and the impact of these on their careers and everyday lives. Crucially, action must be taken to address the number of Black women dying in childbirth.” Dr Nicola Rollock, Professor of Social Policy and Race at King’s College London
“Across every sector and community we need to shift our understanding and relationship with our own health. It’s an absolute truth: prevention is better than cure. Employers need to put supporting staff wellbeing on their agendas and the government needs to fund and prioritise public health initiatives.” Athena Laminos, CEO, Eve Appeal
“Flexible working from day one for everyone; by default. So, the onus is on the employer to prove why it wouldn’t work, not on the employee to prove why it would.” Anna Whitehouse, Journalist, Editor, Heart radio presenter, Aka Mother Pukka
“Better collection and use of gender disaggregated data. Good data is a powerful tool for change.” Helen Pankhurst CBE
“I would like to see the government introduce genuinely comprehensive education on gender equality, coercive control and VAWG.” Ruth Davison, CEO, Refuge
“We need to invite proper consultation from diverse groups of women to change the architecture, rather than treat women as remedial. Also, give them training to be better at fitting into spaces designed for and by men.” Deborah Frances White, Comedian/Human Rights and Gender Activist
“The key to true gender equity is education. We know that not only does education provide women and girls access to more opportunities, but it can also provide our male counterparts with the knowledge on how they, too, can, and should, fight for a more just and equal world.” Jaspreet Kaur, poet and author of Brown Girls Like Me
“Get men engaged! We will not achieve gender equity unless organisations engage men in the topic. These would include running workshops and communication programmes to help male leaders and colleagues.” Robert Baker, Male Ally at Baker & Co.
Top equity trailblazers in the Trailblazers50 2023 List
The full list is here: please note that it pays a posthumous tribute to Brenda Hubb Trenowden CBE, former chair of the 30% club, Partner at PwC and senior independent director of the England and Wales Cricket Board.
| Name | Awarded for | Company |
| Denise Wilson White OBE | Women’s Advocacy – Women on Boards | Chief Executive, The FTSE Women’s Leaders Review |
| Brenda Hebb Trenowden CBE | Women’s Advocacy – Women on Boards | Posthumous, Former Chair of 30% Club, PwC Partner, Senior Advisor to English and Wales Cricket Board |
| Professor Rosie Campbell | Women’s advocacy – Women in Leadership | Kings College London, Global Institute for Women in Leadership |
| Rupal Kantaria | Women’s advocacy – Women in Business, Social Economics | Partner, Oliver Wyman, Global Strategic Advisor 30% Club, City of London Social Mobility Board Member |
| Amy Cashman | Women’s Advocacy – Women in Finance | CEO, UK and Ireland, Insights Division, Kantar |
| Deborah Gilshan | Women’s advocacy – Women in Leadership | Founder, 100% club |
| Pinky Liliani CBE | Women’s advocacy – Women in Leadership, progression of Women in Business and Asian Women | Women of the Future, Asian Women of Achievement |
| Rania Robinson | Women’s Advocacy – Women in Advertising and Communications | Vice President, WACL (Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership) |
| Dr Nicola Rollock | Women’s Advocacy – Race Equity | Professor of Social Policy and Race at King’s College London |
| Kelly Simmons OBE | Women’s Advocacy – Women in Sport | Women’s Professional Game Director, FA |
| Athena Laminos | Women’s Advocacy – Women’s health | CEO, Eve Appeal |
| Kate Stephens | Women’s Advocacy – Women in the workplace/social mobility | CEO, Smartworks |
| Christina Blacklaws | Women’s Advocacy – Women in Law | Blacklaws Consulting, former President, The Law Society |
| Clare Murphy | Women’s Advocacy – Women’s health | CEO, British Pregnancy Advisory Services |
| Deborah Frances White | Activist Human Rights and Gender Activism | Comedian, The Guilty Feminist |
| Jude Kelly CBE | Women’s Advocacy – Human Rights and Gender Activism | CEO and Founder, WOW Foundation |
| Jaspreet Kaur | Women’s Advocacy – Progression of Asian Women | Poet, Author, Brown Girls Like Me |
| Dr Leyla Hussien OBE | Activist Women’s Rights – International lecturer on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and gender rights | First Black female Rector of the University of St Andrews |
| Taban Shoresh | Activist Women’s Rights – Helps to support to displaced female victims of conflict in the Middle East | Founder, The Lotus Flower |
| Helen Pankhurst CBE | Activist Women’s Rights – Descent of Emmeline Pankhurst (Suffragette movement) | British women’s rights activist, scholar and writer, Senior Advisor to Care International |
| Dana Denis Smith | Women’s Advocacy – Women in Law | Founder, Obelisk, Founder of First 100 Years |
| Asif Sadiq MBE | Women’s Advocacy – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Male Allyship | Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Warner Bros |
| Robert Baker | Women’s Advocacy – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Male Allyship | CEO, Baker and Co |
| Anna Lane | Women’s Advocacy – Women in Finance | The Wisdom Council, President of Women in Banking and Finance |
| Ann Cairns CBE | Women’s Advocacy – Women in the Workplace | Executive Board Member, formerly chair of 30% Club Chair and former CEO, Mastercard |
| June Sarpong OBE | Women’s Advocacy – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Male Allyship | Founder, Diversify, Author, Diversity Champion, TV Presenter |
| Anna Whitehouse | Campaigner – Flexible Working | CEO, Mother Pukka, Heart FM presenter |
| Professor Susan Vinnicombe CBE | Women’s Advocacy – Women in Leadership | Cranfield School of Management, curator of 100 Women to Watch |
| Samina Akram | Women’s Advocacy – Islamic Women and Ethical finance | Managing Partner, Samak Ethical Finance |
| Suki Sandhu OBE | Women’s Advocacy – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Male Allyship | Involve/Audelis, founder of HERoes Awards in recognition of women in leadership |
| Sophie Neary | Women’s Advocacy – Women in the Workplace | Group Director, Meta |
| Tunji Atintoken MBE CCMI | Women’s Advocacy – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Male Allyship | Senior Director, Head of Marketing Solutions, UK and Ireland, LinkedIn |
| Liz Dimmock MBE | Women’s Advocacy – Women in the Workplace | CEO, Moving Ahead |
| Avivah Wittenberg Cox | Women’s Advocacy – Women in the Workplace | CEO, 20-First |
| Laura Bates | Campaigner – Sexism in Society | Author, Journalist, Founder of Everyday Sexism |
| Melanie Richards CBE | Women’s Advocacy – Women in the workplace | Non Executive Director, 30% Club, Chartered Management Institute |
| Naomi Dickson | Women’s Advocacy – Jewish Women’s Aid | Former CEO, Jewish Women’s Aid, Chief Executive, Norwood |
| Sue O Brien | Women’s advocacy – Women in Business | Executive Chair at Teneo People Advisory & Vice Chair Teneo UK |
| Professor John Ameachi OBE | Women’s Advocacy – Diversity, Enquity and Inclusion, Male Allyship | Founder, APS Intelligence Ltd |
| Payzee Mahmod | Campaigner – Anti Child Marriage | Child Marriage Survivor & Campaigner |
| Elliot Rae | Women’s Advocacy – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Male Allyship | Author, TV Presenter, CEO, Music, Football, Fatherhood |
| Dame Alison Rose DBE | Women’s Advocacy in Business – The Rose Review | CEO, NatWest – Author of The Rose Review |
| Dame Inga Beale DBE | Women’s Advocacy – Women in Business | Portfolio Director, First female CEO at Lloyds |
| Dame Lesley Regan DBE | Women’s Advocacy – Women’s Health | Chair, Wellbeing of Women and Government Women’s Health advisor |
| James Bardrick | Women’s Advocacy – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Male Allyship | Head of Citi, UK |
| Gina Martin | Campaigner – Upskirting | Activist, writer, speaker, and Ambassador for UN Women UK and Beyond Equality. |
| Sophie Chandauka | Women’s Advocacy – Women in Business, Race and Inclusion | Meta – Co-Founder Black British Business Awards |
| Inez Murray | Women’s Advocacy – Women’s economic empowerment | CEO, Financial Alliance for Women |
| Amika George | Campaigner – Period Poverty | Masters Student |
| Ruth Davison | Women’s Advocacy – Domestic Abuse, Violence against Women and Girls | CEO, Refuge |
About WeAreTheCity
WeAreTheCity, founded in 2008 is one of the largest communities of working women in the UK. Our mission is to provide women with the resources they need to excel in their careers, upskill and inform women across the world via our webinars, summits and conferences and to raise the profile of women through our various awards. We work with over 100 different companies and support numerous charities and campaigns that drive equity for women. We have shone a spotlight on 1450 incredible women through our awards, most of which we continue to support. We have helped to upskill over 15,000 women through our events and have helped over 40 schools reach role models by connecting our community to their programmes. WeAreTheCity also has a sister organisation, WeAreTechWomen which provides resources and educational opportunities to women in technology.
We also have coverage about the WeAreTheCity Rising Star Awards 2023
