About Our people Our staff The Fawcett team is based in Shoreditch in East London, and is supported by a team of volunteers and temporary staff. We have a hybrid model of working, with a mix of home and in office working. If you are a journalist or have an urgent media inquiry, please contact Fresh Communication on 0117 369 0025, 07769 66 66 27 or 07801 79987. You can also email [email protected] Jemima Olchawski, CEO Jemima is the CEO of the Fawcett Society. She is a social policy expert with 15 years' experience working on issues around social justice and women’s rights. Her career has spanned national charities, local government and a think tank, working to tackle inequalities and improve life chances. Jemima was previously CEO for Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk. There she led campaigns on supporting survivors of abuse, gendered responses to women’s mental health and the connections between violence against women and girls and contact with the criminal justice system. She was previously Head of Policy and Insight at the Fawcett Society where she led projects such as Sex and Power, Strategies for Success and work on Gender Pay Gap reporting. She has also held roles at the London Borough of Newham and the Fabian Society. Contact Jemima Olchawski: [email protected] Policy, Research and Public Affairs The Policy and Research team carries out research and gathers evidence to enable us to give authoritative comment on the key issues that concern women today. We develop policy to inform debates, often working closely with like-minded organisations to develop up-to-the-minute and thorough research. Alesha De-Freitas, Director of Policy, Research & Advocacy Alesha's background is in economic, regulatory and trade policy. Prior to joining Fawcett, she worked in the Civil Service for 15 years, most recently in the Department for Business as Deputy Director for Competition Policy. In 2017, Alesha was awarded an MBE for services to the digital single market. She has been a school governor in East London for over 10 years and is a champion for inclusive education. Alesha has a BSc in Economics, Politics and International Studies from the University of Warwick. Outside of work, Alesha is a coffee drinker and foodie, and enjoys reading and messing around with plants. Contact Alesha: [email protected] Lizzie Ville, Senior Policy and Research Officer Lizzie joined the Fawcett Society in October 2021. She conducts research exploring key gender equality issues, and develops policy ideas based on this evidence. Previously, she co-led the evaluation of a school and community-based mental health programme in East London for 10-16 year olds, and has conducted academic research into autism, mental health, and student wellbeing in higher education. Before her research work Lizzie held various roles in education, supporting young people and adults with learning disabilities and difficulties. Lizzie was drawn to Fawcett by a long-standing passion for gender equality and a recognition of the role that power inequalities play in individual distress. She holds a Masters degree in Psychology from Birkbeck and a BSc in Maths from the University of Bath. Lizzie lives in Bath and can often be found climbing up on Solsbury Hill. Contact Lizzie: [email protected] Zainab Asunramu, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer Zainab is an activist, writer, former parliamentary researcher and major advocate for human rights. She is also a Councillor. Zainab holds a masters degree in international politics and human rights and has over 10 years experience of working in different NGOs and in local and national politics. Most notably, she worked for Amnesty International as a research assistant on a ground-breaking piece of research looking at violence against women online. She is passionate about anti-racism work, intersectionality and politics at the grassroots level. She is a major advocate for diverse voices in politics and works to get more women, specifically those from under-represented and marginalised backgrounds, into elected office through her work and involvement with the organisation Elect Her! She is also a workshop facilitator for rights, power and privilege, and has delivered training/workshops to NGOs and theatre companies. Contact Zainab: [email protected] Communications and Campaigns The Communications and Campaigns team design strategies to effectively communicate Fawcett's ground-breaking research and campaigns to make change. We lead on Fawcett's campaigning work, alongside our incredible local groups and members and run exciting events to share and spread the word about our work to make the world a better place for women and girls. Lucy Ballantyne, Communications Manager Lucy joined Fawcett in 2022 from Australia, where she was Strategic Communications Manager at the Victorian Women's Trust, an independent gender equality agency based in Melbourne. Previously, she had spent half a decade as a book publicist in some of Australia's best publishing houses, including the world's largest trade publisher Penguin Random House. Lucy has a Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) in Gender Studies/English & Cultural Studies from the University of Western Australia. Contact Lucy: [email protected] Gina Sherman, Events and Communications Officer Gina is responsible for planning, organising and promoting our events. She has previously worked in marketing, communications and community outreach, launching award-winning specialist events to empower women in work and wellbeing. Gina was also previously a creative producer with Apples and Snakes, the UK's leading spoken word organisation, and has worked in theatre and cabaret arts exploring social change. Gina has a Bachelor of Arts in Writing (Visual Practice) from Dartington College of Arts. Outside of work, Gina enjoys trips to the local art gallery, sea swimming and cuddling her three-legged cat. Contact Gina: [email protected] Fundraising, Partnerships and Membership Our Fundraising team is the first port-of-call for anyone looking to raise money for Fawcett, through challenge events, fundraisers, and events. We create donation and are always looking for new ways to fund our vital work. We also give support to our growing number of active local meet up groups, providing advice and practical tools for their activities and campaigns. Get in touch at: [email protected]. Laura Blackham, Membership Manager Laura brings 14 years of experience as a career fundraiser to her role at Fawcett Society. Her background spans a diverse range of income generation areas, and is complemented by experience in charity trading and strategic communications. Prior to joining Fawcett Society, Laura spent a decade at a frontline domestic abuse provider service in her hometown, in the West Midlands. Laura previously sat on the West Midlands Institute of Fundraising committee and has been part of a grants panel, disseminating funds to support women’s projects.Outside work, Laura enjoys exploring the great outdoors with her family, indulging her love of food, and spending time with her staffy. Contact: Laura [email protected] Rosie Williams, Senior Officer Trusts, Foundations and Corporate Fundraising Rosie has previously worked in trust fundraising, most recently Sightsavers, an international NGO working to prevent avoidable blindness and promoting equality for people with disabilities. Before this she was a Senior Fundraising Officer at IntoUniversity, an education charity that runs local learning centres across the UK. She has a BSc in French and International Management from the University of Bath, and is currently completing a Masters degree in Health and International Development at the London School of Economics. In her free time she enjoys running, yoga and cooking. Contact Rosie: [email protected] Val Joy, Database and Support Services Officer Val joined the Fawcett Society in September 2021. Her speciality is managing data and she has worked with databases for the last 25 years – developing, designing and building bespoke systems for companies as varied as leading IT suppliers, Letting Agencies and a national Caring Organisation. Val is passionate about how much the right data system can improve the efficiency and success of any organisation and loves to share her enthusiasm for making data work for everyone. Val is a lifelong feminist and a great champion of equality through her crochet equality icons. She lives in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, and, despite having the beach literally on her doorstep, she often prefers to be indoors crocheting, baking and reading – especially books with feminist characters or information. Contact Valerie: [email protected] Interested in being a part of our team? Click here to view current job openings, and opportunities to volunteer at our head offices in London. Manage Cookie Preferences