The Fawcett Society is delighted to announce that Jemima Olchawski has been appointed as the charity’s new Chief Executive. Jemima will take over from interim Chief Executive, Felicia Willow, in mid-November. Felicia joined Fawcett in November 2020 on a short-term contract while the charity explored a possible merger with the Young Women’s Trust.

The Fawcett Society is the UK’s leading membership charity campaigning for gender equality and women’s rights at work, at home and in public life. With a vision of a society in which women and girls in all their diversity are equal and truly free to fulfil their potential creating a stronger, happier, better future for us all.

Jemima 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 joins Fawcett from Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk where she has been Chief Executive since 2018. 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.

On her appointment Jemima Olchawski said:

I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to be joining Fawcett. The past 18 months have been an incredibly challenging time for women and have made absolutely clear that when things get tough it is still women, and in particular women from marginalised groups, who bear the brunt - from poor mental health and the risk of redundancy to horrifying levels of violence against women and girls. But we've also seen the power of women coming together and raising their voices. I could not be more excited to be returning to Fawcett and working with the excellent staff team, trustees and members to make sure as we rebuild after the pandemic, we put women's needs and voices at the forefront.

Fiona Mactaggart Chair of Fawcett’s Board of Trustees said:

We really look forward to Jemima becoming Fawcett’s new chief executive.  Jemima knows Fawcett well and her recent experience leading Agenda, the organisation for women and girls facing multiple disadvantage, will be a great asset to Fawcett and will ensure our work is even more relevant to the most excluded women.  The Fawcett Society will continue to lead the campaign for women to be fully represented, to be paid fairly, and to thrive in a society which accepts that they are equal to men.