International Women’s Day on 8th March is a global celebration of the social, economic, and cultural achievements of women. This year’s theme, ‘Accelerating Action’, focusses on driving progress towards gender equality and inclusivity. To celebrate the day, we asked our portfolio and some of the ECI team to share the initiatives they’ve put in place to help make a difference.
While change doesn’t happen overnight, real progress comes from continuously building the right initiatives, structures, and conversations that help drive businesses forward. From employee-led communities and leadership-driven change to meaningful training and workplace policies, these actions are driving real impact:
Claire Williams, COO at Ciphr
“One of the most impactful initiatives we’ve introduced at Ciphr is Ciphers, our employee-led group designed to create a safe, supportive, and collaborative space for women.
Through Ciphers, women can openly discuss key topics like health, personal safety, and workplace challenges, all in a setting that encourages confidence, teamwork, and meaningful conversations. What makes it so powerful is that it’s driven by the group’s own members, creating a space where everyone has a voice and, more importantly, is heard.
Beyond the support and shared experiences, what stands out most is the action it generates. Every challenge raised is met with compassion and, in true female style, always ends with an action plan. It has been a joy to watch and be part of this community, seeing it drive positive change and personal growth every day.”
Fiona Moore, Head of ESG at ECI
“The fuel that drives action on gender equality is senior buy-in. At ECI, this is a topic led by, and important to, the Managing Partners and that means initiatives are promoted and embedded from the top. That includes individuals from that senior team helping to design our DEI strategy, undertaking training around key topics, and being part of internal discussions and assessments tracking ECI against Level20 frameworks.
The private equity gender balance is not where one would hope, and that includes at ECI, particularly when aligned with seniority, so we know there is still a long way to go to make further progress. However, this being a collective journey that we are on, rather than the remit of the ESG or HR team, makes a fundamental difference to successful change.”
Debbie Martin, HR Manager at Peoplesafe
“Creating a more inclusive workplace is about taking real, everyday actions that make a difference. At Peoplesafe, we view DEI with utmost importance and believe training is the best way to drive positive change. To support this, all employees receive DEI training as part of their onboarding process, while managers receive additional unconscious bias and sexual harassment training. We also actively promote inclusivity by being Menopause Friendly employer, providing sanitary stations in our toilets, and ensuring equal pay for equal work through annual pay audits.
This commitment is reflected in our Great Place to Work scores, with 96% of employees feeling treated fairly regardless of gender and 94% feeling welcomed when they joined the company. But gender equality is an ongoing journey, not something that changes overnight. That’s why we’re working on developing a formal DEI strategy to capture our current efforts and drive continued progress, including initiatives that challenge and reshape attitudes towards women.”
Tamsin Webster, Head of People at ECI
“I am really behind this year’s theme of ‘accelerate action’, emphasising the urgency of making faster, more effective strides toward gender equality. Covid 19 saw a step backwards in many areas and it is my sincere hope that I personally and we collectively can implement meaningful change towards equal pay, opportunities and representation.
There’s strong evidence that goal setting, and transparency and accountability around those goals, achieves results. We see this in the FTSE Women Leaders Review, with women board members in the FTSE 350 now at 43%, up from only 9.5% in 2011. Broadening this approach across a wider spectrum of business is strongly recommended. Goal setting needs to sit alongside proven strategies such as building inclusive cultures, ensuring recruitment strategies are in place to access diverse candidates, and that there is a focus on developing all talent to fulfil their full potential. It is the role of HR and senior leaders to proactively challenge the unconscious biases that may be holding women back.”
Wendy Swash, COO at Moneypenny
“Creating an inclusive workplace starts with listening, which is exactly what we’ve found at Moneypenny. Real progress on gender equality and inclusivity comes from truly listening, not just hearing, but understanding and acting on what people are telling us.
Our unique structure creates and nurtures a culture where everyone’s voice matters and ideas can be shared freely. This openness has shaped our training programs and employee groups, ensuring they’re meaningful and reflect what our people actually need.
Because when employees feel heard and valued, they feel empowered to grow, and that’s how we accelerate action.”
