Change happens when women come together

Women’s sense of self-worth, ability to determine their own choices and right to influence social change for themselves and others should be a fundamental right.

While the progression of women has often been stunted, these barriers are increasingly being broken down through the collective spirit of women supporting each other.

This drive to inspire change and build a better world for all is at the core of one of RBC Wealth Management’s social impact partners, The Female Lead , a non-profit charity dedicated to making women’s stories more visible and offering alternative role models to those often seen in popular culture.

One of those role models is The Female Lead’s founder, Edwina Dunn , OBE, who transformed the consumer landscape with the creation of the Tesco Clubcard and founded global consumer insights business, dunnhumby.

Edwina has always been driven by a desire to make change and create an impact on the world around her. “There are many ways to be successful,” says Dunn. “I am really passionate about women taking a lead in their own lives.”

The Female Lead is now a leading brand for women’s empowerment, with over 7.5 million followers on social media and the stories of over 1,000 women published. It commissions research, interviews inspirational women, partners with universities and runs global campaigns that are endorsed by women at the top of their fields such as Meryl Streep, Lucy Bronze and Emma Thompson.

But perhaps The Female Lead’s biggest impact has come through its books, The Female Lead: Women who shape our world and The Female Lead: We rise by lifting others. Each volume profiles women from all walks of life: women who have led their field, who have broken the mould to achieve or who have inspired change through relentless endeavour.

Once The Female Lead: Women who shape our world was published, Dunn wanted to make the stories accessible to as many girls as possible. The first volume and associated teaching materials are now present in over 20,000 UK schools and colleges. “I want to encourage ambition and self-belief in young women. I still believe that you can’t be what you can’t see. We need many more women to be seen and for their story to be told.”

Rufaro Chiriseri, head of Fixed Income at RBC Wealth Management in the British Isles, was featured in the second volume, The Female Lead: We rise by lifting others.

Dare to be different

But books alone won’t achieve an equitable future. It also takes the bravery of those who dare to be different. The late American visual experimental artist and feminist icon, Carolee Schneemann was one of those women.

As part of The Female Lead’s Icon series, in partnership with RBC Wealth Management, Schneemann was profiled in the panel discussion, Art, Body Politics and Gender Equality as the first posthumous exhibition of her work, Body Politics, ran concurrently at London’s Barbican centre .

Schneemann’s work was, and still is, considered radical. From sexual expression and the objectification of women to human suffering, her work often moves through the spectrum of emotion, blissfully and sometimes brutally reflecting on what it means to be alive.

The Female Lead is committed to highlighting women that incite change and fittingly, there are many sources of inspiration within Schneemann’s work that are relevant to today’s pursuit of gender equality. “There is a clear message that the personal is political for Schneemann,” says Annabel Bosman, head of Relationship Management for RBC Wealth Management in the British Isles. “She spotlights how conditions of daily life are linked to oppressive social structures, which shockingly, still ring true today in some instances.”

Although women have made significant strides to improve societal stigmas, the panel acknowledged that Carolee would be surprised by how far we have still got to go.

The power of a network

In order to close the gender gap, The Female Lead advocate that building strong and diverse networks is key to helping women thrive and drive real change. “We rise by lifting others is at the heart of what we are doing at The Female Lead. We don’t lose a single thing by speaking up for another girl or woman,” says Dunn.

Whether its female entrepreneurs looking to talk to other female founders about topics such as financing and operating challenges, or arts students like those attending the Schneemann discussion, collaboration is crucial for women to move forwards in society.

As a wealth manager, RBC Wealth Management helps women take control of their financial futures and sees first-hand how successful women reach out to help other women. “Many successful women are particularly intent on doing what they can to help other women and young girls thrive,” says Bosman. “This creates a virtuous cycle of women creating professional and social progress.”

Bosman explains that The Female Lead engages women entrepreneurs, helping them address their challenges and drive conversations forward by plugging them into The Female Lead network, “it’s a vehicle for real change”.