Faculty of Social Sciences Women's Career Support Groups
One of the Faculty of Social Sciences (FoSS) Sphere Challenges for 2020-2021 is to provide support to women during Covid-19 and in its aftermath.
The challenge was set up in recognition that Faculty data show that women are under-represented in level 7 positions and in applications for promotion. A working group, chaired by Bonnie Erdelyi-Betts, School of Education, and attended by staff from across the Faculty, was convened to develop various actions to support FoSS women.
About the Women’s Career Support Groups
During our working group discussions, we identified the importance of being able to listen, share, and reflect on our experiences and challenges, as well as expand our networks. We are pleased to launch these groups, which offer an opportunity for women to support each other while exploring ways to progress and develop their careers during these times.
The groups are intended to be relaxed, informal and supportive spaces, and are open to anyone in the FoSS who identifies as a woman, from any job family or level. The groups will be limited to a maximum of eight individuals and we will endeavour to create groups of women from a range of schools, job families and levels of experiences.
What should I expect?
Once the group is formed, the group facilitator will get in touch to arrange the first meeting. The groups are autonomous, and it will be up to members to decide on the duration and frequency of each meeting, although we would recommend meeting once every four to six weeks for around 45 minutes to an hour.
What are the benefits of joining?
- Mutual support and an opportunity to share experiences with others.
- Networking - building and expanding networks and contacts across the Faculty.
- Career reflection and personal development. Whilst the groups’ agendas are not prescribed, any groups who wish to do so, can work with tools from the My Way toolkit* and/or identify their own materials and topics to initiate discussions on personal and career development.
How do I sign up?
If you would like to be part of a group, we ask you to fill out the form by Thursday 1 April 2021.
Sign up
* The toolkit was funded by an ESRC Impact Accelerator award and has been used in workshops for women in the community as well as in Lockdown 1 by women-to-women support groups at Boots, UK via their ‘Women in WBA’ network.