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About Women in Defence UK 

Women in Defence UK is an independent not-for-profit organisation, founded in 2011 by former Army officer Angela Owen OBE. With a robust network of over 15,000 individuals, 40+ partners, spanning every level of the defence sector, we are uniquely positioned to stimulate substantial change.

Our story_

Guided by Emmeline Pankhurst's principle of 'Deeds not Words', our purpose is to accelerate gender equity in the defence sector. Working as one of the three legs of the Women in Defence Charter, we strive to support the Charter ambition of 30% of all roles to be filled by women by 2030. By achieving this critical mass, we will speed-up the transition towards a more balanced, inclusive and equitable defence enterprise.

Our influential network enables the sharing of best practices and the sparking of innovative thinking. We inspire through our annual Awards, recognising and celebrating exceptional people in defence and through our renowned cross sector Mentoring programme.

We challenge the norms and prompt progressive thinking through in-depth discussions with Senior Officers and Officials.

Our unwavering commitment to betterment of the defence enterprise has sparked considerable progress; from influencing policy changes to fostering inclusivity in defence organisations. The scale of the change we affect, however, is linked to the active participation of our partners and wider community.

Join us in our work. Together, we can put words into actions and transform the defence sector into a representative and equitable space, where all genders can work and thrive.

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The people driving Women in Defence UK

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Credentials

+15k

individuals in our network building a community of change makers

+429

defence professionals recognised and celebrated through our awards

+40

partner organisations dedicated to gender equity

3,200

extraordinary people nominated for their work

900

individuals are moving ahead with our mentoring programme