Skip to content
Women in Defence homepage

Critical Mass 

Critical mass – the size that something needs to reach before a particular change, event or development can happen

The business case for diversity is well known and well made. Diverse voices that can be heard in an inclusive culture bring economic and operational benefits. In the defence sector, women currently number around 24%. The Women in Defence Charter has set an ambition that 30% of all roles will be filled by women by 2030. Our Critical Mass work supports that ambition.

Why Critical Mass?

Somewhere in the zone when women reach 20 to 30% of an institution, things begin to change.

To help organisations reach a critical mass of women, we are generating a critical mass of knowledge and leading practice. Working with our partners, we are building a Critical Mass Community that is sharing their company challenges in the gender space, and, importantly, how they are overcoming those challenges.

Make change with us...

Critical Mass Summit

Our 2025 Critical Mass Summit focused on recrafting the defence narrative.

With thanks to our Pankhurst Partner Babcock, our Partners heard about the operational importance of women to defence, the impact of reputation on organisational outcomes, the importance of framing the future, and shaping perception.

Our speakers were:

  • Louise Atkinson - Chief People Officer from Babcock international

  • Elif Güvençer - Reputation intelligence firm RepTrak

  • Ebru Ozguc - Group Strategic Marketing Director from Babcock 

  • Air Commodore Jamie Thompson CBE - Deputy Commander of UK Space Command RAF

  • A representative from the Security Service

Critical Mass Community

Monthly event

Every company or organisation has their own women’s or gender network that runs fabulous, informative and supportive events for all. The Critical Mass Community will not try to duplicate that, instead we will use our tremendous reach across the UK defence sector to build a community of HR Professionals and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion practitioners to share challenges and, importantly, how they are over-coming those challenges.

The Critical Mass Community will share those challenges and solutions for the benefit of the whole community at monthly virtual or face-to-face meetings.

This way, we will create a critical mass of knowledge and leading practice.

Critical Mass Summit 2025

Louise Atkinson

Reputation and Perception

Read more

related stories

Critical Mass Summit 2025 - Recrafting the narrative of defence

“As women achieve power, the barriers will fall. As society sees what women can do, as women see what women can do, there will be more women out there doing things, and we’ll all be better off for it.” - Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Read more

Critical Mass Summit 2024 - How do we retain women in the sector?

“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” - Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Read more

Critical Mass Summit 2023 - How do we attract women to the sector?

The Summit was our first big step in solving problems and creating a critical mass of knowledge and leading practice.

Read more

Critical Mass Summit 2025