Introducing Champion Voices, a new thought leadership series bringing the personal experiences and reflections of our Champions to the forefront. Every two weeks, we will hear from a different Champion through a short article exploring a topic that matters to them. From what first sparked their interest to the lessons learned along the way, we will move beyond the policy papers to shine a light on the authentic experiences, challenges, and motivations that shape their work. Our inaugural article features Fleur Heyworth, Head of the IGC Secretariat, sharing her perspective on feminism, parenthood, and the gendered expectations around care and family.
Twenty years ago, my Dad casually remarked, “Honestly Fleur, I don’t know what all this feminist fuss is about. Look at you, you’re a Barrister and have had every opportunity - and success - that the boys have had”.
Perhaps my Dad was prescient as “opportunity” and “success” are the bedrock of the International Gender Champions’ work to ensure that women, everywhere, can access opportunities on a level playing field. At the time, I was in the midst of family law cases at court with many children experiencing neglect or abuse as a result of domestic violence, mental health problems, addictions or poverty. Often, it was the mothers who experienced violence and became sole carers when the father left or was excluded from the home, but not always.
Over time, conversations with my Dad explored the balance of power in the home, our society and economy. Working in family courts, it was abundantly clear that caring for a family was shaped by gendered structures - employment laws, taxes, social security and support, and childcare accessibility - as well as cultural norms.
A decade on, I was the primary carer of our two young children. My husband had only two weeks of parental leave and the cost of childcare matched our rent in the UK. It was more attractive for me to hit pause on my career and manage the sleep deprivation, health and care needs. We were the lucky ones of course – our financial situation enabled us to make that choice. However, it was not easy to re-enter the workforce and many parents face barriers to re-entry or struggle to balance responsibilities at home and work.
When the International Gender Champions was founded in 2015, the mission spoke to me on many levels – leaders committing to overcome gender equality barriers within their organisations and systems of governance to uphold human rights and dignity, peace and security. Since then, our work with the Champions of today and years past have seen collective progress in shifting conversations and practices around representation, women’s economic empowerment and trade. Widespread recognition that gender equal societies are more prosperous and less prone to violent conflict showed that we are on the right path.
And yet two decades on, I am aghast at how a highly organised transnational ‘pushback’ movement has seeded the idea that society should return to ‘traditional family values’ and a social order whereby men protect, provide and lead, while women care, outside of the formal economy and decision-making. Furthermore, how has it become acceptable that some men are able to elevate their status and power by promoting the subjugation, control and abuse of women?
We cannot become more cohesive if sexism is normalised. With two teenagers, I fear equally for the pressure on my daughter who hears of women being sexualised by deep fakes and abused, and for my son for whom the path to success is portrayed as money, fame and physical prowess.
Writ large, the values that have underpinned democratic progress for 70 years are under attack while economic wealth and military power is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few – largely male – leaders. Tensions surrounding gendered norms are being successfully exploited to sow distrust and division. However, it is not women, migrants, gay people or others we need to fear, it is the idea that we cannot develop the skills to negotiate our norms, policies, laws, or boundaries to cooperate and cohabit on this planet without resorting to violence or inhuman and degrading treatment.
I am still an optimist. I believe we can address the growing inequities and uncover blind spots in our system as Gender Champions continue to do. And each day, Champions inspire me through their work in service of people globally – from human rights defenders, peace and climate activists to citizens simply seeking access to food, water, education, healthcare, employment, technology, a safe home and respectful community.
However, I am also a realist. Positive change takes courage, creativity and commitment. In this age of technological disruption, we will not simply ‘evolve’ to a better state, we need to intentionally design it, resource and lead it, bringing others with us. Geoffrey Hinton, the ‘godfather of AI’ recently warned, AI must foster ‘maternal instincts’ or we risk extinction: it begs the question – how can we ensure that protection and care are at the forefront of our thinking and actions and what skills and characteristics do the architects of our future need?
My Dad and I agree that we cannot afford to be gender blind anymore. He has been an amazing Grandfather, caring, sharing and teaching traditions that I loved as a child, and yet we both know that there is a lot we need to adapt – as well as preserve - to enable the next generation to thrive.