Organisations join forces to support Women in Business Charter

The University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) has joined the ranks of signatories supporting the Bristol Women in Business Charter (BWIBC).

In line with its commitment to the charter, the trust aims to achieve three primary goals: enhancing flexible working, particularly in senior positions; facilitating the professional development of lower-skilled roles within the organization; and addressing the gender pay gap across all levels.

The BWIBC, an initiative of Bristol City Council’s Women’s Commission, now encompasses approximately a fifth (around 48,000) of Bristol’s workforce, spanning 42 organisations.

Notable organisations include Hargreaves Lansdown, TLT, University of the West of England, University of University, and Avon & Somerset Police.

The Charter helps organisations achieve their goals by delivering on-hand support from the Charter team of experts, as well as access to peer-to-peer learning, networking and problem-solving with business leaders.

Emma Wood, UHBW Chief People Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, said: “More than 75% of our Trust’s 15,000 strong workforce are female. In signing up for the Bristol Women in Business Charter, we are committed to building on the work we already do in UHBW to make sure our Trust is a great place to work for everyone.

“Inclusion and belonging are at the heart of our commitment to offering the best employment experience possible to all our colleagues. I look forward to collaborating with other charter members to share experiences and learn from each other.”

Sandra Gordon, BWIBC co-founder and Director, said: “UHBW becoming a signatory marks a major milestone for us. Ensuring we enable large-scale organisations to engage and develop better more holistic working conditions for women who come from all backgrounds and walks of life is central to our reason for being.

“Every strata of the Trust – including the Deputy CEO – involves women, so it’s fantastic to see them making a continued commitment to positive change and being willing to be held accountable. We are looking forward to other organisations following suit and making Bristol the UK’s first gender-equal city.”