What do women’s cooperative journeys look like? Who inspires them? And what advice would they give to other women in the co-op movement? These are just some of the questions asked in the Co-op Women’s Voices webinars hosted jointly by Co-op News and the UK’s Co-operative College each month. With guests ranging from leaders of national apexes and business leaders to academics and practitioners, the project has spoken with over 30 women from co-ops around the world, creating an audio-visual archive of women’s cooperative experiences.
In 2011, the UK’s apex body (Co-operatives UK) and its largest consumer co-op (the Co-op Group) launched the Co-operative Women’s Challenge, with the aim of encouraging work towards equity in representation in democratic structures; increasing the number of women in senior management roles; and campaigning for gender equality across economic and social participation.
In 2016, this work was revisited in partnership with Co-op News and the Co-operative College to collect testimonies from women throughout the movement, and record their experiences at different stages of their careers.
Fast forward to 2021 and Covid-19 was in full force, with emerging research highlighting how the pandemic was disproportionately impacting women and girls around the world. In times of crisis, violence against women and girls increases. Women are hit harder by economic fallout. And women were at increased risk of infection, making up 70% of the global health workforce.
In this context, Co-op News executive editor, Rebecca Harvey, and the College’s head of international partnerships, Dr Sarah Alldred, began an informal monthly webinar speaking with women in cooperatives around the world, across diverse regions, sectors and business types. Titled Co-op Women’s Voices, the online conversions continued post-pandemic, and the pair have now spoken with over 30 women, exploring the ‘source of their lives’, listening to their lived experiences and exploring the different co-operative journeys women have taken, what this has looked like, and who has inspired them along the way.
We were curious about what the cooperative movement can do to support, encourage and empower cooperative women as professionals, members and leaders,” said Harvey. “Although this question started during Covid, it’s just as – if not more – relevant today, as women navigate an unequal world of multiple crises.”
“Through the conversations, we want to find out more about the source of these women’s lives,” says Alldred. “Who has helped make them the people they are today? And how has a career in cooperation grown out of this? Previous guests include Mirai Chatterjee (Sewa), Simel Esim (ILO), Melina Morrison (BCCM) and so many more women who have such interesting, inspiring and above all individual stories to tell.”
Explore the archive here. If you would like to hear about future events, email rebecca@thenews.coop to be added to the mailing list.
