Anti-racism statement

Racism exists. The Circle community stand in solidarity with activists fighting racial discrimination. We see you. We hear you. We stand with you. We will use our influence to challenge racist behaviour, language, and action. The Circle commits to intersectional, global feminism and active anti-racism as we continue our fight for gender equality.

The Circle takes a zero-tolerance approach to racism. As a women-led organisation empowering the
world’s most vulnerable and marginalised women and girls facing the worst injustices of inequality,
particularly women of colour, our values Respect, Empathy and Inclusion, are at the heart of all we do
and aim to achieve.

Women and girls supported by The Circle face social injustice and discrimination on multiple fronts. We
believe that gender equality is not achievable unless all women, including the most disempowered by
patriarchal and systematic racist systems and structures within society, are included in global movements
for equality. As an organisation responsible for creating, shaping, enabling and implementing global
change we are committed to ensuring that anti-racist principles are part of the fabric of our organisation,
activities and partnerships. We acknowledge that this is an important process that will continually inform
and shift our priorities and actions.

The Circle is committed to:
  • Diversifying our board of trustees, committees and membership
  • Ensuring our platforms and communications are prioritising the voices and stories of women and
    girls with lived experience and disempowered by racism, gender inequality and all social
    prejudice, particularly Black Women and Women of Colour.
  • Creating safe spaces for staff and board members to regularly discuss and map out action on anti-racism, equality, diversity and inclusion.
  • Ensuring a race champion to take the lead in the team and on the board.
  • Taking a zero-tolerance approach to racism – building a culture of trust, treating allegations of
    racism seriously, and taking appropriate action to address it.
  • Collaborating with women from all walks of life and championing the knowledge, experience
    and advice shared by disempowered and marginalised women.
  • Creating events for members of our community to support their education around social
    injustices caused by racism, and the intersectionality of gender equality.
  • Reviewing our commitments on a quarterly basis