The Circle – Chair

CHAIR

FEBRUARY 2024

A LETTER FROM ANNIE LENNOX , THE CIRCLE NGO FOUNDER

Right now there is an urgent need to stand in solidarity in demanding action to defend the freedoms and rights of women and girls everywhere around the world. All our sisters, mothers and daughters must have protection against violence, as well as universal access to healthcare, education and fundamental human rights in all private and public spaces.

As we have recently celebrated The Circle’s 15th year, I’ve become more conscious of everything we’ve achieved as an organisation, and everything we still have to do. It is a milestone moment for The Circle, and a crossroads moment for women around the world. The challenges women face are immense. From the epidemic of gender-based violence to the scourge of modern slavery. And now, for the first time in a century, we face concerted global efforts to roll back the rights won by generations of heroic women past, in order to make the disempowerment and subjugation of women and girls a cultural and political norm.

The Circle’s message of ‘Global Feminism’ and your participation and support, offers us a unique

opportunity to play a significant role in fighting against these negative trends. We are developing a network of inspirational partnerships and inroads at grassroots level which can produce powerful, long-lasting influence and transformative change. Join Us.

“ CHANGE IS POSSIBLE, BUT IT IS NEVER EASY. WE HAVE TO BE RESILIENT AND DETERMINED. ”

Annie Lennox, The Circle NGO Founder

A LETTER FROM RAAKHI SHAH , THE CIRCLE NGO CHIEF EXECTIVE

A NEW FRONTIER OF OPPRESSION

The rights of women and girls has come under a mounting assault across the world over the last few years. We watched in hope as women in Iran and Afghanistan rose up against repression and gender apartheid in their countries, and then reacted with horror as their voices were brutally silenced, with the international community standing by. We saw the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war continue to surge in the world’s conflict zones. As the world economy reeled from the after-effects of the pandemic, we saw a rise in the exploitation of women as cheap or forced labour in farms and factories across the Global South. In several countries, we also saw attempts to roll back the hard-won legal rights of women, most notably with the US Supreme Court decision to overturn the abortion protections set out in Roe v Wade. And we saw the surge of a dangerous new culture of online and institutional misogyny, with the violent abuse of women not just excused, but normalised, encouraged and celebrated.

WE MUST ALL RISE

It was more important than ever for The Circle to stand strong, both in the solidarity we showed to women, and in the action we took to help the forces of global feminism fight back in defence of women’s rights and freedoms. Last year The Circle deepened

its partnerships with grassroots global feminist organisations in several countries working at the front-line of their communities to end gender-based violence and enable women to build better futures for themselves. We were able to utilise our global network to support with legal advice, media skills workshops, and funding advice, amplifying the work and voices of our partners and activists, contributing to global advocacy coalitions, hosting events, and reaching new audiences.

A UNIQUE GLOBAL FEMINIST NETWORK

Every woman and ally who is part of The Circle’s global network is a changemaker uniting to make The Circle a unique home for impactful change. The Circle is a growing organisation, entirely funded by the donations and grants we receive from partners and supporters, with a five-year strategy that speaks to our ambition for greater impact than ever.

THE CIRCLE NGO PARTNERS

“Partnering with the Circle has been so special and given us the opportunity to meet and discuss with influential women around the world which is inspiring and motivating, and to be internationally recognised as a women’s rights organisation.”

MUKYALA ZAITUNA, WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP UGANDA

“Our project with The Circle is a great opportunity for us to strengthen women workers and survivors in the garment industry through awareness raising, advocacy and psychosocial support. We should speak out fearlessly by coming forward to build a women’s working activist network across the world.”

PADMINI WEERASURIYA, DIRECTOR OF THE WOMEN’S CENTRE SRI LANKA

“The Circle and Rahela Trust share the belief that when women are given confidence, opportunities and access to resources, incredible, positive, change can be achieved. As a small charity, we are eager to learn from the circle’s expertise and bring that knowledge to our evolving work. Together, we’re confident we can create an equitable future for the women and people of Afghanistan, and we are honoured to have The Circle as an ally in this important mission.”

RAHELA SIDIQI, FOUNDER OF RAHELA TRUST

ABOUT THE CIRCLE NGO

The Circle NGO is a unique and dynamic organisation which brings global feminists together to fight for the safety and equality of marginalised and vulnerable women around the world. Founded by singer-songwriter and activist, Annie Lennox, The Circle is a space for creative ideas, connections and the opportunity to make change.

The Circle funds and supports frontline grassroots women’s rights organisations, their partners, in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries. The organisation uses the collective voices of partners, changemakers and those with lived experience to advocate and strive for long-term structural change. Over the last 15 years, The Circle has supported over 1.4 million people directly on women’s rights in 31 countries and over 630,000 women directly through our partners. Every woman and ally who is part of The Circle’s global network is a changemaker uniting to make The Circle a unique home for impactful change.

Under our priority thematic areas of Economic Empowerment and Ending Violence Against Women, The Circle helps provide marginalised and vulnerable women and communities in Rwanda, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Kenya, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Middle East and UK with:

• Safe spaces and refuges

• Counselling and education

• Awareness raising campaigns through radio

• Domestic abuse support workers

• Psychosocial and therapeutic support

• Skills development to access employment

• Mentoring

• Support through the training of village advocates

• Emergency Assistance

• Training in the workplace

• Workshops to understand their rights

Last year The Circle reached over 20 million people through their communications work including international media coverage on BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, People.com, and Times Radio and partnerships with global platforms such as TikTok.

The Circle is at a pivotal moment in its history, moving from a start-up to a growing and ambitious organisation, with a strategy that speaks to transformational growth and impact. The Circle is now looking for a Chair with passion, profile and reach to guide and support this process.

OUR VISION

A future where there is safety for all women and girls.

OUR MISSION

To economically empower and end violence against marginalised and vulnerable women across the world by building a network of Global Feminist changemakers who fund, advocate, amplify, connect and convene.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Read our 2022/2023 Impact report.

• Watch our 15 years of impact film.

THE ROLE

ROLE:

Chair LOCATION:

UK based

REMUNERATION:

This is a voluntary position (unpaid)

TERM:

Trustees normally serve an initial three-year term and this is sometimes then extended for a further three years to a maximum term of six years.

JOB SUMMARY

Are you passionate about global women’s rights and would love to contribute to the cause? Do you believe in the difference you can make in the lives of marginalised and vulnerable women across the world?

We are seeking a Chair of Trustees to lead our Board with energy and commitment. This person should ideally have an extensive network and be willing to engage with their contacts in order to maximise the support and impact of the Circle.

THE ROLE OF THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

We are looking for a Global Feminist who will be a passionate advocate for the organisation and its grassroots partners. They will have experience of governance processes or similar roles and use their influence and networks to support the delivery of our ambitious strategy and mission. As an ambassador, the Chair will represent the organisation externally, broadening support and relationships with corporate partners, philanthropic organisations, and individuals.

The Circle is fortunate to have a Board that is engaged in and passionate about its work. The Board

is responsible for accountability, inspiration, and constructive challenge. Our Board oversees and holds accountable The Circle’s executive leadership, ensuring it is always financially sustainable, well-run, and of good reputation. The Board safeguards assets and applies them in line with The Circle’s governing documents. Our Trustees come from a range of backgrounds in the charity, public and private sectors. Some bring previous experience of being Trustees and some are newer to the Board. More information on our Board members can be found here.

The Chair will work alongside the Vice Chair, Treasurer and Trustees to support the CEO and team. Currently the Vice Chair leads on programme and partnerships with grassroots women’s rights organisations, alongside strengthening governance and ensuring robust operational management. The Vice Chair sits on the Finance and Risk Committee and deputises for the Chair as required. The Treasurer chairs the Finance and Risk Committee and leads on implementing the financial strategy in order to ensure robust financial management.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

We are looking for someone with networks, connections and influence, and a background in the corporate and/or philanthropic sectors, who is willing to use their networks to generate more support for The Circle. Ideally, this will be someone with a profile which will help us achieve our ambitious plans to transform the lives of women and girls. We are excited to work with a leader who is able to represent us and shine a light on the important work that our grassroots partners are doing and the impact they are making on the ground. The Chair will engage with a broad range of people–from corporate partners and prospective donors, to celebrities, to partners on the ground. They will bring credibility, strong interpersonal and representational skills, and share our values.

The Chair should be both pragmatic and ambitious. They should have an understanding of how small organisations operate, as well as appreciation for the challenges and limitations that come with that, balanced with what strategic elements need to be put in place for future growth.

This is a significant leadership opportunity for the right person. We value the life experience, knowledge, and skills that this person will bring to help us to fulfil our purpose.

We recognise the importance of having a diverse and inclusive Board. The Circle is committed to achieving greater diversity and therefore welcome applications from women with a range of life experiences and backgrounds.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Influencing, representational and ambassadorial skills to expand The Circle’s networks, voice, and impact in the UK and globally.

• Experience of previous trustee roles; desirable to have had a previous Chair role.

• Senior leadership experience in a corporate, commercial, or philanthropic role, ideally within a multi-cultural stakeholder environment.

• Experience or willingness to engage in and open doors to philanthropic activities.

• Passion and interest for women’s rights and/or international development.

• Experience of working with multiple stakeholders, including prominent people.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to engage a wide range of individuals and organisations across sectors

• An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of trusteeship.

• An ability to think creatively and offer constructive challenge.

• An ability to work effectively as a member of a team, and an approach which is collaborative and flexible.

• A willingness to speak their mind.

• A commitment to our values: empowerment, passion, innovation, respect and equality.

In addition to being the Chair of the Board, the candidate will also be a Trustee whose key duties are:

• Support and provide advice on the purpose, vision, goals, and activities of The Circle.

• Approve operational strategies, operational policies and ethical standards, and monitor and evaluate their implementation.

• Oversee The Circle’s financial objectives, plans and budgets, and monitor and evaluate progress.

• Appoint the Chief Executive and delegate to him/her all such authority, powers and functions as is required for the management and implementation of The Circle’s activities and affairs.

• Endeavour to attend all Board meetings, ensuring that they are adequately prepared, and to contribute to deliberations.

• Exercise independence of judgment, acting legally and in good faith to promote and protect The Circle’s interests, to the exclusion of their own personal and/or any third-party interests. Use information received in their capacity as a director with discretion and to the ends for which it was provided.

COMMITMENT

The Board meets four times a year, generally weekday early evenings (UK time). Meetings are normally held online. One of our partners is often invited to join us for part of each meeting, which is a way for them to share their work, and for us to remain engaged in what they are doing on the ground. The Board meets in person for a full day twice a year to focus on strategy. The Finance and Risk Committee meets before each Board meeting and the Chair may choose to join. The Chair will be expected to represent the organisation at a range of public and private events, including meetings with potential corporate and philanthropic supporters. Trustees are required to agree to abide by the Trustees’ Code of Conduct and to declare as appropriate their business interests.

The Chair must be able to commit two days a month on average to read papers, chair meetings and events, and contribute between meetings by emails and calls, as required.

HOW TO APPLY

Allcorrespondence,atthisstage,shouldbevia OxfordHR.Toapplyforthispost,clickonthe “Apply”buttononthejobadvertpage,complete ouronlineapplicationform,andsubmityourCV andcoverletterastwodifferentdocuments, whichshouldbepreparedbeforeapplyingasthey willbeconsideredintheapplicationprocess.The coverlettershouldbenomorethantwopages longandexplainwhyyouareinterestedinthis postandhowyourskillsandexperiencemakeyou agoodfit.

ThedocumentshouldbesavedinPDFinthe followingformat:YourFirstName-YourLast

Name-DocumentName-Date(mmyy)e.g.,MalikaJones-CV-022024-TheCircleorMalika-JonesCoverLetter-022024-TheCircle.

TIMELINE

Closing Date: 21 April 2024

Firststageinterviews: (TBC)

Finalinterviews: (TBC)

SELECTION PROCESS

All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing date. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder.

EQUALITY STATEMENT

Equality and diversity are at the core of The Circle NGO’s values. Staff are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.

QUERIES

If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email at the-circle-chair@ oxfordhr.com in the first instance.

ABOUT OXFORD HR

Exceptional leaders can have exceptional impact. They can inspire change and propel social and environmental impact organisations towards reaching their world-changing goals. Finding such leaders can be a challenge; and yet their transition into leadership is vital to an organisations mission and success.

At Oxford HR we understand this because we’ve worked in organisations across the breadth of the sector ourselves. We’ve also worked with such organisations since 1995; so we appreciate just what benefits impactful people can bring.

This motivates us to enable organisations to recruit and support remarkable leaders – to look beyond the obvious choices and find leaders with refreshing perspectives grounded in solid skills and experience. Leaders who can navigate challenging times and intimidating transitions. Leaders who can make a difference in our journey towards an inclusive, equitable and sustainable future.

Not only do we appoint and support these leaders, but we also work with our clients in partnership to bridge the gaps in leadership and to strengthen their culture of cohesion and collaboration.

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