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.
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.
- Read more about our grass-root partners and the impact we have.
The Role
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?
Embark on a journey of impact with us at The Circle. As we deliver our ambitious 5-year strategy, we’re seeking a visionary trustee to join our dedicated Board. We are looking for someone who can support and advise on our programme and advocacy work which is delivered in partnership with a group of grassroots women’s rights organisations across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the UK. We are looking for someone who brings programme management, grant giving, and advocacy experience and working with grassroots women’s rights organisations. You will be active in the global feminist movement. Your role will be to ensure that The Circle’s support to our partners creates opportunities for women’s lives to be improved and for their voices to be heard.
You will understand the international women’s rights and gender equality policy frameworks, the key global women’s rights organizations, and have a deep understanding of women’s rights and gender programming, and especially The Circle’s two strategic priorities of ending violence against women and achieving women’s economic empowerment. We need you to bring your sector knowledge, enthusiasm, and passion when representing the organisation externally and when working with our board, team and partners.
Person Specification
We are looking for a Global Feminist with programme management, advocacy and policy experience who is passionate about women’s rights and working with grassroots women led partners. You will contribute to driving The Circle’s increased impact and ambitions to support more women and girls globally.
The Circle is proud that we have increased our financial and non-financial support to our grassroots partners and especially that we provide unrestricted core funding. We are constantly working to improve our grants management, document and tell the stories of the impact this support is having as well as manage risk and compliance in line with best practice. As well as financial support, we provide ongoing non-financial support to our partners including opportunities to learn from each other, access to support for organisational strengthening, and opportunities to speak about their work to policy makers and Global Feminists around the world. We are therefore looking for someone who can advise and support our grant making and broader support to our partners.
Your understanding of programming and advocacy will be used to advise on strengthening The Circle’s communications and fundraising to ensure that our partners work, impact, and voices are core to our organisational identity.
Qualifications
- Women’s rights knowledge: Brings women’s rights programme and grants management and advocacy experience and has strong networks and contacts in the women’s rights movement globally.
- Networking Skills: Ability to build and develop relationships including with our grassroots partners, and key external individuals and relationships relating to programming and advocacy work.
- Advocacy and Persuasion: Ability to advocate for feminist causes persuasively, inspiring individual and institutional donors to support the work of The Circle’s grass root partners, compelling storytelling and impact-driven arguments.
- Due diligence: Understand the core verification and due diligence requirements for grant making and advise The Circle to ensure the organisation meets regulatory and legal requirements as well as manage and mitigate risk.
- Ethical Integrity: Commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards.
- Governance: An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of trusteeship. Experience as a previous trustee or similar role is desirable but not essential. We are committed to supporting you to develop new skills in your role as our Trustee, for you to take beyond your time with us.
- Collaboration & Teamwork: An ability to work effectively as a member of a team, demonstrating an approach which is collaborative and flexible. An ability to think creatively, challenge ways of thinking in a respectful and constructive manner.
- Values: A commitment to our values of empowerment, passion, innovation, respect and equality.
Job Features
| Job Category | Dara, Human Rights, Mia |
| Location | UK based |
| Salary | This is a voluntary position (unpaid) |
| Contract Type | 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. |
| Closing Date | 28 April 2024 |
Apply
Interested in this role? Download the appointment brief below for more information and then come back to this page to apply.
By applying with us, you agree to Oxford HR’s Privacy Policy
Continue Application
Verify your email address…
Job Features
| Job Category | Dara, Human Rights, Mia |
| Location | UK based |
| Salary | This is a voluntary position (unpaid) |
| Contract Type | 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. |
| Closing Date | 28 April 2024 |
