It’s no longer enough to set targets or increase representation. The organisations making meaningful progress are moving beyond diversity as an outcome, and towards equity and inclusion as deliberate design principles. That shift requires a new lens: one that focusses not just on who’s in the room, but on whether the systems that shape careers are truly fair, inclusive and capable of unlocking the talent we already have.
Our WithWomen initiative was built with that intention. It’s a deliberately non-traditional model that recognises equity is not an initiative — it’s infrastructure. It’s not about doing the right thing, though that’s often a result. It’s about doing the smart thing. Equitable systems aren’t just fairer, they’re more efficient. They reduce skills wastage, improve retention and help organisations tap into a broader, deeper talent pool.
This is about harnessing the full potential of your workforce — not just those who fit the traditional profile or have taken a linear path. In an environment where demand for critical skills far outpaces supply, we need to stop overlooking the capability that already exists within our organisations. That’s what this model is designed to solve: helping leaders surface hidden talent, map the skills they have and need, and build more equitable pathways for growth and leadership.
WithWomen blends two strengths: the rigorous benchmarking of Project F’s T-EDI Standards, and the dynamic, data-driven capability tools from WithYouWithMe. Together, it offers a practical framework for understanding current equity maturity, diagnosing gaps, and implementing change that sticks.
The model starts by benchmarking current practice across ten foundational domains — including hiring, pay transparency, career progression, workplace culture and leadership commitment. This is not a compliance exercise. It’s a diagnostic that surfaces system-level barriers, blind spots and opportunities for action. The output is a clear roadmap with practical, context-specific recommendations — not just a report that sits in a drawer.
We then move into capability design. WithYouWithMe’s tools help identify the skills individuals already have, their potential to learn, and the career pathways that exist across and within functions. This reveals overlooked talent — such as women returning to work, underemployed internal candidates, or those historically passed over for promotion due to non-linear resumes. It also builds momentum: employees begin to see clear, achievable growth opportunities, supported by learning and mentoring.
A key principle behind WithWomen is that equity and capability are interlinked. You can’t build the workforce of the future if you’re using outdated tools to assess and promote talent. Many organisations are still operating on assumptions about what leadership looks like, who’s ready for the next step, and what good performance means.
Our approach flips the model. By looking at skills, not just job history or credentials, we open up the field to talent that would otherwise go untapped. We also provide the data leaders need to make more informed, equitable decisions: where capability is being underutilised, where gaps can be closed with training, and where people can be supported to rise through the ranks.
This creates an environment where advancement is based on readiness, not proximity — and where women are not asked to ‘prove’ themselves more than their peers to move forward.
This work is already driving measurable outcomes. One organisation using a skills-first approach reduced their gender pay gap from nearly 15 percent to less than 2 percent in a single year — not through quotas or shortcuts, but by realigning their internal systems around equity, capability, and transparency.
That same model is being used to support women transitioning careers, re-entering the workforce, or aspiring to leadership roles. Through targeted upskilling, structured mentoring, and visibility into opportunity pathways, we’re seeing increased mobility, stronger retention, and faster progression — particularly among women who may not have fit the traditional mould.
WithWomen is not a product. It’s a framework — one that can flex to meet each organisation where they are. We partner closely with employers to embed the program within their existing strategy, drawing on a wider ecosystem of collaborators such as Art of Mentoring, to ensure every step of the journey is supported.
We’re also committed to sharing responsibility. Equity work isn’t the job of HR alone. By providing visibility and ownership across the business — from operations to technology to leadership — we enable more coordinated, sustainable action.
We’re calling on forward-thinking organisations to take the next step — not just in their diversity goals, but in building equitable systems that unlock the full capability of their people.
The tools exist. The data is available. What’s needed now is the willingness to evolve: to shift from diversity by intent to equity by design.
If your organisation is ready to move from benchmarks to action, we’re here to collaborate.
