About Us
Bristol Women’s Voice is a powerful voice for women making women’s equality in Bristol a reality.
Who we are
Bristol Women’s Voice (BWV) is run by Bristol Women, for Bristol women.
The overall direction and strategy of BWV is decided by the members and overseen by a Board of Trustees.
Our Director runs things day to day.
We are lucky to be supported by a team of talented volunteers and associates.
What we do
BWV works to empower women in local communities. We strive to ensure the voices of women and girls in Bristol are heard by decision-makers so that actions are taken which make a real difference to women’s lives. We work closely with independent women’s groups and organisations in Bristol to support partnership working. Our organisation informs women about services that provide the support and advice they tell us they need. We help women set up their own support networks and we celebrate women’s success.
In 2021-22 our work is focused on:
- Supporting women to connect with each other to increase wellbeing and fight for meaningful change
- Working in partnership with women across the city to reduce inequality for women
- Supporting women to access key information and services
- Supporting women into employment and education through volunteering
- Understanding the barriers to women achieving their aspirations, and making key recommendations for change both nationally and locally
Our Annual Reports
How we do it
- We provide an ongoing programme of workshops in response to what women tell us they want to know or learn about. In 2020-21, topics included mental health, maternity rights and the menopause.
- We work with Bristol Women’s Commission by providing them with information and research about the key issues impacting women’s lives. We support the Women’s Commission’s work with decision-makers so that actions are taken which make a real difference to women’s lives.
- We work closely with other organisations and groups led by and for women across Bristol, facilitating quarterly meetings, cross-sector partnership development, information sharing, infrastructure and funding support and ad hoc advice.
- BWV is managed by Bristol women, for Bristol women, with Bristol women.
- We provide regular newsletters full of relevant information and opportunities to our individual members.
- We provide a comprehensive volunteering programme so women can benefit from a range of work experience opportunities with us and through our women’s sector partner organisations. Experiences include event management, administration, project support, workshop development, media work and reportage.
some recent achievements
- The Women of Lawrence Hill project sought to enable local women to gain employment in the city’s new Enterprise Zone. After researching reasons women were often unable to do so because of lack of childcare and English not being a first language Bristol Women’s Voice worked with a key developer in the Enterprise Zone- Bristol University- who ran ESOL courses with free childcare as a result.
- Our Bristol Zero Tolerance initiative was instrumental in Avon and Somerset Police recognising Misogyny as a Hate Crime.
- Zero Tolerance also worked with Mehala Osborne a local campaigner to bring about a change in national law which enabled women in refuges to vote.
- BWV ran a highly successful campaign on Ovarian Cancer which got national coverage. It resulted in local GPs being trained in how to recognise the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer. (Hundreds of women in Bristol were also informed).
- BWV raised the issue of the inaccessibility of train stations to people with children in buggies which in turn meant they could not take up work opportunities. MP Thangam Debbonaire raised the issue in Parliament citing the work of Bristol Women’s Voice. The government has since pledged £20m to make train stations – including Lawrence Hill – more accessible.
- BWV ran a Government Equalities Office-funded City Listening Project that heard from with 350 Bristol-based women facing disadvantage. Our recommendations are being reported to every government department.
