As another busy week at SQEP draws to an end, we’re proud to announce that we’ve taken a decisive step in support of gender balance across Defence – becoming a signatory of the Women in Defence Charter.
What is the Women in Defence Charter?
The Women in Defence Charter (WiDC) is a commitment to create meaningful change, fostering inclusivity, and improving gender representation across both the public and private sectors within Defence.
What does this mean for SQEP?
It’s more than a signature – it’s a statement. We’re dedicated to ensuring that expertise, talent, and leadership in Defence are not defined by gender but by capability and contribution.
We spoke with Katie Willan, one of our newest team members. Joining SQEP as a Senior Airworthiness and Certification Engineer, Katie brings 16 years of Defence experience since graduating from university.
What does What does this mean to you as a Woman in Defence? – and what do you think it might mean for SQEP? mean for SQEP?
By signing the Women in Defence Charter, it confirmed to me that SQEP values diversity and shows that there is a real intent to support a gender balance in the organisation. As a new employee, this gives me confidence that I will not only be treated fairly, regardless of any change in health or family circumstances, but also supported and enabled to do my job effectively.
To me, this is more than knowing that SQEP is purely guarding against discrimination when it comes to recruitment and promotion – it also illustrates the commitment to introducing and reinforcing policies which aim to remove barriers that typically affect women more than men when it comes to retention.
Katie – do you think that diversity in Defence is particularly important?
Diversity in any sector, at all levels, is important to give a balanced perspective for problem solving, delivery, growth and development.
If you’d like to learn more about Katie’s current role and how she contributes to a diverse team of SQEP working in both the UK and US, do get in touch!
And if you’d like to read more about the strategic objectives of the WiDC here
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