By Dr. Peggy P. Warren
The Elevate Leadership Programme is a six-month journey designed to empower global majority women in higher education. With a mix of face-to-face and online facilitated sessions, action learning sets, and mentoring, the programme is delivered in partnership with six universities—Bristol, Bath, Bath Spa, Exeter, Cardiff, and UWE.
At its core, Elevate encourages participants to critically examine institutional inequities and consider their own roles in dismantling them. Through shared experiences, deep discussions, and collective learning, participants build both self-awareness and the confidence to challenge systemic barriers.
On January 21st, we hosted the second Elevate Managers’ session, bringing together 26 leaders committed to advancing equity within their institutions. The session was designed to push managers beyond passive allyship, encouraging them to actively challenge inequitable structures in their spheres of influence.
Discussions were rich and thought-provoking, with leaders engaging in open dialogue about the challenges of addressing systemic inequalities within higher education. At the end of the half-day session, managers were tasked with identifying one specific inequitable practice or policy within their institution that they will work to challenge and later reflect on.
The impact of the session was clear in the evaluations:
"This should have been a whole day."
"Thank you for ‘making’ me come today. These are important issues that we rarely have time to delve into."
Elevate is not just about raising awareness—it’s about action. By ensuring leaders leave with a concrete commitment, the programme ensures that discussions don’t remain theoretical but translate into real change.
On January 22nd, we welcomed the participants of Elevate Cohort 5—a dynamic, expectant, and high-energy group of global majority women leaders navigating the complexities of the higher education sector.
The day was a deeply emotional and transformative experience. We discussed the realities of being women of colour in leadership, the pressures, barriers, and triumphs that come with occupying these spaces, and the ways we can support and uplift one another.
But Elevate is more than just a leadership course—it’s a space for healing and connection. We didn’t just talk—we shared stories, laughed, cried, walked together, and even read poetry. These moments of reflection and sisterhood are just as vital as the strategic and institutional discussions.
At the end of the session, participants described feeling:
"Healed."
"Uplifted."
"Seen and heard."
"Inspired and hopeful."
In a sector that often isolates women of colour in leadership, Elevate offers a rare space of belonging and solidarity. The programme doesn’t just equip women with skills and knowledge—it validates their lived experiences, builds resilience, and fosters a collective strength that extends beyond the six-month programme.
As Elevate continues, the impact of these sessions will ripple out into the institutions, communities, and personal lives of its participants. The commitment of managers to challenge inequities, combined with the empowerment of Cohort 5, reflects the true power of Elevate: transforming leadership through both individual growth and systemic change.
We look forward to seeing how these powerful women continue to push boundaries, challenge inequities, and build more inclusive institutions—together.
