Moving on, looking back: reflections on seven years with Agenda

Jess Southgate, our Deputy CEO, is moving on to a new role at the Youth Endowment Fund. She's shared these reflections on her time here at Agenda:

After seven incredibly meaningful years, I’m preparing to leave Agenda Alliance – an organisation I’ve had the privilege of helping shape from its earliest days. It’s a bittersweet moment, but also a time to reflect on all that has been achieved, and to acknowledge the incredible people who’ve made this work so powerful.

Since I joined Agenda, we’ve lived through extraordinary times. Five prime ministers, a global pandemic, and the ongoing consequences of austerity have created a backdrop of immense political and social change. Throughout it all, Agenda has stood firm in its mission: to amplify the voices of the most marginalised women and girls and to drive lasting systems change.

Our origins are built on the understanding that achieving real change for women and girls with unmet needs requires transformation across entire systems. Our alliance has grown in numbers and voice over the years, and it is only with their partnership, voice and expertise that we can achieve our goals. When I led a recent engagement to explore how we should best build on our work with Agenda’s alliance, I heard clearly how important this collaborative, authentic and intersectional approach has been to our members.

One of the things I was most proud of was hearing how our evidence has supported grassroots, specialist organisations to grow and gain the recognition they so richly deserve. These organisations – often led by and for the communities they serve – are the backbone of support for women and girls experiencing some of the most complicated challenges.

None of this work is possible without the phenomenal women I’ve had the privilege of working alongside – the Agenda team and trustees, our powerful member organisations, and the women and girls with lived experience determined to make a change. It's been brilliant to see our Women’s Advisory Network grow in strength – leading research, speaking in Parliament, engaging with the media, and achieving extraordinary personal milestones along the way.

As Agenda looks to the future, I’m excited about the newly created role of Head of Influencing and Impact. It’s a vital opportunity to continue building on the strong foundations we’ve laid. Whoever fills this new position will focus on shifting systems, changing narratives, and ensuring women and girls needs with unmet needs are heard and prioritised by those in power. They will help deliver Agenda’s influencing goals, push forward our mission-driven projects, demonstrate our impact and support the team to work together towards our shared goal.

Though I’ll be moving on to a new role at the Youth Endowment Fund, my commitment to this work – and to the vision that brought Agenda into being – remains as strong as ever. I’ll continue to follow and champion the journey ahead, and I leave with immense pride in what we’ve accomplished together.