Strategy

Introduction

The Women in Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (WiFCERM) initiative began life in 2018 as an open, honest and incredibly inspirational conversation. The conversation highlighted the commonality between the challenges women face across the sector.

The initiative has grown substantially in scale and ambition since it was first piloted at the 2018 Flood and Coast conference. We are now a large networking group of professionals set up to support and connect women working across the FCERM sector. We are focussed on women and those who line-manage them, but this is within a broader context of striving for gender equality for everyone, so our membership is open to all.

The initiative is run by 20 volunteers whose day jobs represent different parts of the FCERM sector. We now run a successful group mentoring programme; promote and celebrate individuals through our annual WiFCERM Awards; bring people together through our networking events; and work with Corporate Affiliate member organisations who want to be recognised partners in contributing to gender equality across the FCERM sector.

Yet, as women continue to face significant challenges across FCERM and related sectors, we need to do more.

For example, women remain significantly underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. In 2025 women represented just 25% of this workforce in the UK —underscoring a persistent gender gap in one of the most critical sectors of the economy.

The situation in education offers mixed signals. Nearly 19% of engineering and technology degree applicants are now female, indicating progress in attracting young women to the field. Yet these gains at the entry level fail to translate into workforce retention, particularly among women aged 35 to 64, where 66,000 fewer workers remained in the sector between 2022 and 2023. Caregiving is not the leading cause for women leaving STEM. Only 3% cite this. Instead: 25% leave due to lack of career growth; 17% because of lack of recognition; 15% because of inadequate pay; and 8% because of a toxic culture.

We want to actively support an increase in these numbers, and improve the representation of women in these areas.

So, we’ve reflected where we’ve come from and where we want to get to in 5 years’ time, and beyond. Using your consultation responses, this 5-year Strategy sets out the outcomes and objectives we want to achieve and the actions that need to be undertaken to achieve them.

We know that we can’t achieve these on our own. This 5-year Strategy will require continuous conversations and partnership working across the FCERM sector to implement, embed, and be successful. Together we can be ambitious and stretch ourselves to do more to support women, making the FCERM sector an attractive place for women to work in, thrive in, and feel empowered to make a difference in the face of a changing climate.

Our 5-Year strategy includes five key outcomes:

  • Outcome 1: Attracting, inspiring, and retaining women into the FCERM sector
  • Outcome 2: Inclusive work environments
  • Outcome 3: Equal opportunities for career development
  • Outcome 4: Inclusive leadership and decision making
  • Outcome 5: A celebrated, well recognised, and sustainable WIFCERM initiative
WIFCERM_5 year strategy FINALDownload

Please contact womeninfcerm@environment-agency.gov.uk for any queries or ways to get involved.