In August 2025, WUN (Womens Utility Network) reached a significant milestone as its 10,000th follower signed up, seven years after the birth of the organisation.

As there are hundreds of thousands of people now working across the utilities sector, and a further 200,000 new roles required by 2030 , it could be argued that we are hardly touching the sides.

Consciously not having any targets since our inception, the painfully slow improvement in statistics in relation to women in senior roles, and the increasingly loud push back against EDI as a ‘thing’ could make you wonder what’s the point of it all? Hearing the anecdote that at current pace of change it will take another 80 years before we reach equity in the workplace is just depressing.

So why are we all so proud, and noisy, about WUN?

Firstly – the power of support for all of those 10,000 individuals (and those who have not yet signed up) is tangible. I have lost count of the stories in relation to WUN which have really made a difference to women’s careers. Whether through meeting people at events, hearing inspiring women’s stories, benefiting from a successful mentoring arrangement, receiving training or having the support to apply for and win a new role, we have made a difference, whether small or large, to so many.

Our ability with scale, to influence the whole sector, continues to grow. Whether data backed research, campaigns to address inappropriate behaviour in the workplace or the unbelievable excitement attached to the, now annual, Women in Utilities Awards, it becomes increasingly hard for organisations to ignore us. More importantly, we have only grown because of the fabulous support of 80+ partners who fund and facilitate everything that we do. Talented women are choosing organisations that have genuinely inclusive cultures and being a partner of WUN is a very visible manifestation of that. We are so proud that we continually attract offers of support in all forms from partners or potential partners who believe in what we are doing. It gives us validation and the confidence that we’re doing something meaningful for the whole sector.

Our voice is louder now. Our data is stronger and our network is huge. It enables us to bring sector leaders together to discuss key issues and topics in relation to diversity and inclusion. Whilst we are clearly focused on supporting women in the sector, at our core, we believe in inclusion for all, and our evidence and voice enables to speak with increasing authority.

Probably the part of WUN that we most proud of, is our culture. From day 1, we have been focused on achieving our aims for women- to join, stay and thrive in the sector. We are not in it to make money and we are not in it to flatter egos. We are in it because we believe that women have an incredible contribution to make to the Utility sector, and we like to demonstrate this through all the brilliant women that we give access to and showcase. We want to continue to build universal confidence that women have all the skills needed to lead, operate and thrive in our utility sector on an equal basis. At the same time we will continue to work to knock down the barriers that still face women in the workplace.

The organisation, leadership and operation of WUN is unapologetically women lead. We want to make sure that it is always a psychologically safe place for women to offload, be themselves and network with others facing many of the same challenges. We are all very used to being ‘the only’ or the minority in a room, and it is a joy for a change to be one of the majority. We do, however, welcome everyone that supports us, works with us and influences change- our male allies are seen as a critical part of the network and are hugely valued.

So what next? We have no targets, but will continue to celebrate growth, influence and progress and most importantly continue to evolve to support women’s needs in the sector to build networks and careers. We’re all looking forward to the next significant milestone!

Jo Butlin, WUN Co-Founder & Director.

[1] Energy and Utility Skills: Inclusion Measurement Framework 2024