The Other Half is a new centre of research for practical, workable policy in the interests of women.

Our mission

Feminists have made great progress in the last 100 years, but there is still much to do. Women remain underrepresented in public life; many women live in financial precarity because of their role as mothers and carers; and women are still the victims of violence and sexual abuse.

At the same time, political thinking needs to keep pace with the developments of the 21st century. In the past, technological development has been both helpful and harmful to women's interests. What does feminism look like in an age where the working world is fundamentally changed by AI, where violent content can be accessed online at any time, and where new forms of assisted reproduction like surrogacy and egg freezing are rapidly increasing in popularity? 

Much mainstream political thinking is still distanced from the reality of ordinary women's lives. Our approach is different. We consider whole-system change: women’s interests should be at the heart of policymaking, not an afterthought. We recognise that women are not a single constituency: women are half of the country’s population, and have a wide range of values and priorities. And we focus on what works, building on decades of work to identify political options that can make real change. 

Our values

Responding to the concerns of UK women, in all their diversity.

Much mainstream political thinking is distanced from the reality of women's lives today. Women in the UK are particularly concerned about crime and safety, the cost of living, and the welfare of children. We believe these concerns should be taken seriously.

Valuing motherhood.

80% of UK women will be mothers; most people report that spending time with their families is one of the most important things in their lives. We need to think seriously about how motherhood, care, and families can combine with public life, rather than being squeezed into the margins.

Belief in the potential of all humans.

Both men and women can make valuable contributions to society: at home, as well as in the workplace and in politics, arts, and science. We want to build a society where all of these contributions are encouraged from people of either sex.

Promoting connected societies.

Modern economies treat people as atomised individuals, but in reality, we all depend on others at some point in our lives. Relationships with others, in our families and communities, are important to us; we are all interlinked. Care, dependence, and human relationships should be at the heart of political thinking.

Cautious optimism on new technology.

We are optimistic about the power of technology to improve people’s lives. But we do not assume that all technological development will automatically be a positive for everyone; we must consider the interests of more vulnerable people in society, when adopting new inventions.

Our people

Fiona MacKenzie MBE is an actuary with a background in corporate and technology change in the City. In 2018, she founded the We Can't Consent To This campaign, a response to normalisation of violence against women and girls. For this work she has been awarded an MBE. Fiona is also the treasurer for the Centre for Women’s Justice.

Ellie Vivian is a researcher and PhD candidate at the University of Birmingham. She leads our current project on the early years and childcare.

Work with us!

If you’d like to work with us we’d like to hear from you. Send us a brief intro to you and the project you’d like to work on to hello@theotherhalf.uk

We’ve already had brilliant contributions from:

Lottie Moore has significant experience in policy development, most recently with think tank Policy Exchange and as the Other Half’s Head of Policy. Previously, she worked as Policy Manager at Public Policy Projects, as well as holding research positions at SOAS and on health equity at University College London.

Olivia Robey is a policy specialist, whose previous work includes advising the British Government on efforts to combat violence against women and children. Olivia also works with police leadership nationally on safeguarding and vulnerability.

Ellen Pasternack is a writer and think tanker now research manager at Civitas. She holds a PhD in evolutionary biology, and her writing on biology and culture has been published in outlets including The Telegraph, New Statesman, and The Critic.

Our Funders:

We are a non profit funded by donations and are very grateful for contributions to our work. You can donate here: