Avoid at all costs if you care about your health and women's rights - Anonymous employee Equality Now Employee Review

1.0
27 Aug 2024
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

OK pay. Not worth the negative effects of working in this organisation, sadly.

Cons

I know working in human rights/ gender equality is supposed to be a difficult job but this was the worst experience I've had in this sector. Not because we were documenting and advocating against violence against women and girls on a daily basis but because of the work culture and toxic dynamics within Equality Now itself. Expect macro and micro aggressions, micromanagement, and a culture in which you are blamed for strategic failings at the management/director level. There's no such thing as work/life balance since when you're not working, you're recovering from a horrible day at work or processing the anticipatory anxiety of the next work day. This is an extremely antagonistic workspace if you are a Black or Brown person, a Gen Z or millennial woman, identify as LGBTIQ+ or espouse feminist values (which is ironic considering this is a women and girls rights organisation). Mental fatigue and disillusionment with women's rights work is a major consequence of working at Equality Now, especially if you do so for multiple years. New ideas or approaches are discouraged and in many contexts, Equality Now's work does not challenge the status quo of patriarchy and discrimination against women. This is a massively overhyped organisation. Employees who speak up, especially in the Nairobi office, are routinely pushed out of the organisation. There's a lot of turnover, which affects the quality of programs and projects. I wish I never worked here. Don't make the same mistake, especially if you're joining as a program officer or lower.

Explore other reviews about Equality Now

5.0
25 Feb 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Highly intellegent, passionate and effective staff creating transformational change for women and girls at a mass scale. The legal expertise, rich experience of the staff and trusted relationships with hundreds of partners from the grassroots to the global level is of unique and important value to women's movements globally, and can be mindblowing in effect.

Cons

Everyone works hard. For most, it's not just a job, but a life's purpose. The remit and potential of the org could warrant a staff twice its size. So it's not a place to go if you're looking to coast, but if you're on board to get creative and accomplish big things, it's a great place to be and develop your skills and networks.

1
1.0
13 Aug 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Work is important and they do make a difference. There are a lot of wonderful people there but unfortunately not all departments and department heads are created equal.

Cons

Internally everyone treats each other like it’s a food chain and the one at the bottom gets blamed. I think it depends on the department. The department heads act like it’s a corporation, and they do not see people as people but numbers. I wish I’d known how toxic the hustle culture was before I started.

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