Meet The Women Bossing It At Charities

It’s a well known fact that women are more likely to end up working in the charity sector than men – selfless souls that we are! But despite improvements, it still isn’t reflected at the top, particularly when it comes to larger organisations.

Today on International Women’s Day (8th March), we’ve asked two charity founders to tell us about their experiences, and whether being a woman in the sector is a help or hindrance.

Pei Su founded ACTAsia in 2006 as an education-focused charity promoting compassion for animals, people and the environment in China and across Asia. Originally from Taiwan, but now based in Buckinghamshire she wanted to address what she saw as the root cause of many societal issues.

Vet Janey Lowes founded WECare Worldwide, a Sri Lanka-based charity that aims to transform the lives of street dogs by providing veterinary care, neutering, vaccination, and education.

Originally from County Durham, she has been based in the south of Sri Lanka since 2014 when a holiday to the island changed her life.

What drove you to set up the charity, and drives you on each day?

Pei: I started working for NGOs in Taiwan 30 years ago, before moving to the US and then the UK. A slogan bandied about by international organisations at the time – ‘Global Thinking, Local Action’ – struck me as having a colonial feel, as though big western organisations were telling those at grassroots what to do, when they did not always understand local issues and priorities, especially against a differing socio and political backdrop. That convinced me of the need to establish ACTAsia.

I wanted to break the circle of constant firefighting by tackling the root cause with education and training that empowers people to make informed choices in relation to animals, people, and the environment. My passion and belief in our work drives me each day.

Janey: After seeing the state of many of the street dogs on a holiday to Sri Lanka, I researched and realised despite making up 75% of the world’s dog population, these street animals don’t have veterinary care. Their injuries and illness are often extreme, but the majority could have been prevented if vet care had been provided early on.

am driven by my love for animals and deep belief that they deserve a life free from suffering. It is why I became a vet in the first place but at that time had no idea what animals around the world go through. Now I have a constant reminder in front of me on the streets every day in Sri Lanka.

While there is no ‘typical’ day in your role, what might it entail?

Pei: As CEO I have less involvement in the day-to-day running of projects, but have an overview of the different departments, deal with crisis management and manage our finances.

I am constantly exploring opportunities to form partnerships, fundraise, and help promote and expand our work. I get to mix with people from all backgrounds from eminent academics and royalty, to university students and celebrities, which I thoroughly enjoy. As we are an international charity with colleagues in different time zones (UK, China, US, Australia and Europe) my day is often never-ending, but it is extremely rewarding.

Janey: Now it’s a lot of non-vetty stuff as my little idea to help provide vet care to street dogs has snowballed somewhat! I can be designing websites in the morning, developing rabies education programmes in the afternoon and running fundraising events in the evening, or sorting a supply chain for meds, building ambulance Tuk Tuk’s or setting up a dog cafe to give 100% of profits to the charity.

Of course all of this goes out of the window if the vets need help – the animals will always come first. Sometimes I yearn for the days when I got to just be a vet and could know the patients inside out. Now there are a thousand plates to balance away from that, but they ultimately all support that central vision of ensuring no animal suffers, whether owned or street.

Do you think being female has made your role easier in any way?

Pei: Women are naturally better at multitasking. After becoming a mother, I have become more tolerant and nurturing which is particularly useful for managing staff in China, where they tend to be younger, due to the relative operating infancy of NGOs there. I often have to help my staff navigate their way in the workplace and to understand different cultural differences.

Janey: Mentally and emotionally I feel it has benefitted me as I am able to appreciate duality. I can be soft and strong, firm and kind and I have a level of self-reflection that ensures I’m a good vet. Not a vet that doesn’t make mistakes because that’s not possible, but a vet that second guesses everything, leaves no stone unturned, considers every eventuality and then learns from mistakes.

Has it made your job harder?

Pei: Being a minority female, I understand and feel close to the issues of sexism and racism and have certainly encountered them in my role as a female minority leader. I feel although sexism and racism still exist in the West, they appear in more sophisticated ways, and there are systems in place attempting to address them. In contrast in Asia, inequality between gender and races is more obvious, but there is less awareness.

Janey: It has been very tough being a woman trying to force change in rural Sri Lanka. But the levels of difficulty I have encountered pale in comparison to what Sri Lankan women, particularly in these areas, come up against every day. Sitting in front of many an ‘old boys club’ of government officials, while they talk on their phones as I’m speaking, before stating “this is Sri Lanka” with a dismissive ‘you’ll never understand’ undertone is a huge challenge. But while I hate that I have to, I mould myself to what they want, knowing I have to play the game to enact sustainable change for the 3 million street dogs in Sri Lanka.

I also get frustrated when it comes to getting exposure in the UK as a female vet. Despite the fact 77% of vets in the uk are female, every single TV vet is male. We don’t have representation.

To other women considering setting up a charity today, what advice do you have?

Pei: You need to be confident that no-one else can do what you are planning to do and have passion and vision. Prepare for 10-15 years of sweat and toil before you begin to see the impacts and sustainability of the organisation.

This role is more than a job, so can also be especially hard if you have a family, so they must be supportive of your work. Every day is a fight, especially when it comes to fundraising in this tough economic and unsettled political environment.

Your belief must be unshakeable to get you through difficult times. I was diagnosed with cancer in 2023, but carried on working through my chemotherapy treatments, operation and radiotherapy. But I believe nothing is impossible, and I am determined to bring about positive change, despite the journey being hard. At my age, I suffer less from self-doubt and feel I can successfully bring about social justice for all. I wish all women out there the best of luck in doing the same!

Janey: ?Really do your research and closely analyse the best ways to help. Everyone I meet wants to set up an animal shelter, but very few want to work on policy or law change that will ensure shelters aren’t required in future. It is of course tempting to do the ‘fun’ bit, but actually there are so many underpinning gaps that are less glamorous but will result in more impact down the line.

Setting up WECare was the best thing I ever did, but it did not (and does not) come without personal sacrifice. It is all-encompassing, but it ultimately is why we were put on this planet- to help others, to be of service, to better the world.

Keep your eye on the prize, always remember the ‘why’ and be ready for some real challenges. As a woman, you are so well-placed to forge forward with empathy, grace and a whole load of emotional resilience.

• Read more about ACTAsia on their website and follow them on instagram
• Read more about WECare Worldwide on their website and follow them on instagram