Meet Women in the founders
MARCIA ORE MSc MA
Marcia Ore is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant and Coach providing a wide range of delivering range of services, primarily in the UK and North America, such as reviewing policies and practices, conducting cultural audits, and grievance, investigations and grievance appeal advisor, and coaching EDI committees and employee resource groups etc.,
Her professional life began as a Police Officer serving in two UK police services from 1982 to 2012, holding EDI-related roles such as Vice-chair of the West Midlands Police Black and Asian Police Association, Chair of the National Black Police Association’s Gender & Sexual Orientation subcommittee, and a member of the Association of Chief Police Officers Working Party exploring the career progression of women and Black and Ethnic Minority Police Officers and staff, British Association of Women in Policing and Women Sergeants Police Federation Representative.
Marcia is on the Advisory Board of Inclusion and Diversity in Nuclear and the UK Chair of Equity & Equality for G100, a global organisation. Marcia is a former Board of Trustees for the Independent Provider of Special Education Advice, a UK charity providing legal advice to parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities.
KAREN GEDDES QPM
In a world where representation matters, Karen Geddes stands tall, embodying the spirit of resilience, determination, and change. With over three decades in policing, her journey offers invaluable insights into the challenges and triumphs faced by women of colour in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Life rarely follows a straight path, and Karen's journey in policing was no exception "There were times when I could have given up on policing. I described my journey as a roller coaster. The thing that kept me going was my family." She recalls significant turning points in her career, such as the Stephen Lawrence case and the tragic event of George Floyd. These events were not just headlines for Karen; they reshaped her perspective. "They started to change my thinking and focus on what policing means to me. At those points, I became more consciously aware that I was a Black female in a non-black organisation, and that I had an opportunity to make a difference."
Today, Karen is associated with founding 'The Thin Black Line.' "I wanted to have something when I left policing that gave me an opportunity to continue to champion Black engagement within policing." For the young women of colour aiming to carve their path, Karen's advice is: "Be yourself. Do not assimilate. Embrace your individuality."
CALL TO ACTION- ACE
Transform Your Life with Women in the Shade by
Taking positive Action – Sign up to join our WITS network and attend our future events such as training programmes, access to mentorship and conferences. Support others and share your skills and learning by becoming a WITS mentor or advocate.
Commit to drive Change – Work together with Women in the Shade to collaborate on a project, research or initiative, or sponsor our future events such as training events and the Women in the Shade Conference 2025.
Self - Empowerment – take control of your own journey to foster your own continuous learning and personal development by being part of our future initiatives such as our training and mentorship
programmes, Safe Space events.
ACE
ACTION
EMPOWERMENT
ACTION
WE WILL DEVELOP AND DELIVER ACTION-LED ACTIVITIES
By working with academics and supporting their research, which includes the experiences of Black women.
Creation of spaces giving the opportunity for Black women to have a cathartic release in a safe and supported environment.
Hosting the annual Women in the Shade
conference.
CHANGE
EMPOWERMENT
ACTION
WE WILL BUILD EFFECTIVE COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS
We cannot do this alone
We will be seeking to work individuals and organisations who acknowledge and recognise the lack of an intersectional approach in their equality, diversity and inclusion efforts when it comes to Black women.
We will support organisations with their continuous cultural and business improvement efforts.
EMPOWERMENT
EMPOWERMENT
EMPOWERMENT
WE WILL PROVIDE TRAINING TOOLS AND A SUPPORT NETWORK
We will co-create, design, and deliver training and learning and development programmes to support Black women in uniform services.
We will establish a database of Black women who are coaches and mentors to support other Black women with their personal and professional development.
We will deliver workshops and webinars focused on health and wellbeing issues relevant to Black
women