2025 Wendy Jones Equality Award winner: Chloé François-Oatway

Katherine Hutchinson speaks to the winner of the Wendy Jones Equality Award 2025, Chloé François-Oatway.

This year’s Wendy Jones Equality Award was received by Chloé François-Oatway, for her work advancing equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), with a particular focus on reasonable adjustments.

François-Oatway’s work has included chairing the Fast Stream Disability Network, helping to foster inclusive environments within the civil service. She has also been Chair of the FDA Fast Stream Diversity and Inclusion roundtable, a Diversity and Inclusion Lead at the Office for National Statistics, and represented the FDA on the TUC Disabled Workers’ Committee. François-Oatway was also a D&I lead whilst on a secondment in the Government of Jersey, where her work in this area had a significant impact on their Big Health and Wellbeing Conversation and subsequent Annual Director of Public Health Report.

Reflecting on what it meant to be recognised for her work, François-Oatway says: “About a year ago, I attended my first Annual Delegate Conference and discovered the Wendy Jones Equality Award. I remember thinking it would be really cool to receive it one day. I did not expect this day to ever come, never mind a year later!

“It is a real honour to receive this award, especially because of how passionate I am about equality, diversity and inclusion. At the moment, I am looking into how I can make recruitment more inclusive of neurodivergent colleagues and also how to make workplace adjustments easier to implement at every stage of your career.”

Having joined the FDA as a Fast Streamer, and now holding a permanent role in the Department of Health and Social Care, François-Oatway has made issues relating to EDI a consistent focus of her work as a civil servant. Discussing her motivation, she says: “I have been on my own journey to understand my disabilities, how they intersect with other parts of my identity and how to cope in the workplace. It’s not always easy but knowing I have made a real impact by just being me and doing something I love, is the best feeling in the world.

“I joined the FDA Fast Stream Committee as Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Officer. I revived and led the FDA D&I Roundtable, which was instrumental in reviewing and improving policy on the Fast Stream. I spearheaded campaigns to raise awareness of disability, accessibility and wider D&I issues like allyship, intersectionality and micro-aggressions.”

Looking ahead, François-Oatway plans to continue her work advancing EDI within the civil service: “I am only getting started. Receiving this award has reminded me that everything I do, I do it for a purpose: a diverse, equal and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. I will continue attending Equalities Conferences to support motions and enact change beyond the civil service. I will continue to champion staff networks and take an active part where I can. I will continue to champion diversity, equality, inclusion and accessibility wherever I go and whatever I do.”