Why Feminist Project Management?

Feminist Project Management (FPM) was created by Janna and Laura in response to our frustrations whilst both leading and being team members on previous projects. This transformed into a desire to bring to life what feminist leadership looks like within project management (see our personal journey towards FPM). We wanted to change the status quo and challenge patriarchal and bureaucratic ways of managing projects.

In a nutshell, FPM is about turning feminist leadership into action when managing projects- it explores how to put feminist principles into practice, and how to navigate the “space in-between” when we face challenges to working in a feminist way.

But you might be wondering, what is FPM? How do you put it into practice? And why is it needed? In the following series of blog posts we’ll walk you through the basics to our transformative approach to project management- starting with why FPM is important and its differences with mainstream project management models.

The origins and problems of mainstream project management

Project management in its modern format was formed during the 20th century within areas of construction, defence, aerospace and more recently software development and tech companies. Emerging predominantly from the Global North and male-dominated sectors, it carries the linguistic and structural imprints of its origins. Take, for instance, the widely embraced "agile" project management approach, laden with traditionally male sporting jargon like "kick-off meeting" and "scrum master". 

But it goes beyond linguistics: It permeates organisational structures that favour masculine leadership models - for example, one single leader and power concentrated in the hands of a few. The prevalent image of a “project manager” is often informed by Western ideas, typically portrayed as male, authoritative, and reliant on meticulous planning with graphs and flowcharts dictating every aspect of a project. Moreover, this archetype often emphasises the use of mathematics, logic, and authority as means to achieve objectives, limiting opportunities for diverse project management approaches to flourish.

Feminist Project Management - an alternative approach

We believe that instead of uncritically adopting existing project management approaches that are rooted in mainstream, patriarchal and Global North structures, there is a need to challenge and transform the concept of project management in order to adopt an intersectional feminist approach to it. Instead of using approaches that replicate oppressive structures, we offer an alternative way of running projects - a feminist one. 

FPM challenges and critiques mainstream models of project management and instead brings an approach to leading and collaborating that values sharing power instead of top-down power concentrated in the hands of a few. We shine a light on how collective leadership on projects can be hugely successful, and offer models of working that prioritise the process of how we meet our goals just as much as our progress towards them. FPM challenges the conventional view of projects as isolated ventures, advocating instead for a cyclical approach that fosters continuous growth (see feminist approach to the project life cycle). FPM also calls into question the dominant narrative of projects within organisations, and offers a different way of being that provides freedom and flexibility in how we work rather than being tied to particular tools or mountains of paperwork.

Interested in learning more?

Frustrated with mainstream project management approaches and yearning for something different? If you’d like to understand more about FPM, sign up for our training course. Dates for May have just been released- more details and sign up available here: https://feministprojectmanagement.com/