Speaker, author, campaigner.
Joeli Brearley is a prominent British activist, author, and public speaker, best known as the founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, a charity dedicated to addressing workplace discrimination and the motherhood penalty. Her work has inspired changes at both societal and legislative levels. She is credited with influencing the recent £5.2 billion investment in childcare, as well changing laws on flexible working, tribunal time limits, and redundancy protections. In 2021 she took the Government to court for indirect sex discrimination and won her claim. Joeli spearheaded the biggest protest of mothers the UK has ever seen - March of the Mummies saw 15,000 parents march across 10 UK cities garnering nationwide attention for demanding workplace equality and better policies for parents.
Joeli has been recognised for her influence in activism and gender equality. She was listed among British Vogue’s “25 Most Influential Women,’’ was PR week’s 8th most prominent British communicator in 2023, and was awarded an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours. She frequently contributes to high-profile publications, raising awareness about the systemic challenges faced by working mothers. Her book, Pregnant Then Screwed: The Truth About the Motherhood Penalty, has been lauded for its candid exploration of these issues and for empowering women to fight back against discrimination. Joeli remains a tireless advocate for creating a fairer and more inclusive workplace for women everywhere.
Speaker Reel
Previous clients include:
The Truth about the motherhood penalty.
Book promotion video made by Joeli and Sodium in 2021 to promote: ‘Pregnant Then Screwed: The Truth About the Motherhood Penalty and How to Fix it’' Published by Simon & Schuster
Pregnant Then Screwed 2021 impact video
The pandemic created enormous challenges for pregnant women and mothers, many of whom were forgotten in policy making. This video captures what we did to change that. Video was made by Sodium and scripted by me.
Jane Cusdin, Associate, Automotive 30% Club
“A heartfelt thank you from me for your inspirational talk this week. It was incredibly motivating to all those listening in and packed full of reasons and actions for positive change.”
March of the Mummies, London 2022
In 2022, as CEO of Pregnant Then Screwed, I staged a protest to demand childcare and parental leave reform in 11 cities across the Uk, attended by over 15,000 people. This video captures what happened in London
BBC News Interview
March of the Mummies triggered coverage on every news channel, with more than 900 items of press and media coverage across print, radio and TV. Here is the interview I did on BBC News straight after the march
As featured in:
“Joeli’s work has had a massive positive impact on the lives of thousands of women. Here is a vital and urgent voice.”
— Laura Bates.
Sky News interview for March of the Mummies .
Good Morning Britain interview.
In the week leading up to the historic budget which pledged £5.1 Billion investment in childcare, I was invited onto Good Morning Britain to discuss our data which found that too many women were terminating wanted pregnancies due to childcare costs .
“The fearsome and funny founder of Pregnant Then Screwed.”
— Elle Magazine .
Book me for: Speaking, consulting, project management or comms consultancy.
“From taking the government to task on childcare legislation to fighting for flexible working for all, Brearley has made it her mission to make women’s working lives not just fairer, but feasible..”
— British Vogue