This March, we are excited to carry on our tradition of honouring remarkable women who have had a significant impact on history, society, and culture. We have planned various events and activities to educate, motivate, and empower our students to embrace their own strengths and reach their full potential. These events include guest speakers, lessons, and discussions, all aimed at providing our girls with opportunities to learn from and interact with strong female role models. By celebrating the accomplishments of women from the past and present, we hope to inspire the next generation of leaders, innovators, and changemakers.

Empowering girls is at the core of everything we do, and to further this goal, we were delighted to welcome back some of our empowered alumna to school for an engaging panel discussion. Our panelists included Dimple Patel, CEO and Founder of Nature Metrics; Carolyn Browning, Project Controls Leader; Catherine Bennet, Bid Management in the infrastructure sector; and Hilary Carver, Head of Event Delivery at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. They shared their career experiences, highlighting the importance of inclusivity, adaptability, teamwork, and communication skills in pursuing one’s dreams. They also encouraged our audience to not be afraid of making mistakes and to always strive to learn and grow. 

Talking about their own career experiences, demonstrations of inspiring inclusion came first from Dimple who recounted her previous assignments in male dominated industry of investment banking and now in the climate and biodiversity sector, and offered passionate insights about the power that allies, female and male, have played. Hillary Carver spoke about the significant changes in work environments, drawing from her early days at Marylebone Cricket Club when women were not allowed in the Pavilion to her current role at Tottenham Hotspur. She inspired our audience with her resilience and advised students to pursue careers that they find fulfilling and meaningful. Carolyn Browning talked about how discomfort and challenges can be used as opportunities for personal growth and building resilience. Cath spoke of the constant shifting and changing of work life balance and the importance of adaptability, team work and comprehension skills to follow your dreams.  She encouraged our audience not to worry about getting it right – to give it a go, it’s where you learn the most.

It was inspiring to hear such esteemed panelists emphasize the importance of inclusive work environments and the personal skills needed for young women to thrive. Despite working in different industries and environments, the panelists’ closing advice to students was to speak up, ask questions, and challenge norms, aligning with the values we instil in our school.

As with every year, we hope that International Women’s Day will bring about positive change and accelerate progress towards a more equal world for all. It was truly empowering to see the young women in Jubilee Hall respond to this call to action. We celebrate the incredible women who have paved the way for us and look forward to the remarkable girls who will continue to make history in their own unique ways.

Ms HJ Boyes

Head of Wakefield Girls’