International Women’s Day naturally invites individuals to celebrate women across the world. Aiming to recognise the achievements of women and raise awareness regarding discrimination, International Women’s Day strives to help forge a gender equal world.
Historically, women have been typecast with society expecting women to act, speak and dress based on our assigned sex whilst being forced to uphold certain ‘women-only’ roles. However, these stereotypes have almost been discarded entirely, specifically concerning career stereotypes. Women are thriving in workplaces across the country and globally, building careers, rejecting convention and collectively flourishing as a gender.
As of 2023, across all industries, there are dominant women proving fundamental to companies, organisations and businesses, validating how women can perform, achieve and succeed as well as men.
Here are a few individuals who have demonstrated how women can prosper and be successful in the workplace:
Toni Arnold-McFarland:
Mechanical engineering graduate Toni Arnold-McFarland is focused on diversifying science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). Toni has had a variety of engineering roles however she is now dedicating her career to advancing diversity in STEM roles. An acceleration of diverse representation in STEM is essential with it being the most in demand career path currently with significant opportunities to progress. Toni says, “Society needs to encourage everyone to help solve the complex problems of today’s world. The demand for STEM roles has outpaced the pipeline of STEM talent, so access to a quality STEM education is critical.”
Mandy Hickson:
Former RAF Fast-Jet Pilot and second woman to fly a Tornado GR4, Mandy Hickson is an extraordinary woman. Fulfilling 45 missions over Iraq and three tours of duty, Mandy Hickson has definitely demonstrated that you are capable of rising to the top of a heavily male-dominated industry. Mandy says “Grab those opportunities… you never know where they will take you”.
Best-selling author, TV presenter, international speaker and charity founder Katie Piper is a remarkable figure and an inspiration for burn survivors. Piper faced a horrific acid attack in 2008, and has since turned her suffering into uplifting activism, predominantly promoting body positivity and raising awareness.
Hope Powell:
England’s first and youngest female Black football coach, Hope Powell, is a former professional footballer and a sporting inspiration for young girls. As a child, Hope was kicked off her school football team as they only wanted boys to play, further driving her passion to advance in football and ensure the sport became more widely accepted for females to play.
These stories of women succeeding in the workplace display how young women and girls can also achieve inspiring success in 2023.
As a lasting note: continue celebrating the women around you and their achievements in their careers! Happy International Women’s Day!
Written by: Eloise Barnes
Edited by: Daisy Jeffs