Celebrating International Women’s Day
WE LEAD’s Director, Professor Kiran Trehan has recently celebrated International Women’s Day by participating in two online events.
The first event took place on 5 March 2021 and was hosted by Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands. An all-female panel of leaders representing business and the armed forces spoke about their career journeys and experiences and were also asked what advice they would give to their younger selves.
Kiran then chaired an event hosted by the York & North Yorkshire LEP and Growth Hub on 8 March 2021 with an all-female panel of organisational leaders from the region comprising of:
- Bethany Watrous, Founder, Experience Heritage
- Ann Gurnell, Marketing Director, Ideas Group
- Delma Tomlin MBE, Director, National Centre for Early Music
- Lady Jane Gibson, Founding Chair, Make It York
The event showcased the women's experiences and reflections on how times of economic and social change could make entrepreneurship more accessible for the next generation.
Professor Kiran Trehan said: "While women are more skilled than ever with over 56 per cent of university graduates being female, there are still fewer women than men occupying senior roles in business and on boards and the average national pay gap between women and men is 17 per cent. It’s sad but true that for many women, they simply don’t have the same opportunities as men and Covid-19 has worsened the situation.
"IWD is a great platform to showcase women and their contribution to our economy. This event has allowed people to join us to hear the unfiltered stories of women who are re-addressing the productivity gap."
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