Going to an all girls school, I don’t think I really thought about feminism, I don’t think it really affected me (or I didn’t think it did), until I left. We were all girls together and that some girls were good at science and chose that as a career and that some girls chose acting as a career and that some chose art as a career and some like me, started working in admin straight from school – well, that was that. It wasn’t odd, it wasn’t unusual. We all had our strengths and weaknesses and that was that.
Don’t get me wrong, we knew about discrimination, knew it existed, we still had families and friends, boyfriends, dads and brothers. We were still affected by our upbringing, gender is nurture not nature, but we had good female role models, what could have been termed ‘strong women’ (or as I like to think of them, women) all with their own individual strengths and weaknesses and some of us found our mentors in them.
Leaving school was a bit of a revelation. And it pains me that we’re still fighting for equality.
I found most of my mentors later in life – some have been male, most female. Some work in science, some in art. Some I admire for their courage in the face of adversity, some for their love of their family, some for their success, all of them I love in different ways.
They are all an inspiration.
On 11 September, the 23rd Inspiring Women Awards launched at the Midland Hotel. This ever growing awards event celebrates those women who inspire in the North West – those who nurture talent, those who reach higher, those who motivate others to do more.
I’m lucky enough to know one of last year’s nominees personally, having worked for her for four years. She is one of my own inspiring women, having carved a career in computer science long before Science Grrl and Athena SWAN. It’s easy to see, I guess, why when an invite to the launch of next year’s event arrived, I was thrilled to accept.
Sponsors of the awards include Deloitte, Cheshire Life, Lancashire Life, Selfridges, New Charter Housing and Manchester Metropolitan University.
The founder of the awards, Jacqueline Hughes-Lundy welcomed all attendees, announced the launch and the categories for 2015:
Business
Community
Entrepreneur
Nurturing Female Talent (Company award)
Inspirational Leadership in Arts & Culture
Special Judges Award
Inspiring Young Woman Award (for 16-25 year olds)
Nominations open on 29 September 2014 and will remain open until 27 March 2015 – so if you can’t immediately make a decision, you’ve plenty of time. Don’t worry, I’ll remind you ahead of the closure.
Three Finalists per category will be invited to the Awards Lunch on 15 March 2015 to share their stories before the winners are announced.
Personally, having met some of the committee and some of the sponsors, I’ll be grabbing myself a ticket to the event as soon as they are available and nominating one or two ladies, once the nominations open.
Best get your thinking caps on.