Today, Wednesday 8 March, is International Women’s Day (IWD) – an annual celebration of the achievements of all women and a call for better inclusion and support.
Embrace equity
This year’s theme is #EmbraceEquity – a call to action that asks us to acknowledge that true inclusion means more than just equal opportunities. It means recognising women’s individual circumstances, and allocating the resources needed to achieve an equal result.
We hear from students Mikaela, Sarah, Iona, and Daniela about the steps they think we need to take to embrace equity, as well as their own challenges and achievements.
Mikaela Hristova, Law student
Inspired by her mother to pursue her passion for law, Mikaela has a vast record of extracurricular roles – including being President of Lawyers Without Borders – and has enjoyed supporting other students on their journey as part of these roles.
When asked about what steps we need to take to fully embrace equity, Mikaela said: “One of the most important steps is to recognise and address the unconscious biases and barriers that may exist within our institutions and systems.”
She also advocates for “challenging stereotypes and gender roles and encouraging individuals to pursue their passions and interests without fear of judgment or discrimination.”
Sarah Lu, PhD researcher in Analytical Radiochemistry and Ocean technology
Sarah has always had a passion for using science to solve problems. She is the first University of Southampton recipient of the Roy G. Post scholarship, and was named as one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering for her research and work mentoring young female students in local schools:
“Through my work, I have seen the impact of the nuclear skills shortage, which has inspired me to share my passion for radiochemistry and engineering to inspire more young women and girls to pursue careers in STEM. The support provided by my mentors and supervisors at the University has been invaluable in empowering me to excel.”
When it comes to taking steps towards a more equitable future, Sarah believes that “we need to not just hold the door open for others but start to take it off its hinges”, and that “advocating for others is essential for creating a positive impact in the world.”
Iona Bateman, Physiotherapy student
After an injury that left her with a permanent hand disability, Iona changed careers from photography and journalism to physiotherapy: “It was tough, but I saw this as an opportunity to completely change my direction in life and qualify in a subject that will allow me to help others in similar life-altering situations.” Iona has been part of work placements to Sri Lanka and India, and is an advocate for the student voice as part of the Student Co-Design panel.
When asked about embracing gender equity, Iona said “the biggest step we can all take is to call out microaggressions against all protected characteristics to help shape a society that doesn’t foster latent discrimination in any form.”
She also believes the word ‘feminism’ should be “used as a value that all men and women should aspire to demonstrating in every aspect of their lives as members of a society that strives to be equitable and inclusive.”
Daniela Rothschild-Rodríguez, PhD researcher in Biological Sciences
Recipient of the Qiagen Young Scientist Research Grant in 2022, Daniela hopes to help the treatment and diagnostics of inflammatory bowel disease through her research. She says that the encouragement to follow this path came from her parents:
“Even though they aren’t academics, they really helped me to find something I liked from early on. Once I found that, they motivated me to push for it, even if that meant leaving my home country – I am very lucky to have them.”
She also shared a tip: “Don’t cut your own wings! Sometimes we automatically think (or even get told) we may not be good enough for something, but don’t stop yourself from aiming high and push for what you want – send that application/email, do your best, and the outcome may surprise you.”
Resources and what’s on
- If you haven’t already, recap on the earlier SUSSED post with what’s on this IWD and ways to get involved.
- Discover the ‘Being a gender equality ally’ toolkit and other resources via the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion SharePoint.