I look forward to a day when we don't need International Womens' Day ...

In 2017 I won an award I hadn't entered and made an incomprehensibly shellshocked acceptance speech; thankfully a year later they took pity on me and asked me to do the keynote at the following year's event to redeem myself! The speech I made then somehow seems relevant today on International Women's Day 2020 which, like Women's business awards, I wish we didn't need. But until we have that level playing field, here's to all you inspirational mums, sisters, daughters, friends, trailblazers and sisters in arms. Keep doing what you are doing alongside our fabulous male counterparts to make this world a better place. SWS

Here's the speech I gave then ...

For those of you here last year, I’m the one who looked shellshocked then grabbed the mic from Francis (the TV presenter) and made up the word ‘incluCity’ (you had to be there)! This year you will be pleased to hear I have had a bit more time to think about it …. 

So the last year since winning Business Women of the year has been a real eye opener - some wonderful things have happened and some things which have made me realise how much further there is to go ….

I look forward to a day when we don’t need awards for women and can celebrate all this amazing talent alongside our male counterparts. But until then thank you Nottingham Post and your sponsors for making this possible and helping us even up the playing field.

I look forward to a day when we don’t need a dress code for a women’s event saying ‘black tie’ or ‘lounge suite’

I look forward to a day when being interviewed for being business women of the year we don’t focus on ‘how do you fit it all in’ and ‘what does your husband do’?

I look forward to a day when we can describe female leaders as visionary, strategic and commercial rather than creative and enthusiastic … or even emotional and bossy and when they don’t get more online abuse than their male counterparts

I look forward to a day when we have more women and ethnic minority chief execs of FSTE 100 companies than we do men called Dave and Steve (not that I have anything against Dave or Steve’s!)

I look forward to a day when we don’t refer to women (who make up 51% of the UK) as a minority in business terms

People ask me if I am a feminist - I haven’t got a clue to be honest. I think I’m more of a ‘peoplist’ (see, I had to make a word up!)

What does that mean I hear you say? 

I embrace the difference of people and would hate us all to be the same. I love being different. I love being a women. I love men - (don’t take that the wrong way!). I want us to celebrate those differences and individualism. We need diversity in the world - and that includes diversity of thinking not just of sex, race, colour etc. I know each and everyone of us can bring something to the party and I want to make sure we have the level playing field to do it and in doing so make the world a better place.

So here’s my final thing - my challenge to you - I believe in the power of people and lots of small acts. Over 100 years ago our predecessors started the wave of change for us with many little acts and many words - working together across all classes and parts of the world to set the foundation of the changes we must finish off on their behalf

Lots of pebbles thrown into pond will create ripples and those ripples will join up and create a new wave. I am throwing you a pebble (metophorically of course) - take it, use it well and make your own little ripples and together let’s create even more space for new, diverse and individual talent to shine through