What I have learnt from our Women in Leadership Conference - and why it's not enough

As we are all trying to get back to reality after yesterday’s intense National Women in Leadership Conference, which I had the absolute pleasure of producing and working on, I’d like to share some reflections on the event.

Given the nature of my role, I often juggle multiple events at once. You might think that over time, I would naturally become distanced from the topics being discussed or even 'desensitised' to the issues raised. Yet, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

With every conference I work on, every presentation, and every speaker I meet, comes a new story, a new experience, and new perspectives that constantly challenge not only the perceptions of the wonderful delegates who attend our events, but my own too! The idea that opening ourselves to new experiences creates real room for growth has been bouncing around my head since I met the amazing Amy Lynch a few months ago. She speaks about the importance of learning from others’ experiences with such clarity and passion that I’ve realised I’ve been subconsciously guided by this principle ever since hearing her speak

Amy’s powerful words had been spoken in the context of allyship – and yesterday’s discussions made it very clear to me that allyship was indeed a thread that passed through all the inspirational sessions we had a pleasure to host. The glass ceiling cannot be shattered without consistent and tireless effort from all. Vivienne Artz OBE FCSI (Hon) CMgr CCMI AIGP , Laura-Jane Rawlings MBE DL , Helen Tomlinson , Lee Chambers , Tate Smith , Joy Burnford and Chloe Xidhas all powerfully highlighted the importance of advocating for women – and they all looked at it through different lenses of their own unique experiences. My reflection is that allyship is a journey, and this journey is individual and unique to everyone. It is as unique as both the person doing the advocating, and the person (or people) they are advocating for.

In addition to that, with gender undeniably being a limiting factor when pursuing career opportunities, some women find advancing their careers even harder than others – and it is of vital importance that allyship is understood and practiced above all artificial divisions, labels and categories, and that it spans and encompasses multiple identities. As Dr. Iris Palmer, PhD brilliantly pointed out in her talk, ‘’no woman should be left behind in our progress’’. My own interpretation of this statement is that we should constantly strive to understand the impact of intersectionality, and strive to include all women in our battle for gender equality in leadership roles.

On the other hand, the problem of glass ceiling, despite what the name might lead people to think, is not linear or unidirectional. Of course, consistent efforts from allies, as well as organisations and policymakers are important – as an example, Dr Maria Adamson pointed out in her talk that flexible working can both support and stagnate a woman’s career, depending on the wider context, and as such it needs to be used carefully and mindfully. But, there is also another aspect that I have learned about yesterday. It has become painfully clear to me after Vivienne Artz OBE FCSI (Hon) CMgr CCMI AIGP gave us a brief walk through the women’s history, that women as a community have a tough job of unlearning decades, or even centuries of society feeding them the idea that they are not ‘good enough’. Quoting both Saj Zafar and Joy Burnford : even though women are not broken and do not need fixing, they may not be aware of the beliefs and misconceptions that hold them back from fully flourishing and reaching their full potential. Rita Chowdhry and Leah Chowdhry highlighted the importance of self-awareness in a particularly authentic and empowering way, and made it clear that fully understanding yourself is not only good for your career, but it translates to all aspects of your life – allowing you to truly enjoy all the roles you may take on in your everyday life.

The event was truly one of a kind, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with all of these incredible individuals, who agreed to share their experiences and expertise on stage. Hosted incredibly by Claire Cannon , whom I cannot thank enough for the insightful questions and contribution to the discussions of the day, I feel that this conference was another small step in the right direction that Institute of Government & Public Policy enabled us to make.

And, as far as the actionable takeaways go – I will try to carry some of that infectious energy that was present in the room, and use it to power all my future conferences!

My next one is Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in London on 12th November – and I am truly excited for what I am going to learn.