Wonderful women at Southampton

Every year on March 8th, the world celebrates International Women’s Day. The event, which began in the early 1900’s, celebrates the achievements of women across the globe, and sets about motivating those who need a little inspiration through conferences, discussions, debates and even theatrical performances.

The University of Southampton is a microcosm, with a fantastic population of female students: according to UCAS, 53% of Undergraduate students are female, and let’s not forget Postgraduates, staff and alumni! We’ve got some impressive achievements under our belt too. In October 2012, Kate Sloyan, an EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow in the Optoelectronics Research Centre, was named as the Very Early Career Woman Physicist of the Year by the Institute of Physics. This February, Professor Dame Wendy Hall (Dean of Physical and Applied Sciences) and Dame Helen Alexander (University Chancellor) were named on the ‘Power List’ on BBC Women’s Hour. Pretty impressive!

But it’s not all about the big awards. As someone who grew up in a family dominated by women, and who went to an all Girl’s Grammar School, I’ve always been aware of women’s achievements and, fortunately, have never really been subject to any noticeable sexism. Throughout my time here at Southampton I have been surrounded by fantastic females, and I really have noticed the opportunities and achievements of my friends and peers.

There are those whose brains are their asset, achieving stunning grades and working hard; those who are the best friends I could ask for, who are there for me, and who make life that much better; there are those who will not stop campaigning for what they believe in, and those who will put the effort into creating something fantastic. These women will all go on to be wonderful businesswomen, friends, mothers and leaders.

This year, I’ve been part of the Wessex Scene team and am one of many women who work for the magazine. In fact, our Editor Ellie Sellwood and Head of Design Bronwen Rees are two very talented women who have worked hard to head up the magazine this year – and who will no doubt go on to do great things in their field. As an all-female group of leaders, this is something we noticed – and celebrated – in relation to International Women’s Day. Not to mention the other women running societies, media groups and teams! There were even plenty of female candidates in the recent SUSU Elections!

Anyway, moving back onto the topic of International Women’s Day. SUSU and the University of Southampton held a variety of events spanning a whole week. There was ‘An Evening of Women’s Bits’ earlier in the week, and a ‘Women Shaping Society’ evening on March 8th. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to go to the event on March 8th, but I did go along to the ‘Evening of Women’s Bits on Monday 4th March, which proved to be a huge success. Extra chairs had to be used, and each performance was met with great applause. We were even served Women’s Cocktails, including a Pankhurst Punch and a Suffragette Sunrise which were delicious! The performances varied from monologues to musical covers and even original songs. Some of the pieces were written by students, which just showcased the talent at the University. The evening was brilliant and hopefully raised plenty of money for Southampton’s Women’s Aid.

The team involved in ‘An Evening of Women’s Bits’ at the end of their fantastic show

Since I’ve never been involved in celebrations for International Women’s Day before, this year has really made me think about all of the fantastic women in my life: my Mum and Sister, family members, friends, colleagues, peers and other members of the University. I hope never to have to worry about discrimination – but I know others who have, and that’s still unnerving.

So thank you to those who have fought for women, for our rights to study at University, for our equality – and for giving the incredible women who surround me the ability to really achieve their potential.

Joanne