We marked International Women’s Day differently this year, by hosting an event to inspire female colleagues to be more confident in the workplace.
The lunchtime event was a chance for colleagues to network and hear from a variety of speakers about their career paths and overcoming barriers in the workplace, in line with this years theme.
Women’s health advocate, business leader and board member of a number of organisations including Blackburne House Group, Sally-Ann Watkiss spoke about climbing the career ladder coming from a working class background in the 1980s, and the events that have changed the course of her life, including a breast cancer diagnosis.
Plus Dane colleagues including project manager Faye Williams, Director of Customer Experience Natalie Rose and Director of Homes Lisa Candland also spoke about their work and career pathways, often in male-dominated areas. And our Chief Executive, Ian Reed, spoke about the importance leadership can play in delivering inclusive workplaces.
The event was the idea of Plus Dane’s deputy chief executive Claire Dixon, who was inspired to host an event after speaking to a colleague who did not believe they had the confidence to speak publicly and share their ideas.
Claire said: “International Women’s Day was the perfect opportunity to do something to bring our colleagues together and be inspired by women’s stories and achievements. Low self-confidence and imposter syndrome can be big issues for women in the workplace no matter how senior the role they are in, so I wanted to encourage colleagues to get together to share their stories and hopefully empower others.”
