Inspire Inclusion
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The theme for International Women's Day 2024 and beyond, is Inspire Inclusion; the goal is to collectively forge a more inclusive world for women.
IWD isn't country, group or organisation specific. It's a day of collective global activism and celebration that belongs to all those committed to forging women's equality. World-renowned feminist, journalist and activist, Gloria Steinem, reportedly once explained: "The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights."
The University of Surrey is proud of its whole community. Celebrating International Women’s Day is a reminder of the importance of women's inclusion, and the sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment it brings.
In the coming days of weeks this celebration will be marked by a range of events and activities across our community, more details of which you’ll find below, where there is also information about opportunities and networks available to women.
A message from Jo Yau, President of the Students' Union
"Surrey has always given me the opportunity for me to thrive.
"Being an ethnic minority woman in my roles of Vice -President Community last year and Students’ Union President this year means more than a title. It gives representation for students who normally don’t see themselves in a position of power. It gives me the chance to ensure that the Students’ Union are more diverse in the everything we run. It gives me power to influence the university for a better student experience for all. It gives me the platform to shine on areas that we don’t talk more about and how we can work together to break it down.
"The boundaries and challenges that ethnic women have to overcome, whether it be day to day or defining moments, are the ones that will always give me the strength to fight against them.
"Surrey will always have room for powerful and influential movement to ensure that we respect and honour the people who came before us, so that we are able soar above and beyond what is expected of us. I’m lucky and proud to represent our amazing student body, to capture the light on our amazing hardworking women."
Events and opportunities
EmpowerHer: Building Confidence for Women in the Workplace
Monday 4 March
6pm - 7.30pm
Online
This panel event is open to all staff and students and features a panel of inspiring women from various industries, including Surrey alumna Dr. Anna Vartapetiance. Staff can join the event via the link below and students can register and join HERE on Pathfinder or via the QR codes on the poster. Click here to join the meeting. (Meeting ID: 375 546 230 018, Passcode: 66JtC2)
Women's Network guest speakers event
Tuesday 5 March
12pm - 1pm
Online
Estrella Antonio (Postgraduate research student in the Surrey Business School), Kat Mack (Student Enterprise Manager) and Dr Noelia Noel (Senior lecturer and Director of EDI for the School of Maths and Physics) sharing their experiences and achievements as women in their respective fields. Click here to join the meeting.
Speaker event: Dr Odaline de la Martinez
Tuesday 5 March
2.30pm-4pm
PATS Studio 1
The Department of Music and Media is delighted to welcome as guest speaker Dr Odaline de la Martinez, who has pursued a high-profile international career as conductor, composer, and record producer across more than five decades. Dr Martinez is a proud graduate in Music of the University of Surrey and current Honorary Visiting Professor.
Women@CSEE Networking Event
Wednesday 6 March
12pm - 2pm
Seminar Room 01CIILG in 6GIC
The School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering is hosting a lunch with Marianna Martin, BAE Systems, one of our CS alumni. She will share her experience of being an Agile coach with our students. Marianna is a winner of the TechWomen100 Award 2023.
Women and research funding webinar 2024
Thursday 7 March
9am-10am
Online (external event)
Hosted by Joy Owango, Founding Director of TCC Africa, this online event brings together six remarkable women who stand out in their respective fields.
The guest speakers are: Prof. Olubukola Babalola (Vice President of OWSD); Prof. Rana Dajani (Hashemite University); Prof. Magaly Blas (Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia); Dr. Jessica Wade (Imperial College London); Dr. Judy Mielke (Founder of scientifyRESEARCH). More information is available, as well as the opportunity to register for the event.
Recital, incl. Doreen Carwithen's work
Thursday 7 March
8pm - 9pm
PATS Studio One
This programme of British music includes Doreen Carwithen’s yet-to-be-published Nocturne and Humoresque, in what could be the first public performance of these works. Carwithen was a student of William Alwyn at the Royal Academy of music and she ended up devoting much to supporting his musical journey instead of her own. Her early Sonatina is a delightful work in three condensed movements and demonstrates her flair for harmonic tension with some biting dissonances. With Lionel Handy (cello) and Jennifer Walsh (piano)
Working Women on Screen
Thursday 7 March
7.30pm
BFI Reuben Library
Join the editors and authors of Working Women on Screen: Paid Labour and Fourth Wave Feminism (Palgrave, 2024) – including the University’s Dr Nathalie Weidhase - for an engaging discussion of contemporary screen representations of women's labour. Buy tickets.
Future presents Int. Women's Day
Thursday 7 March - Friday 8 March
10.30pm (Thu) - 3am (Fri)
Rubix
This special club night features an all-star female line-up, with badass producer, DJ, drummer and social media ninja Stephani B taking to the Rubix stage! Everyone is encouraged to wear pink and donate £1 to Refuge UK. Tickets available.
EDI seminar hosted by School of Biosciences
Friday 8 March
11am - 12pm
17 AY 02 and MS Teams
Staff and PGRs are invited to hear from two speakers. Jo McCarthy-Holland, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, will discuss the steps the University is taking to inspire inclusion. Dr Klara Wanelik, Surrey Future Fellow, will give a talk on how ethnicity and socioeconomic background impact on early career progression in the fields of ecology and evolution. Please note the seminar room has limited capacity and that you can join online. Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 336 616 470 785
Passcode: TKeBXz
Join the Diversity Book Club
Tuesday 12 March
12pm - 1.30pm
Oak Room 1 & 2
Shakardokht (Shakar) Jafari will share her experiences and discuss her book - Shakar: A Woman's Journey from Afghanistan: Refugee to Cancer Pioneer. Whether you are an avid reader or just starting your reading journey, this book club is open to all staff, PGRs and students. Please register.
Veterinary School: Women in Health Care
Wednesday 13 March
1pm - 4.30pm
VSM LT1
Staff, students and PGR/Ts are warmly invited to attend this event, entitled 'Employability and Global Mobility for Women and Under-Represented Communities in Health Care'. Please fill out this short form to register your attendance.
‘All change is not growth’
Thursday 14 March
2pm
Online
Dr Morgana Lizzio-Wilson’s talk seeks to understanding the lifecycle of social change in the context of feminist and LGBT issues. Dr Morgana Lizzio-Wilson (she/her) is a Lecturer in Social, Political, and Feminist Psychology at the University of Exeter. Access the meeting or contact f.fasioli@surrey.ac.uk for a calendar invite.
HerHealth Summit at Stag Hill
Saturday 16 March
10am - 4pm
Stag Hill campus
Hosted by Surrey FA, HerHealth is an engaging, educational summit designed to delve into the topic of women's health within football. Whether you're involved in women's football or simply passionate about the game, regardless of your gender or role, this summit is made for you. More information.
Empowering Diverse Women Entrepreneurs
Tuesday 9 April
2.30pm - 4pm
Online
Two inspirational speakers will delve into the theme of Diverse Women Entrepreneurs in Travel and Tourism, discussing how unity can forge inclusive travel experiences. Register for the quarterly CrEDIT Club meet-up here: https://lnkd.in/eYefb5m4
For any enquiries, please feel free to reach out to gespi@surrey.ac.uk.
NATO Women and Girls in Science challenge - proposals invited
Until Sunday 21 April
The challenge is open to individual female university students (studying for their bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD) and early career researchers up to 35 years of age from NATO member countries. The three winners will get to visit the NATO laboratory at the Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) in La Spezia, Italy, in the summer of 2024. Download more information about the challenge here.
'How on Earth' series continues this summer on campus
Date in June tbc
Time 6pm - 8pm (tbc)
Stag Hill campus
The next event in our 'How on Earth' series will discuss gender equality in the workplace. For more information nearer the event, please visit www.surrey.ac.uk/events
Treat yourself to a refreshing, purple-themed drink at Wates House on International Women’s Day.
Head over with colleagues to try ‘Purple Haze’ (£2.50) – made from a tantalising combination of cranberry juice, lychee juice, blue curacao, strawberry puree, lemon juice and lemonade.
Or perhaps ‘Sophisticated Sour’ (£4.50) – a mixture of Gordon’s gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and a drizzle of red wine – is more your thing.
Either way, enjoy!
Archives and Special Collections: Women in Science display
This display celebrates five female scientists who studied or worked at the University of Surrey, or at its predecessor institution, Battersea Polytechnic. These pioneering individuals worked in a time when there were many barriers to women having careers in scientific subjects, especially in the areas of chemistry and physics.
Included are two Battersea chemistry students, Dr Winifred Dickes and Dr Valerie Pittman, whose lives and careers are more fully explored in a blog.
The display also showcases the careers of two perhaps less well-known Battersea and Surrey academics, Babette Stern and Dr Joan Reid, whose determination to work in the then male-dominated fields of physics and chemistry took great drive and resilience.
The career of Professor Daphne Jackson also features. Through the University’s archive collections, the display traces her work as student at Battersea, progressing to being employed as an academic at both Battersea and Surrey, and becoming the first female Professor of Physics in the UK in 1971.
The exhibition, situated just inside the ground floor entrance of the Library, will be in place until the Spring vacation. Do come and take a look.
Networks
Join the Women's Network
The Surrey Women's Network advocates for women's interests, supports and develops the ambitions of women, and engages the University community in its agenda. Request to join Microsoft Teams' Women's Network team.
Menopause - guidance and support
Every woman's menopause journey is unique. Find out more about guidance and support at the University, including a toolkit, Menopause Advocates and free access to Adora - a personalised digital companion.
Surrey Women's Entrepreneurship Network
SWEN fosters innovation and investment-readiness through mentoring programmes, expert business support and links with the local ecosystem of funders, policy makers, investors and other stakeholders.
Returning to Research
Two University of Surrey scientists have came back to work thanks to help from the Daphne Jackson Trust.
The Trust is named after the first female physics professor in the United Kingdom, who in 1986 established a pilot programme upon which today's fellowship is modelled.
Find out more about the Trust and and its work with Professor Margaret Rayman and Dr Lisa Mohebati.
Springboard
Springboard is the award-winning, globally-recognised personal development programme for staff who identify as women. The aim of the programme is to enable women to develop, both on a personal and professional level by learning more about their skills, values, environment, assertiveness, networking ability and how to put themselves across positively, build on personal image and set achievable goals.
If you have any questions or would like any further information, please email Jo McCarthy-Holland. The next course opens for applications on Friday 1 November.
Further reading
Celebrating the contribution of some of our amazing female colleagues on International Women's Day 2024.
At Surrey, we are grateful to each and every one of our female colleagues for their contribution to the University's successes.
Here we celebrate the 22 women who were recognised for their exceptional contribution to teaching, research and University life. Each of these colleagues were shortlisted for awards at the 12th annual Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Staff Excellence.
Conversations with Fellows
The purpose of the Institute for Sustainability at the University of Surrey is to ensure the long-term wellbeing for all and the workplace culture, especially for women, is essential in achieving this.
Read more about the career experiences of some of our Fellows, which cover a range of UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG5 for Gender Equality.
Surrey the launchpad for a cosmic career
Surrey alumna Dr Nicola Fox is the Head of Science at NASA. A Masters at Surrey proved to be the foundation for a stellar career exploring the secrets of the universe.
Nicky returned to Guildford in September 2023 and took part in a Q&A with students and staff from the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, following a campus tour.
Blazing a trail, from Surrey to cyber
Pioneering Surrey alumna and tech entrepreneur Dr Anna Vartapetiance is on a quest to make the internet a safer place with her groundbreaking cyber safety technology.
Anna, who is a visiting researcher at Surrey’s Centre for Cyber Security, returned to campus for the unveiling of a prestigious purple plaque, located in the Alan Turing Building in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences (FEPS), where she was a student between 2007 and 2014.
If you are planning to run an event or activity in support of International Women's Day, please let us know via news@surrey.ac.uk so that we can build it into our promotional programme.
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