For International Women's Day (IWD), the University of Sheffield organised a range of events that invited staff and students of all genders to come together to celebrate women at Sheffield.
From openly discussing female health topics to sharing stories of inspirational staff, here's what the university got up to.
Starting a conversation about menopause and supporting carers
The university started conversation about two important areas of work related to gender equality and wellbeing – creating a menopause friendly workplace and supporting carers.
A special event, co-hosted by Professor Katherine Linehan, Chair of the Gender Equality Committee and Faculty Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; and Professor Brendan Stone, Deputy Vice-President for Education, reinforced the #EachforEqual theme by opening up invites to any gender.
The event discussed menopause at work, and considered how to better support women to be successful in their roles regardless of the challenges the menopause may bring and to enjoy the right work life balance, as well as how the university can offer practical support to carers and raise awareness to lift the dual pressures of work and home life. It also launched some new areas of work to help ensure that all staff get the same opportunities to flourish regardless of age, time-of-life changes, gender and/or family circumstance, while also bringing the conversation into the open and reducing bias
Sharing stories of women progressing gender equality in their careers
From challenging preconceptions of Muslim women to breaking down barriers and stereotypes in mathematics, the university also shared stories showcasing how its staff are building an equal world and progressing gender equality in their careers.
These stories included women such as Professor Amaka Offiah, Chair in Paediatric Musculoskeletal Imaging and Chair of the BAME Staff Network, who discussed her role as an academic mentor; Professor Sarah Whitehouse, on breaking down barriers in her field as a member of Women in Topology network; and insight from Bella Abrams, Director of Information Technology, a founder member of Sheffield Women in IT.
Male academics reflect on contributions made by female researchers
Over at the Sheffield Methods Institute, SMI male academics reflected on the contributions made by female researchers to their own areas of interest. This was inspired by an IWD campaign in previous years where SMI female academics and their work were showcased.
Awarding Sheffield women making a difference to lives of others
Coinciding with IWD, two women from the University of Sheffield, Dr Claire Corkhill and Maria de Souza, were also recognised at the Inspirational Women of Sheffield Awards. Hosted by the Sheffield Star, the awards are an opportunity for the public to nominate prominent women who have made a difference to the lives of others.
Dr Claire Corkhill, from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, won the Pam Liversidge OBE Award for Engineering in recognition of her high quality research into nuclear waste; while Maria de Souza from the Partnerships and Regional Engagement Team was also honoured in the Inspirational Women of Sheffield Awards for her inspiring dedication to creativity in Sheffield.
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Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.