International Women’s Day

Celebrations focus around the day’s mantra of “an equal world is an enabled world” as women, young ladies and girls around the world unite to encourage gender equality, turn the tables against gender bias and celebrate the achievements of women.

As a mother to a beautiful daughter myself, and a well respected woman in a professionally male dominated world, I couldn’t be prouder to support International Women’s Day.

I am a key supporter of gender equality – in particular the #womeninbusiness and #womeninfinance movements – as we must, as a generation, continue to push for equal rights.

There are a great deal of stumbling blocks and hurdles to overcome as women... as business owners, women find it far more difficult to find finance and funding for their SME business; whilst a mere 10% of CEOs in the FTSE 100 are women. We battle with work place attitudes mixed with our own guilt as working mothers; and we tirelessly battle for our right to equal pay.

We need to herald our achievements in the same way as our male peers – even when, in most cases, we have to work harder and smarter to gain the same trust, respect and acknowledgement. As this year’s celebration states, the more equal we become the more enabled we will all become!

We must all stand together to empower, encourage and inspire girls, young ladies and fellow women around the world; to change attitudes and promote change .

Did you know, the first International Women’s Day gathering was celebrated in 1911 after 15,000 women marched through New York in 1908 demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights? These brave women, and may after them, have paved the way for us, and future generation, as we’ve become Prime Ministers, surgeons, astronauts, engineers, scientists, even finance brokers!

However, there is still a long way to go.

So remember - nothing will stop us, least of all gender.

The future’s bright. The future’s female.