It is hard to limit our experiences with the Women & Gender Equality Student Interest Group (SIG) to a 400-word blog post. How do you convey the joy that even a mere 15-minute leadership meeting can bring to your day?
Being a woman in business is still not balanced – pay parity is still 100+ years into the future; working parents still struggle to receive adequate leave; stereotypes and unconscious biases still abound. What our SIG aims to do is hold space for these conversations, bringing powerful women and allies across the international workforce together for community, engagement, and discussions on how to move forward.
When we kicked off this year’s SIG it was important for us to represent the intersectional needs of our community. We chose to include “Gender Equality” in our title because we understand that not all gendered issues fit in the binary – and we are committed to holding space for each other. Uniquely, this is the first year we have a male ally representative in our SIG leadership team. We’ve seen first hand what a difference it makes to have men of integrity and action as part of our cause, and we wanted to represent that in our vision.
A highlight of the year so far has been participating at the Wo+Men’s Leadership Conference in November. With the start of our MBA programme being full on, it was a treat to connect with the larger Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre at the Business School and support them in putting on their flagship event. Our SIG leadership team facilitated small group sessions during the networking portion of the day sparking conversations around gender equity and the future of work; two topics that are always top of mind. From the incredible panel conversations to the workshop on navigating difficult conversations, our team left feeling inspired, and that momentum has carried on through the MBA term!
As we’ve moved into Lent Term, we’ve also seen how important it is for our cohort to have opportunities for more casual connection. We’ve hosted smaller scale lunches, happy hours, and even a yoga session to give our SIG members opportunities to socialise and relax. Unfortunately, many of us have experienced competitive corporate environments where women are pitted against other women – made to compete for a single seat. We reject this notion of female rivalry and instead strive for the sentiment first spoken by Shirley Chisholm: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair”. And while you’re there, pull up a seat for another woman or underestimated group.
For our School-wide Special Interest Groups see the list here >