Women@Imperial Week is taking place from 7th-11th March, where Imperial will be recognising the achievements of all female staff and students, and celebrating the contributions women have made to life at Imperial.
As part of International Women’s Day (8th March) the College are hosting a reception featuring demonstrations of research by female scientists, entertainment by some of our Union societies, and a public exhibition of photographs and archive material.
Here at the Union, we will be hosting a special cocktail night on the same day, to celebrate women at Imperial. All students, alumni and staff are welcome to attend!
Other events include the Imperial College Women in Business Society’s ‘Women in Innovation’ panel discussion and networking session (sign up here); as well as an Outreach event for local school girls on the 11th March, involving some of our fantastic student volunteers.
We also have a great opportunity to get involved in some volunteering during the Women@Imperial celebrations, so if you are interested in helping out check it out here.
All students are warmly invited to take part and join in the celebration and recognition of women. If you would like to find out more about what is happening, you can do so by clicking here. You can follow the week via the #imperialwomen hashtag on social media. Imperial's Facebook page will also be sharing stories from women at the College.
Gender Equality Survey
In other news, the gender equality research is still in progress, and they are eager to hear from you! The research is looking at issues around equality and diversity and the institution’s culture. If you have a story you would like to share regarding gender equality issues on campus, you can do so completely anonymously by following this link: https://genderate.wordpress.com/icgender/
Leadership Elections
So much has already been done to improve gender equality at the College, whether through researching issues on campus or celebrating and recognising women. However, there is still more to be done, and we can help improve the culture through encouraging women in all areas of student life.
One such encouragement for this time of year are leadership positions. With campaigning in the Leadership Elections starting in two days, I’ve been doubling my efforts over the past few weeks to encourage and empower women to run for all Union leadership positions. It is important that everyone (and not just women!) feel supported when running for and taking on these roles, and that each and every student will be treated equally.
An important part of our time at Imperial is to provide equal opportunities for everyone and to ensure no one feels discouraged from running for any role. If you are passionate about students and their time here at Imperial, then leadership positions are for you. You don’t need experience to take up any role in these elections; you’ll be surrounded by an excellent team of other Officers and Union staff that can give you all the help, support and knowledge you need.
We need to ensure that each student is empowered to instigate change that makes a difference at Imperial!
If you would like to stand for a role before nominations close at midnight on Sunday, please visit our Leadership Elections website at https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/leadership-elections-2016/leadership-elections-2016
All the best,
Lucinda
