Out of the blue, I have just been asked to speak at an internal business event on International Women's Day. I see that the theme this year is “Inspiring Inclusion”, so I want to plan to get men along too. Here's how: I’m thinking of a title, “Inspiring inclusion: telling your story” to include: ⭐ Some historical stories about the status of women and the struggle for empowerment e.g. Florence Nightingale getting up at 4 am to read her father’s statistical reports because it was not permitted for her to read during the day – not “lady-like”. That’s how she came to understand numerical trends and use them to identify causes of infection. ⭐ Stories from the 20th C of women securing change - I shall be pulling on the fabulous Helen Lewis's book "Difficult Women" there. ⭐ Contemporary stories of real working people. ⭐ “Your story” – the bit where people talk about how they find ways to empower themselves, now and in the future. So, a little sense-making, some interesting content, and some personal reflection. We will be drawing on our shared history through an unapologetically feminist lens. The fact that women's stories are rarely told makes them no less universal in their meaning than the stories peopled by men, which we all know so well. We are all part of bigger stories. Think it'll fly? IWD: International Women's Day 2024 campaign theme is 'Inspire Inclusion' (internationalwomensday.com) #iwd2024 #continuouslearning #historymatters #lawtolife
I do think it will fly - in fact, it’s shame I won’t be able to hear your thoughts on this!
Passionate Advocate for Inclusive and Human-Focused Workplaces | Leadership and Organizational Development | Executive Coach Specializing in communication skills
8moI have every confidence that you will be as inspiring as ever. It sounds like a fine structure.