FOMO, WELN:UAE, WISE … and life transitions

It is not often that I suffer from Fear Of Missing Out, but as I write this in the BA lounge at Dubai airport, on my (delayed) way back to Edinburgh after a thoroughly uplifting week challenging a series of leaders in school, I feel more than a few twinges. The reason for the FOMO is clear – I will not be attending the inaugural Women in Educational Leadership Network Summit in the UAE next Saturday (28 September), even though I know absolutely that it will be an amazing day of learning and connection.

Have you seen the agenda? And the speakers? So many wonderful women! Having been there in the discussions as the germ of the idea of this network was born, drawing on the inspiration of the WISE (Women in International Schools Empowerment) conference at the British School of Manila last January (about which I have written previously – and will again, as WISE will be in Seoul in February 2025), I feel a particular dollop of FOMO landing in my mental inbox. Ah, what a day it will be! Oh, to be there!

So … why will I not be there? I could have been … the UAE is almost my second home, given the wealth of connections and wonderful coachees I have in the region.

Well, the reason is this - I am about to celebrate a powerful life transition, and this necessitates me being in the UK next weekend, coinciding with the date of the WELN: UAE summit. Almost 18 years ago, I gave birth to my second child – my first daughter – and next weekend, she leaves home for university. So, I am going with her!

Not, to be clear, to study alongside her for the next 4 years … just to drop her off (and probably weep a bit) … but I am determined to be there, and I anticipate that it will be a day of momentous emotions. In part this is because I will be flooded with emotions of pride, love, bereft-ness, and the like, as I was when her brother left, but even more so, because now I will have more children away from home than are with me at home. She, meanwhile, because she is very sensible and grounded (well brought-up, obviously 😊), will be absolutely fine.

I also want to acknowledge and emphasise, however, that I recognise – and feel, very deeply and powerfully, as should you – that when my daughter goes to university, this will also be a momentous day because of what it represents in the continued drive for women to gain equality in their lives and careers. We should not underplay this; it is still very much within our collective living memory that women were not permitted to gain university degrees – and the right for women to attend university – or even school - is by no means universal in this world.

What my daughter – and any young woman who is starting, or continuing to study at, university this autumn - is achieving is to persist in breaking a mould of restriction, the vestiges of which are still felt by women across the world. It is still harder for women to become school leaders than it is for men; the unconscious bias that influences recruitment processes is still a thing that we need to challenge.

I feel privileged to be on that particular journey of challenging bias in my work with the wonderful team at LSC Education; I also feel privileged to be in a position to coach leaders across the world – men as well as women – and to know that this coaching is underpinned by a unwavering belief in the essential respect that we hold for one another as human beings, regardless of our gender or any other differences.

When we recognise, articulate the discordances and disjointednesses of our world, then we are far better placed to address them and work towards the kind of world that we, as educators, envision and are empowered to help shape.

So – really, really enjoy WELN: UAE if you are there. The power of the network is real; together we really, really are stronger and more powerful in our drive for change. Besides, you will make lots of great friends! I’ll be there in spirit as I enjoy setting my daughter on the next stage of her journey.

Oh, and you should know that she reads my blogs and my LinkedIn posts (what a wonderful young woman!!) … so I am going to sign off this blog with lots of love and kisses, intended for her especially, but also for all the women of WELN: UAE. Embrace the joy!

Onwards and upwards! Xxx