On Friday 25th of March, DGS held the 5th annual International Women’s Day Student Leadership Conference. We were delighted to have five inspirational guest speakers come and share their stories with students from Year 9 and Year 10.

The event consisted of three virtual interviews with Sarah Outen, Francesca Martinez, and Charlie Martin, with guest speakers Sarah Beardsley and Rebecca Oldfield appearing in-person. Sarah Outen shared her incredible journey as an adventurer along with her messages of well-being and self-care. Francesca Martinez – comedian and actress – captivated us with the story of her empowering career journey, inspiring students to stand up against societal stereotypes. While we ran out of time to share Charlie Martin’s brilliant interview, we look forward to hearing about her amazing career as a racing car driver and transgender activist in the coming weeks.

Along with these great virtual interviews, we were incredibly fortunate to have Sarah Beardsley and Rebecca Oldfield present to the students in person. Sarah Beardsley – Head of Space, Engineering and Technology at RAL Space – spoke about her experience leading a diverse and inclusive team of engineers and technical project managers. In a heavily male dominated field, it was great to hear about her journey into Astrophysics, encouraging students to follow a career path they love and enjoy. Rebecca Oldfield – Executive Vice President Innovation and Technology at Infineum – spoke about this year’s International Women’s Day theme of Break the Bias, outlining forms of bias and laying out simple and accessible steps in tackling bias. Rebecca inspired us to show resilience and strength in standing up for who we are and emphasised the importance of being yourself and leading through listening, compassion, and empathy.

The conference was a brilliant way to mark International Women’s Day. There was much opportunity for discussion and sharing of ideas as the students took in the empowering and inspiring messages our speakers shared. Thank you to Dr Khan for organising the event and for the House Captains' role in running it.