Celebrating Women: Empowerment, Solidarity

Over the past month, our school community has come together to celebrate and honour women in a significant way. Through various activities and initiatives, we have aimed to highlight the importance of promoting women's achievements and contributions in our everyday lives. This celebration has provided a platform to showcase the remarkable accomplishments of women and inspire our students to recognize that women can excel in any field, even those traditionally dominated by men.

We kicked off with a focus on successful women in our subject areas, highlighting that women can flourish in a man’s world. Some notable figures included Lang Ping a Chinese volleyball player and coach. She was the first person in volleyball history to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games as a player and a coach. Yayoi Kusama a Japanese modern artist famous for her dots and infinity rooms and demonstrating the drive and confidence to succeed. Also, Madam C.J.Walker who built up her own hair product business for African American women resulting in her becoming a self- made millionaire.  

During our celebration of women's awareness, each year group was provided with a free wristband. These wristbands were not only a symbol of awareness but also a way for students to actively participate in promoting positive change and empowering women.

In addition to wearing the wristbands, students also made a pledge to forge positivity, celebrate women's achievements, promote gender equality, and challenge stereotypes. This pledge was a commitment to actively contribute to a more inclusive and equitable society. It encouraged students to engage in discussions, educate themselves and others, and take actions that support gender equality and women's empowerment.

Our library went above and beyond to create an eye-catching and inspiring display of books written exclusively by women. This aimed to celebrate the literary achievements of women authors and provide our school community with an opportunity to explore a diverse range of captivating stories, insightful fiction, non-fiction, and thought-provoking literature.

To further raise awareness and support for women, our dedicated catering team worked tirelessly to create two special purple sweet potato puddings. This unique initiative aimed to actively engage the school community while symbolically representing solidarity and support for women.

In an effort to gain insights into the experiences of our female alumni beyond their high school years, we proactively reached out to them to gather valuable information and anecdotes. By connecting with these accomplished individuals, we aimed to understand their journeys, challenges, and triumphs in various professional fields. Here are examples of the responses we received:

‘Engineering is still quite a male-dominated field but interestingly, more than half of the students in my university course were women’.

‘Adjust their mindsets to look at women as equals as opposed to stereotyping them as less academic, weak or other negative types’.

To celebrate International Women's Day, EiM launched a captivating digital art competition. This innovative initiative provided an exceptional platform to spotlight and honour women from both the past and present. 

Overall, our efforts to reach out to our school community and raise awareness have been incredibly successful. Through various initiatives, we have effectively engaged students, staff, and other members of the community, fostering a sense of unity, empathy, and encouragement.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the staff, students and alumni who dedicated their time and energy to participate in the activities and initiatives that celebrated and highlighted women. Your involvement and support were instrumental in creating a meaningful and impactful experience.