Back in May, Deputy Principal Helena Marsh wrote a post for the blogging platform @staffrm: ‘Is there still a glass ceiling?’ http://staffrm.io/@helenamarsh/CvK8GlAvdN
Helena described a conference she had attended on ‘Empowering women in leadership’, which had encouraged her to reflect on some of the specific challenges women may face as they begin to prepare themselves for, and actively seek out, promoted posts in the world of education. Helena questioned the extent to which some of the barriers were, perhaps, a result of some women’s tendency to “criticise, judge and limit themselves and each other”. She urged both women and men to champion aspiring women leaders in education, and, despite the sensitivity and potential controversy of the subject, to engage in active debate about it. #Womened was born.
Helena described a conference she had attended on ‘Empowering women in leadership’, which had encouraged her to reflect on some of the specific challenges women may face as they begin to prepare themselves for, and actively seek out, promoted posts in the world of education. Helena questioned the extent to which some of the barriers were, perhaps, a result of some women’s tendency to “criticise, judge and limit themselves and each other”. She urged both women and men to champion aspiring women leaders in education, and, despite the sensitivity and potential controversy of the subject, to engage in active debate about it. #Womened was born.
I and others soon wrote follow-up posts, and the amount of discussion stimulated on Twitter, and in a range of blog posts including on @staffrm, confirmed that this was an issue that was ripe for re-exploration. What are the potential barriers, both in our heads and in the workplace, and what strategies can we devise to address and overcome them? How can we challenge and support women so that they believe in their capacity, their potential, and their right to choose educational leadership roles in addition to other priorities in their lives?
A lively #SLTchat was held on the subject in July, ably chaired by Hannah Wilson, who subsequently reflected on why the subject was so contentious: http://staffrm.io/@misswilsey/b6WNbhLQAU The determination to continue and widen the debate led to the organisation of a Women in Educational Leadership day conference on Saturday 3rd October 2015 in London, spear-headed by Vivienne Porritt from the Institute of Education and a wider team of organisers, including Helena and Hannah. The conference is to be hosted, generously, by Microsoft at their offices near Victoria, from 9.30am to around 4.00pm. Several of us will be speaking about, and running a range of workshops on, subjects such as authentic leadership, diverse leadership, confident leadership, wider leadership and juggling leadership and life. The focus of the day will be on debate and networking, sharing perceptions and ideas, rather than the dissemination of the views of ‘experts’. We look forward to a dynamic, interactive, stimulating and productive conference.
We know this is only the beginning of the conversation, but feel strongly that this is an important conversation to have.
Come and join us?
Further information available on this link: http://www.womened.org/womened-unconference-3rd-october-2015.html
A lively #SLTchat was held on the subject in July, ably chaired by Hannah Wilson, who subsequently reflected on why the subject was so contentious: http://staffrm.io/@misswilsey/b6WNbhLQAU The determination to continue and widen the debate led to the organisation of a Women in Educational Leadership day conference on Saturday 3rd October 2015 in London, spear-headed by Vivienne Porritt from the Institute of Education and a wider team of organisers, including Helena and Hannah. The conference is to be hosted, generously, by Microsoft at their offices near Victoria, from 9.30am to around 4.00pm. Several of us will be speaking about, and running a range of workshops on, subjects such as authentic leadership, diverse leadership, confident leadership, wider leadership and juggling leadership and life. The focus of the day will be on debate and networking, sharing perceptions and ideas, rather than the dissemination of the views of ‘experts’. We look forward to a dynamic, interactive, stimulating and productive conference.
We know this is only the beginning of the conversation, but feel strongly that this is an important conversation to have.
Come and join us?
Further information available on this link: http://www.womened.org/womened-unconference-3rd-october-2015.html
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