On Thursday 8 March, Bristol Business School hosted several events and workshops to celebrate International Women’s Day.
The day was collaboratively organised by the Faculty of Arts, Creative Industries and Education (ACE); the Bristol Business School and the Bristol Law School.
Guests were welcomed by Hazel Edwards Associate Dean (Research and Innovation) who set the scene for International Women’s Day and shared her own personal experiences with attendees.
The first session was run by Professor Carol Jarvis, with several students from Team Entrepreneurship, and focused on inspirational women.
Guests were asked to work in groups and share their inspirational women and then describe them using just one word.
Next there was a panel discussion entitled ‘Barriers to and opportunities for enabling more successful women in business’. The lively discussion was chaired by Professor Jane Roscoe, Pro Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean, ACE and panellists included:
- Kalpna Woolf – Award winning ex BBC Head. Author -Spice Yourself Slim
- Sado Jirde – Director of Black South West Network (BSWN)
- Vashti Seth – Success Redefined Coach
- Professor Sue Durbin – Professor in Human Resource Management
Over lunch, stalls were set up in the Business School atrium which were run by female entrepreneurs. Guests were served food from Bini Fine Foods and were serenaded by our International Women’s Day choir.
There was also a raffle which raised over £200 for Bristol charity one25, who reach out to women trapped in, or vulnerable to, street sex work, supporting them to break free and build new lives away from violence, poverty and addiction.
In the afternoon there was a screening of “Barefoot in Business”, a film created by BAFTA award winning film maker Carol Cooke about female entrepreneurs in Uganda.
Also running throughout the afternoon were several workshops and drop in sessions including speed mentoring; an Athena SWAN workshop and a CV surgery.
The whole day was compered wonderfully by Lynn Barlow Assistant Vice Chancellor, ACE.
Thank you to all who were involved and helped make International Women’s Day at the Bristol Business School such a success.