Celebrating and Empowering Women

Not only was it International Women’s Day this month (Wednesday 8 March), but March has also been Women’s History Month. Throughout the College, pupils and staff have got involved with an array of activities and occasions to celebrate women of the past, as well as women of today and the future. In this article, we look back at all that has happened over the last 30 days.

On the academic side, each department was tasked with covering an influential woman for the week, highlighting their significant contributions in that subject from any period of history. For example, in science pupils discussed Marie Curie one week and Rosalind Franklin the next, and in business, names have included Coco Chanel, Oprah Winfrey, Karen Brady and Emma Bridgewater. The four influential figures put forward from each department were also used to produce a colourful and impactful display in the Great Hall as a tribute. The posters have been up all month and have included historical women, such as mathematics teacher Hypatia from 350-415AD and Queen Melisende who ruled during the Crusades in the early 12th century, in addition to more recent inspirational and influential women such as Greta Thunberg and the Williams sisters. The display has been a great source of discussion amongst pupils and staff, with comments on who was missing heard just as much as learning more about names not previously known.

Speaking at the end of the month, Head of the College’s Equality and Diversity group, Mr Andrew Jones, said: 

‘Serena Williams once said, “Every woman's success should be an inspiration to another. We're strongest when we cheer each other on". Inspired by this quote, the Equality and Diversity team set out to learn about successful inspirational women throughout the month of March. The month provided a platform to build on our College's ethos of Inclusive, Individual and Inspirational, and celebrate the successes of women across all academic fields to inspire our pupils to continue their journey of building and achieving their personal best.' 

On International Women’s Day itself, female pupils and staff members across the College came together in the Lecture Theatre. The photo that was taken, in which so many purple ribbons can be seen, shows how connected the College is, chiming with the IWD theme of embracing equality and celebrating the incredible women here at Shiplake and all over the world.

During the evening of International Women’s Day, members of the Shiplake College community were treated to a special Drama Showcase from our talented drama scholars. The event took place in a packed-out Tithe Barn Theatre and the audience enjoyed performances of short extracts chosen by the pupils, who ranged from Year 7 through to Year 13. The pupils had curated the event to celebrate great theatrical works that highlight the lives and writing of prominent female artists, writers, scientists, activists and beyond. Highlights and a full gallery are available here in case you missed the showcase.

The following morning, Gilson House held a special assembly to celebrate International Women's Day during which members of the House spoke about women who had inspired them.

Monday 13 March was a historic day as our senior girls’ footballers played their first ever Football Night Lights fixture. It was fitting that the fixture took place in March, especially not so long after International Women’s Day. In a pre-match feature, Year 13 pupil and Captain of Girls' Sport, Róisín Allen, spoke of how the game will help highlight the importance of equality in sports and help build the reputation of girls’ sport here at Shiplake. Looking forward to when the College goes fully co-educational, Róisín encourages those joining the College to get involved with absolutely everything on offer.

‘It is great to have events such as the Girls' Football Night Lights to help highlight the importance of equality within all sports and genders, and the girls have the chance to represent their school within a sport, to work as a team, and to inspire others to try a new sport.’  Mrs Lovelock, Head of Girls’ Sport 

And the events and activities did not stop there. On Monday 27 March, our Gilson pupils ran a bake sale to raise money for Berkshire Women's Aid. They wanted to support a women's charity in the local area by raising money for an important cause. BWA offers refuge to women and children who have experienced domestic abuse and empower women to manage their emotional and physical health and wellbeing. BWA supports women to take control of their own health by making informed lifestyle choices, changing behaviours and developing coping mechanisms. Thank you to everyone who contributed; over £900 has been raised!

Flickr album: Woman's History Month 2023 | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin