Education vs Inspiration

Last week I let my teenage daughter miss a day of school and instead come along to the Kingston Women of the Year Awards. Anyone who knows me knows this isn’t a decision I took lightly, as my kids normally have to be close to death to get out of a day of school! I’m a ‘suck-it-up and see how you go’ kind of mum, if they are feeling a bit off in the morning. At any rate, I felt this year and on this particular day that it was time to try something new.

International Women’s Day stands for so much, whether that be freedom of choice, access to education or being safe from the threat of violence. Here in the western world we focus intently on making sure our kids get the best education available, but sometimes I think it can be just as beneficial to inspire the future generation to believe in the multitude of things they can achieve and recognise the impact they can have.

The Awards showcased 29 women who have gone above and beyond in the areas of STEM, Community Support & Education. Each of these women found a passion and have used that to lift up other women and power them forward as well.

I came from a household where it was constantly demonstrated that the glass ceiling could be broken, with a mum who held a director position and sat on a board (in a room full of men!) for most of my childhood. So, I almost take it for granted that I can do whatever I want and have inadvertently passed on the same message to my kids. For women that didn’t grow up in an environment like mine, I love the fact that we celebrate International Women’s Day by showcasing the wonderful achievements women have pioneered and are continuing to push through to level the playing field with our male counterparts.

As valuable as education is, there is also a hug benefit in inspirating women to see just what we can achieve and are capable of. Let’s not forget that…