As March is women’s history month the Ursuline school in Wimbledon held a phenomenal women conference, which was centred around the realities of women in society and the workplace also the importance of intersectionality. Students got to (virtually) meet many different women who offered up their life expierences and advice on how to navigate the workplace as women.

I asked Patricia, who helped organise the conference, what the importance of holding conferences on social issues in school is. She replied that she believes that it is “crucial young people are educated on current affairs and have knowledge on these situations.” She went on to say that “it is so important at this age to be exposed to as many inspirational people and stories as possible” this highlights the importance of young women hearing stories from people that “inspire them to dream big and achieve great things.” Hearing the voices of people who may have lived different life experiences to you is also very important as they can enrich your knowledge of the world and give you a different perspective on issues.

I wanted to know more about the process of organising this conference as I was aware it was the first time she had organised a conference on such a large scale. Patricia responded by stating that organising the conference “was an enjoyable process” and she actually found out that she really enjoys “interviewing and working with others on big projects.” Despite the gratifying aspects of planning the conference and seeing it come together she did admit that the “lead up to it was quite nerve-wracking.”

Finally, I was curious to know what the best thing about planning and running the conference was. She said “the best thing I learnt from the conference and through the planning process is the importance of giving 100% into anything you are involved in” this takeaway was thanks to all the inspirational women who participated in the conference. She ended with “the women who spoke all achieved great things because they were not afraid to take risks and be confident.” This sums up the message of the whole conference; how as women we should not be afraid to express our opinions as they are necessary and important.