International Women’s Day event agenda

When Womanhood and Self-Actualization Collide
Katie Donovan-Adekanmbi

Lets reflect on the issues faced by women in society and how we, as individuals and service providers, can begin to identify assumptions we make, the barriers we create and how we can tear them down to support the self-actualisation of all women.

During this workshop we will consider the following:

• The difference between equity and equality
• What does the law says
• Intersectionality and how it compounds a women’s experience
• The life cycle of a women and the impact of Bias on their personal/professional journey
• What we can do individually and as part of an organisation to promote inclusion and awareness about Gender Equity?

@BCohC0

Storm in a Tit Cup
Heidi Loughlin, Motivational Speaker

Diagnosed with the rarest and most aggressive form of breast cancer while 13 weeks pregnant, Heidi had a horrendous decision to make…. ‘Life -saving treatment for me or life for my baby.’ To receive life-saving treatment Heidi couldn’t be pregnant but to her, this was her third child and she was prepared to take the ultimate risk.

Heidi declined treatment to protect her little girl but was all to aware of the little boys that she had at home that needed their mum.

As an ex Metropolitan Police officer that worked on the gangs and public order unit, Heidi was built of strong stuff and used her extremely dark humour and resilience to pull her forwards. The unimaginable happened when her daughter died, and Heidi discovered her cancer couldn’t be cured. But Heidi’s unwillingness to give up has seen her surpass many milestones deemed unlikely by Drs and has been able to share her story with strength, positivity and the ever-apparent humour that sometimes leaves audiences with whiplash.

Heidi has garnered a world-wide following through her blog ‘Storm in a tit Cup’ which has over a million hits due to its shockingly honest account of living with cancer, grieving for her daughter but navigating life by pushing herself. Heidi’s story has appeared multiple times in the media where she has been repeatedly asked to explain how she manages to have such a positive approach to live given what she has endured and continues to endure. Heidi would never describe herself as a victim or sufferer of cancer. She lives remarkably well on chemotherapy by pushing to the outer limits of lives experiences. To meet Heidi, you would never know that she was ill. In fact, she would say she’s fitter, stronger and happier than most people that just have a cold.

Heidi takes audiences through her diagnosis, the loss of baby Ally, the stage 4 label and her approach to taking control. She mixes this with everyday humorous anecdotes of life with cancer whilst raising a young family and tells some mind-boggling stories about her time in the police force. Audiences leave inspired, energised and with a little less fear of the things we all dread. Heid’s mantra is ‘take control of the things you can and let go of the things you can’t.’

@storminatitcup

Empower, Equip and Enable Women to get Involved in Politics
Frances Scott, 50:50 Parliament

50:50 empowers, equips and enables women to get involved in politics by drawing on diverse talent, shared experiences, friendly conversation and connections.

We know that many women don’t see ‘becoming a politician’ as an ultimate career goal, which is why 50:50 offers various access and entry points to help build a more inclusive democracy. Since 2013, we have launched #AskHerToStand and #SignUpToStand campaigns, group events, peer-to-peer advice, buddy schemes and Become A Friend initiatives – all with the help of our supporters and donors.

Thanks to public demand from men and women, 50:50 Parliament has now evolved into a 30 + strong team with thousands of supporters. Nearly 2,500 women have come to #SignUpToStand, from across the political spectrum and from many diverse backgrounds and ethnicities.

@5050Parliament