News

To mark International Women's Day 2023, we spoke to our team to hear their responses to this year's campaign message: #EmbraceEquity.

Equity to me
Is the key to being free
Bye patriarchy
Haiku by Charlotte Pine (she/her) and Amelia Crabtree (she/her), Front of House Assistants
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"Whilst we may finally be at a place where women can work the same jobs as men, the equity is often not there. For example, the phrase “male-dominated industry” is used so frequently and we need to get to a place where there is no such issue. One major way to begin challenging this is to completely eradicate the gender-pay gap."
Chay Giles (he/him), Front of House Supervisor
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"When I think about equity, I think about how important it is to redistribute properly. Whilst our state might be similar, our circumstances are not. It's also about knowing that some people need more of something to create an even level playing field. Often equity is about intersectionality, and I think about Audre Lordes quote: I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own."
Steven Kavuma (he/him), Head of Programming

"It is clear that there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve equity for all. On this day I shall be thinking in particular of all the women who have suffered on my behalf, whose determination carved a space that has allowed me to be where I am today. It can still feel like we are scrambling, clawing back after centuries of oppression so we must continue not only to accept, but celebrate our differences."
Elizabeth Whitby (she/her), Front of House Supervisor

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“Every day is an opportunity to cheer on women around you. Every day you can choose community over competition. Because the truth is everyone is out there doing their best. She too has a dream, and a passion, and a little self-doubt. You are not in competition with each other. When you celebrate her, encourage her, and cheer her on, you raise her up. We are all more similar that we realise, and when we can bring our dreams, our hopes our support, and our passions together, amazing things will happen. So, share more love with the women around you today (and everyday), show more love to yourself. Let’s create a world where building others up is what we do, because it is both powerful, and beautiful!”
Amanda Davey (she/her), Chief Executive [Words by @_by_wilde_road]

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To #EmbraceEquity, we need to focus on developing critical thinking. Even with the best of intentions, the approach to equal opportunities is often considered in terms of received binaries – is this fair or unfair, equal or unequal? When it comes to gender, for example, the world is slowly opening its eyes to the problems around binaristic thinking but we need to continue delving deeper – to keep asking and questioning – to ensure that not only the playing fields are level but that the access pathways appropriately reflect the multiplicity of people's needs, experiences and identities.
Jamie Tuohy (he/him), Head of Marketing & Communications

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"To me, equity is something that we as a society not only need to be aware of, but it is something that we must actively participate in. It is a daily responsibility that requires action and disruption to challenge the status quo. Furthermore, it is something we should constantly lobby peers, colleagues and governments to practice and promote."
Marisol Spensieri (she/her), Programme Coordinator