HERSTORY III – International Women’s Month #Inspireinclusion

Every year during March, in the UK and across the globe, we celebrate International Women’s Month. This initiative was established over one hundred years ago, as part of the women’s movement to support and promote equality for women.

Women’s Month provides a great opportunity for women as well as businesses and communities to come together to inspire, educate and discuss our successes, as well as on-going social and economic barriers. Why? To build a diverse, inclusive, and equal playing field for all. 

In recent years, this movement has highlighted the importance of representation in business and encouraged change to support this. Recent statistics indicate that the number of female-led businesses is rising steadily. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in 2020, there were around 1.7 million self-employed women in the UK.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) reported that women accounted for around a third of all entrepreneurs in the UK. However, female entrepreneurs often faced challenges in securing funding. Reports also indicated that a smaller percentage of venture capital funding went to women-led startups compared to those led by men.

Although progress is being made, women are still underrepresented in leadership positions. A report by Grant Thornton in 2021 found that women held 32% of senior management roles in the UK. The gender pay gap continues to be an undermining factor for women in business. In 2021, statistics gathered indicated that the gender pay gap in the UK was around 15.5%. Meaning that, on average, women earned 84.5 pence for every pound earned by men.

HERSTORY

There are women in business in our community, making history by representing in their fields, and achieving the unachieved. Their presence and stories inspire us to challenge limitations, break down social barriers and inspire change.

To support this, Prior Media & Marketing has teamed up with a range of businesses to host ‘Herstory III’ – a networking event and conference which takes place on Thursday 14th March 2024 at The Ironworks Studios in Brighton.

Herstory III consists of networking, an empowering workshop led by award-winning and internationally recognised motivational speaker Harry Singha, and panel discussion moderated and covered by local & national broadcaster Latest TV, featuring some of Sussex’s leading businesswomen.

The topic of this year’s event is ‘Embracing Strength, Achieving Greatness’ and a powerful, diverse panel of business and community leaders will come together to discuss their experiences along with the importance of pursuing what can be seen to be unachievable. Panellist includes:

• Paige Collins FCA – Expert Accountant and Partner at Warren House Accountants

• Angela Arnold – Property Lawyer & Partner at Rix & Kay Solicitors

• Emma Draper – Entrepreneur and Owner of Velvet Hove

• Anita Grant – ACO at Sussex Police

• Matt Turner – Entrepreneur and CEO of Creative Pod

This event provides us an opportunity to celebrate women in business, communicate existing barriers, invest in essential business skills, and gain confidence from fellow counterparts.

Business support for women in business is not just a matter of social responsibility; it is a strategic imperative that can bring numerous benefits to companies. Businesses that actively support gender equality and women’s empowerment build a positive corporate reputation and encourage motivation internally.

Tickets are just £66 and available via Eventbrite.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/herstory-iii-tickets-794405768037?aff=oddtdtcreator

This event is sponsored by Ridgeview, Velvet Hove, Rix & Kay Solicitors, Warren House Accountants, Sussex Business Times magazine, Latest TV, Silicon Brighton, Ironworks Studios, IT Document Solutions and Creative Pod.