• MARCH 8, International Women’s Day, is a day we all remind each other the past and present achievements of all womankind.

It is as important as ever for young women to hear and learn from experiences outside of their classroom and home or network.

With women making up half of the global population they account for only 21 per cent of the ministers, and those are generally given roles around family, welfare, and environment.

Outside of government last year women made up only 5 per cent of the FTSE 100 chief executive officers.

It is estimated that at the current rate of progress, gender parity in national legislative bodies will not be achieved before 2063 and for BAME women it is further down the line.

To combat this we must encourage our female students and young women to see themselves in these roles. Hearing other women’s stories is an important way for students and women to learn about this.

If students can see someone like them in these roles, they can picture themselves – and this can be a significant step forward.

This year, more than ever with lockdown, I think helping students feel connected and that others have had similar experiences or struggles is important.

It is reported that there is a 30 per cent drop in girls’ confidence between the ages of eight and 14.

Many students have had a year of lockdowns and home learning to contend with. This is likely to further impact on their confidence.

Today on the global stage:

– women make up 75 per cent of the world’s workforce;

– women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours;

– women produce most of the world’s food;

– women earn only 10 per cent of the world’s income and own less than one per cent of the world’s property.

Women face so many challenges to progress. In Islington we ought to do better with the empowerment of women and particularly BAME women.

CLLR RAKHIA ISMAIL
Former Mayor of Islington Islington Conservative Federation