International Women’s Day 2019
The first event organised by the newly setup group this year was the International Women’s day, which was a huge success with more than 100 people attending.
WF did a fantastic job by coordinating a remarkable, informative, interesting and entertaining event in a very short time. The whole event included a wide range of programmes from modern and classical dance, musical performances, inspirational speeches, historical and fun quizzes and a fabulous fashion show to end the evening.
The event kicked off with a speech by PratibhaRamsingh, who is the District Manager for Department of Work and Pensions, responsible for leading 900 staff and services across West London. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2016 for services to society through her work for DWP. She gave a speech on being a senior manager within a mostly male dominated environment and her experiences as a woman of Indian heritage. The event was anchored by Sindhu Sathish and Kavya Priyan.
A very powerful PowerPoint presentation was given by Suresh Ravindran, the head of media and literature at Little Ilford School, featuring negative influences on social media about gender bias and stereotypes. It was an eyeopener for many about the subliminal messages send to our younger generations about gender bias, norms and expectations.
A candid talk by a teenager Ashlyn who has recovered from mental health issues and her specialist Dr Hena Vijayan encouraged women to think about their emotional wellbeing and how best to seek help. It was an apt, captivating and an educational experience.
A speech by Bittu Thomas about a true story featured in the movie Love Sonia raised much needed awareness of child trafficking, bringing poignant reflection to the day’s events, as well as fund raising.