Basingstoke MP, Maria Miller hosted an event to mark International Women’s Day on Saturday, inviting women from across Basingstoke to join together. The event featured two separate panels of speakers, followed by a Q&A with guests.
Maria said: “International Women’s Day is an opportunity for women in Basingstoke to come together to discuss the future of our community and to encourage more women to take a leading role in shaping that future including through volunteering, being appointed to school or college governor positions, or standing for election. I would like to say thank you to the fantastic group of local women who took part and brought to the discussion their wealth of diverse and fascinating experience.
“We know that one of the biggest challenges to getting more women into leadership and volunteering roles is the perception that its “not for people like me”. It is important to recognise how we can each contribute in our own way. I really hope that this discussion, and the experiences highlighted by these brilliant panellists, will act as inspiration for other women in Basingstoke to put themselves forward.”
Panel 1 was titled: ‘Women leading the charge on tackling climate change and environmental issues’, and featured: Catherine Waters-Clark, CEO of Inspero; and Debbie Tann, Chief Executive of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
Panel 2 was titled: ‘Encouraging more women to take up local community roles', and featured: Carol Bode, Chair of Trustees at Basingstoke Voluntary Action; Daughne Taylor, Governor at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Jenny Vaux, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Councillor and former Sherfield Park Parish Councillor; and Joy Bibby, Governor at Basingstoke College of Technology.
For more on the themes for this year’s International Women’s Day, please visit: