Inspirational females in Derbyshire talk gender equality as we celebrate this International Women’s Day

As the world marks International Women’s Day, women across Derbyshire have been sharing their views on how we can create gender equality and what being a female means to them.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

International Women’s Day has been marked across the world for more than 100 years, on March 8, as a special day for women and all they have achieved.

The day is dedicated to the “social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women” but also acts to highlight and raise awareness about issues that women continue to face and fight for today, such as gender equality.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The UN has said that their theme for 2022 is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, which is aimed at recognising the contribution of women and grils around the world “who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all”, according to UN Women.

Louise Gill, pictured with her son Roman, set up Roman the Seeker as a support group for parents of children with autismLouise Gill, pictured with her son Roman, set up Roman the Seeker as a support group for parents of children with autism
Louise Gill, pictured with her son Roman, set up Roman the Seeker as a support group for parents of children with autism

Elsewhere the International Women’s Day website – which says it's designed to "provide a platform to help forge positive change for women" – has chosen the theme ‘break the bias’ and is asking people to imagine "a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination".

Another theme, according to the International Women’s Day website, is ‘break the bias’ which asks us all to take action to create gender equality in our communities and workplaces.

With this in mind, the Derbyshire Times posed a range of gender-related questions to a number of inspirational women across our area to find their views – with everything from the challenges they have faced being a woman to how we can create gender equality among our future generations.

Angie Smithson, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Angie Smithson, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Royal Hospital Foundation TrustAngie Smithson, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Royal Hospital Foundation Trust
Angie Smithson, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Royal Hospital Foundation Trust

Q: What does it mean to be a woman in 2022?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A: “To me, it means being an individual who has the freedom and choice to be who they want to be, being true to themselves.”

Q: Have you faced any bias (either conscious or unconscious) within the workplace because of your gender and how did you overcome it?

A: “I received a number of comments when I first started as CEO at CRHFT, and sometimes still do, of “oh, you’re a woman” and “is the CEO in?” because some people still seem to expect there to be a man in this position. I’ve overcome it by always being clear about why I do my job – because I want to make a difference to patients and to the people who I lead to do that every day – and working hard to hopefully achieve that.

Kate Burns (pictured right) Co-leader of the Women's Equality Party Derbyshire branchKate Burns (pictured right) Co-leader of the Women's Equality Party Derbyshire branch
Kate Burns (pictured right) Co-leader of the Women's Equality Party Derbyshire branch

"At the same time, it is about challenging others use of language – referring to me as a girl for example – and assumptions about how you get to be a CEO, I try to share my experiences and story with others along the way.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Q: How do you think men can support women in their fight for equality?

A: “By being an ally. The global theme of International Women's Day 2022 is ‘Break the Bias,’ imagining a gender equal world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive, where our differences are valued and respected. This means taking actions to break down barriers to women advancing at work and making sure there are more women CEOs who don’t get the comments I’ve received. We all have unconscious bias but being aware of it and taking conscious action to be an ally will see change happen.”

Kate Burns, Co-leader of the Women's Equality Party Derbyshire branch

Julie Richards (pictured front), Principal and Chief Executive of Chesterfield College presenting Emily Machin with her prize and certificateJulie Richards (pictured front), Principal and Chief Executive of Chesterfield College presenting Emily Machin with her prize and certificate
Julie Richards (pictured front), Principal and Chief Executive of Chesterfield College presenting Emily Machin with her prize and certificate

Q: Do you think women’s roles have changed dramatically over the last 100 years? Both in terms of work and socially or within the home.

A: “Forty-five years after the Equal Pay Act, for every hour they work, women still earn less than men. There are many ways of measuring the pay gap – pay for each hour worked, pay for each worker, total pay for all women, and for all men – but however you measure it, the story is the same: women earn less per hour, less per job and less overall.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Not only do we earn less, we are more likely to sacrifice the opportunity to earn a wage for the sake of their family. The contribution of women to our economy and our society is undervalued, both in paid work and at home. The joys and responsibilities of parenthood are still not shared equally in our society. And in later life, care for elderly parents tends to fall to daughters, rather than sons. This holds back women in the workplace – but men suffer from this imbalance, too: denied the opportunity to care for and enjoy time with their children or parents and penalised if they do choose to leave or reduce their work for caring.”

“If we could achieve truly shared parenting and caregiving, it would help the pay gap, make it easier for employers to hold on to good staff, enable more men to take part in childcare, and allow more children to benefit from time with both their parents.

Q: How do you think men can support women in their fight for equality?

A: “Listen to and believe women, and trust that equality is better for everyone. Equality is not about somebody losing out and somebody else gaining, it will be of benefit for everyone. We’re stronger together and we could all have it better.

Michelle Dalman, owner of MD Hair at The Glass Yard on Sheffield Road in ChesterfieldMichelle Dalman, owner of MD Hair at The Glass Yard on Sheffield Road in Chesterfield
Michelle Dalman, owner of MD Hair at The Glass Yard on Sheffield Road in Chesterfield
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Power is not shared equally in our society, and this hurts us all. If women held equal power, the whole country would benefit. Women’s experiences would be better reflected in the decisions Parliament takes. Our economy would grow more strongly. Violence against women and the specific needs of women in our health service would be taken more seriously.”

Q: Given the recent cases of Sarah Everard and Gracie Spinks, what do you think needs to be done to make women feel safe?

A: “The government needs to commit to addressing the root causes of gender inequality, because VAWG is the most extreme manifestation of that. They need to focus on ensuring equality exists across our society, and helpfully, WEP mapped it out for them already. Our party operates around seven core objectives. Health, Representation, Pay and Opportunity, Parenting and Caregiving, Education, Media Treatment and Ending Violence Against Women and Girls.

"Our ultimate goal is to make equality a reality. Equality means better politics, a more vibrant economy, a workforce that draws on the talents of the whole population and a society at ease with itself.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Not enough changed in the past year and we are tired of endless empty words and half-baked measures like more streetlight or self-defence classes. Enough is enough - it's time for concrete government measures to end violence, including elevating it to a national policing priority and launching a statutory inquiry into misogyny in the police.”

Q: When have you felt empowered as a woman?

A: “Reflection, either alone or as part of an organised collective is so important.

“Joining the Women’s Equality Party has supported my feeling of empowerment in a massive way and being a founding member of Derbyshire Branch is something I am very proud of. Activism focuses our efforts, makes us feel stronger together. This is important as it sometimes takes a while for women to find the time, the words and courage to express the inequalities we face, it certainly took me some time and the support of other women to find my political home. I have spoken publically about my feminism at several events and this is a challenge I feel I have risen to. This weekend I spoke, as WEP Derbyshire Co-Lead at a march in Chesterfield to call for an end to violence against women and girls. It was very empowering to be with other people, all calling for change; a mix of women and men.

“But empowerment also comes in the seemly smaller, quieter, everyday events that shape who I am - being happy in my own skin, sharing the physical and mental load at home, supporting others and receiving support at work, advocating for my own needs with healthcare professionals, sharing anger and joy with friends and family.”

Louise Gill, Chesterfield mum and founder of Roman The Seeker, an online support group for parents of autistic children set up in the name of her six-year-old son Roman after his own diagnosis in 2018

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Q: If women were in charge of the world, or shared power equally with men, do you think the world would be a different place (considering current conflicts in Ukraine)?

A: “I think it would. When women get power, they typically use it to run things to meet their targets and goals by using diplomatic approach. For men it is more typical to use power to get more power and to use more brutal means to achieve the goals. Both men and women are needed to run society with equal rights and equal power.”

Q: Given the recent cases of Sarah Everard and Gracie Spinks, what do you think needs to be done to make women feel safe?

A: “There should be low threshold services for women to use in any situation where they do not feel safe. As an example, staff in bars, clubs and pubs should have practices, where any woman can easily message them that she does not feel safe and needs help. The offered help could be exit from back door to a reliable taxi or similar. Also, in situation where the threat is ongoing – ex boyfriend, ex-husband, husband etc; there should be easy way to contact advisers and get for example a possibility to enter in low threshold safe house for girls, women and families until the threat has been handled by authorities. Maybe also police should be able to react in all threats much earlier than they do now.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Q: Have you faced any bias (either conscious or unconscious) within the workplace because of your gender and how did you overcome it?

A: “It is still too often, when in any meeting regardless of the position and/or competence of the persons, the females are usually asked to make the notes or serve the coffee etc. This is ongoing in extremely many workplaces. I have made it clear to my colleagues, that I shall not be treated as an assistant just because I happen to be the only woman in the team – I am participating in the meeting because of my competences and role, not because of my gender.”

Q: What does it mean to be a woman in 2022?

A: “A woman in 2022 is what a woman wants to be, I believe women thrive in femininity and masculinity, a woman can choose her in life quite freely, women can be a doctor, soldier an engineer or chef just to name a few. With saying this there is still a problem in 2022 that women face prejudice, sexism, and safety, which needs to be addressed.”

Kerry Ganly, Account Manager at Penguin PR and former Chesterfield FC reporter for the Derby Telegraph, the newspaper’s first-ever female sports reporter

Q: What is one thing you wanted to do - either in the workplace or not - and were made to feel like you couldn’t do because you’re a woman?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A: “When I first became a female football reporter, I wanted to write detailed match reports like my male counter-parts; I wanted the readers to see how knowledgeable I was and, I guess, to take me as a seriously as my male colleagues. I wanted to be able to turn up to football matches in a dress and not be frowned upon for showing my feminine side. It took a while for me to understand that everyone is wonderfully unique in their own way and that my style of reporting on sport was very different to that of my male colleagues. There’s no right or wrong way; I had to find my style and be confident in what I was writing.”

Q: Do you think women’s roles have changed dramatically over the last 100 years? Both in terms of work and socially or within the home.

A: “Yes, absolutely. There has been a lot of campaigning over the years to change perception when it comes to women’s roles at work, socially and within the home – but still more can be done. Women are more on an even keel, and that’s fantastic, but to encourage more women to apply for jobs in STEM or sport, for example, then employers need to be sympathetic to their needs. We’re hard-working, superbly talented individuals but we’re also, quite often, mothers who need flexible working to care for their children, and consideration and a better understanding needs to be given during menstruation and when women go through the menopause.

A recent study by Women in Sport found that seven in 10 girls said they avoided sport when menstruating, citing pain, tiredness and self-consciousness. We need to be having discussions about this and encouraging these girls to lead an active lifestyle.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Q: How do we get women more engaged in male dominated courses/job roles?

A: “We need to educate primary school pupils career options that may be available to them. Start them early; I recently read that children as young as six often rule out career options because of their gender, ethnicity or socio-economic background. There is a Government-backed project called Our Future which is hoping to change this perception – it’s available to primary schools in Chesterfield – and they are doing a fantastic job of breaking down these gender stereotypes. I volunteer for this scheme, to try and do my bit.”

Q: How do you teach your sons/daughters about equality for women?

A: “It’s hard to believe that we still live in a world where, in some countries, women aren’t allowed to vote. Quite often, this is something which we take for granted and so I make sure that my children Sam, 14, and 10-year-old Grace are aware of the suffragettes and how Derbyshire was at the very heart of the Industrial Revolution, and that Cromford Mill relied heavily on female workers when the very-first factory opened. I make them aware of the work my Grandma did in the Land Army, too and how important it was for my mum, with three young children, to have a job. It’s important to have those role models, to share those stories that unify us and continue to have those conversations about equality.”

Michelle Dalman, Owner of MD Hair at Chesterfield’s Glassyard development

Q: What does it mean to be a woman in 2022?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A: “I feel very proud, privileged and honoured to be a women in 2022 to represent what women fought and lost their lives for, to be able to stand and show the future generations how to move forward even stronger than we are today, and to show you are able to work full time and have a family, house and life too.”

Q: How do you think women can take a lead in action against climate change? (given most are consumers of things such as fast fashion, we buy makeup in plastic packaging etc.)

A: “We use Kerastase and they have just launched refillable products so we can help stop using the plastic bottles etc and help towards the planet so these will be available in the salon immediately.

"I use products but always buy recycled/recyclable products where ever I am able to as I am a big believer in helping keeping the planet green and encourage my staff to recycle in the salon. I believe in This day and age fashion makeup and consumer packaging is becoming equal within men and women.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Q: Do you think women’s roles have changed dramatically over the last 100 years? Both in terms of work and socially or within the home

A: “I think they have changed drastically my and my husband both are equal within four household and work as a team in everyday life with three children, a dog and a house, we both work full time and a healthy work life balance.”

Q: How do you teach your son’s/daughters about equality for women?

A: “I just show by example in my every day life, I work full time and look after my three children and my dog, I run a business and try to have a social life somewhere In the mix and want them to know they can achieve anything in life they want to and show them how to be an independent women.”

Q: When have you felt empowered as a woman?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A: “I feel empowered as a women every day as I know I’m a happy independent hard working mummy to three beautiful girls and work very hard to give them life experience and to show them you can do anything if you want as long as you believe in yourself that you can.”

Julie Richards, Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Chesterfield College Group

Q: What does it mean to be a woman in 2022?

A: "It means you can have a successful career and balance work and family by being very clear about your expectations of an equal partnership at both work and at home. It means women now have opportunities to shape their own future and work collaboratively to build success. It is important we continue to educate our children, both girls and boys to have mutual respect for each other and understand the richness of a diverse society where everyone is equal, valued and respected.”

Q: How do you think women can take a lead in action against climate change? (given most are consumers of things such as fast fashion, we buy makeup in plastic packaging etc.)

A: “Regardless of what I’m buying, in the last five years an organisation’s environmental credentials has become increasingly important to me. It’s now one of the first things I consider when making a purchase. It’s pleasing to see when using independent businesses across Chesterfield, such as our restaurants and cafes, that issues such as sustainability are being given the priority they deserve. There is still plenty more to be done across every industry and our courses are addressing these in the skills which future workforces need, for example sustainable materials and practices across construction and engineering and hybrid vehicle maintenance and skills to install vehicle charging points.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Q: How do you teach your son’s/daughters about equality for women?

A: “I tell my daughters all the time that as long as they are passionate about a subject/career then they should pursue it to the best of their ability and being a woman shouldn’t be considered as something that holds them back in any way. As a Principal and CEO I’m proud to show them that being a senior leader in an organisation is achievable when you work hard and genuinely care about a purpose.”

Q: How do we get women more engaged in male dominated courses/job roles?

A: “Working in a college we are keen to encourage both women and men into gender dominated subjects should it be something they want to do, removing any perceived barriers to progressing a career in that field. It’s pleasing to say that we have seen some real developments regarding gender equality across industries in the last five to 10 years.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We have an increasing amount of female students in construction trades and engineering for example. A fantastic case in point is painting and decorating student, Courteney Hadala-Holmes who gained employment at a wonderful business, This Girl Can Paint owned by an inspirational lady called Sue Ready. Courteney added her voice to Sue’s ongoing campaign to promote the amazing work undertaken by women in construction trades across Derbyshire as a whole.

"I feel now more than ever there is an appetite to simply pursue a passion and grow and develop a successful career regardless of gender.”