Celebrating International Women’s Day with Paradise 2025

Image from: Stewart@stewartwrittle.co.uk and Core Marketing

• Accelerating Action for Gender Equality: Discussions focused on strategies to break barriers, foster inclusivity, and advance women’s careers, particularly in STEM industries.
• The Power of Mentorship & Allyship: Panellists highlighted the importance of mentorship, reverse mentoring, and male allyship in creating supportive workplace environments.
• Flexible Working & Holistic Support: The conversation underscored the positive impact of flexible working policies and holistic well-being initiatives, including awareness around perimenopause.

On Thursday, 6 March, industry leaders and professionals gathered at One Centenary Way in Paradise Birmingham to mark International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025. The event, chaired by Michele Wilby, CEO of Colmore BID, provided an inspiring platform to celebrate women’s achievements, discuss challenges, and explore actionable strategies to accelerate gender equality in the workplace.

A Call to #AccelerateAction

Michele Wilby opened the event by reinforcing the significance of IWD, highlighting its mission to forge inclusive working cultures where women’s careers thrive. This year’s theme, #AccelerateAction, urges organisations to identify what truly drives progress and do more of it. Paradise, home to some of the country’s top professionals, offers a natural hub for fostering connections and championing inclusivity, particularly in STEM industries.

Meet the Panel: Inspiring Journeys and Key Takeaways

The event featured an engaging panel discussion with four esteemed professionals who shared their personal journeys, challenges, and successes:

• Jayne Hussey, Commercial Lawyer and Head of the Birmingham Office, Mills & Reeve
• Louise Stroud, Associate Engineer, Arup
• Faye Beaman, Associate Engineer, Arup
• Harriet Brown, Director, PwC

Each panellist shared their career experiences, offering invaluable insights into overcoming gender bias, navigating male-dominated industries, and the importance of mentorship.

Themes from the Discussion

The conversation touched on a range of important themes, including:

• Breaking Barriers in Male-Dominated Industries: From law to construction, many panellists spoke about their experiences working in sectors traditionally dominated by men. A common thread was the need for practical inclusivity, such as providing well-fitting workwear for women in construction.
• Overcoming Impostor Syndrome: Several speakers acknowledged the self-doubt they encountered in their careers and how mentorship and strong support networks helped them overcome it.
• Work-Life Balance & Flexible Working: Harriet Brown from PwC shared insights into how creating or joining mum groups and flexible working policies have greatly improved the work-life balance for women, allowing them to thrive both personally and professionally.
• The Power of Mentorship: The panel reinforced the importance of mentorship, with Arup’s female-to-female mentoring initiative and reverse mentoring (junior mentoring senior staff) proving particularly impactful.
• Allyship & Calling Out Bias: A key takeaway was the necessity of engaging men as allies, encouraging them to call out gender bias in the workplace and actively support female colleagues.
• Holistic Support & Perimenopause Awareness: Beyond traditional workplace policies, panellists discussed the importance of holistic support, including raising awareness about perimenopause and broader well-being initiatives.

A Collective Responsibility to Inspire Change

As the event concluded, Michele Wilby reaffirmed the key message of the day:

“This has been a great opportunity to celebrate some of the fantastic work and contribution women locally have made in a selection of key industries. The takeaway from today is that our stories can and will support other women in their career progression and conversations. It is our responsibility to advocate for girls in education and women to have access to mentors to inspire them to follow STEM fields and reach board levels.”

Attendees were encouraged to continue the conversation by networking over lunch, making their Paradise Pledge for International Women’s Day, and sharing their insights online.

Looking Ahead

This inaugural Paradise IWD panel marks the beginning of further networking opportunities and ongoing discussions aimed at fostering an inclusive workplace culture. By sharing our stories, supporting one another, and advocating for change, we can collectively accelerate action towards true gender equality.

A huge thank you to our panellists and attendees for making this event a success. Let’s keep the momentum going!