IHSCM International Women's Day Resources
International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on 8th March.
It is a global event dedicated to recognising the achievements of women and advocating for gender equality.
It originated from labour movements in the early 20th century and has since evolved into a day highlighting issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence against women.
For more information, please refer to International Women’s Day 2025.
For IHSCM members, International Women’s Day is a significant celebration of contributions. Women play crucial roles in health and social care management. IWD is an opportunity to celebrate their contributions and achievements in these fields.
The day emphasises the importance of gender equality, which is essential in creating inclusive and effective health and social care systems.
IWD helps raise awareness about the challenges women face in the workplace and encourages actions to address these issues.
By participating in IWD activities, IHSCM members can inspire and support initiatives aimed at improving gender equality and empowering women within their organisations and communities.
On Friday, 7th March 2025, we held 7 member-led sessions to learn from those who have gone before and to share and learn from best practices. Click on the video links below to catch-up.
Watch Again
The DOSE Effect by Sue Jones MIHSCM, Director for Social Care, IHSCM
The DOSE effect (Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin and Endorphines). Sue discussed what it is like living in the world today as a woman and understanding why we can feel overwhelmed and some really useful strategies to cope.
“What You Think, You Become” by Sarah Wilson, Leadership Coach & Social Housing Consultant and Director – Coastal Coaching (Sussex) Limited
Sarah spoke about the power of thoughts and what they can create. In a complex world, focussing on what we can control – ourselves, is vital. Sarah will be helping you raise your own self awareness and really think about who you are creating.
Accelerating Action by Dr Daghni Rajasingam FIHSCM MA MRCOG, Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Consultant Obstetrician, Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Medical Director, Secondary Care Transformation, NHSE South-East.
Daghni has been actively involved in addressing and reducing ethnic inequalities in maternity care. Her work focuses on driving research, supporting innovations, and implementing strategic policy recommendations to create sustainable change that still exist.
Moving the conversation on from equality. It’s time to embrace equity by Dr Claire Mould FIHSCM, Founder and Director of Curve Strategic, CEO of Heart of England Mencap, and Co-Chair of the IHSCM Women in Leadership Special Interest Group.
This session will outline how despite their similarities, equity & equality are inherently different concepts. We’ll discuss why equal opportunities are no longer ‘enough’.It outlines how despite their similarities, equity and equality are inherently different concepts. This leads to a discussion of why equal opportunities are no longer ‘enough’ and can in fact be exclusionary, rather than inclusive.
Suma John by Suma John, Ward Manager, Cardiff and Vale UHB ans Welsh Clinical Leadership Trainee Fellow for the Welsh Government.
Suma is from India and has lived in Wales since 2002. She talks about her journey as an ethnic minority woman who lived in a male-dominated world till she was 27 and then moved to the UK wanting to make her dreams come true.
A Female Leadership Journey in Social Care by Hayley Robertshaw, Director of St Martins Care.
Hayley discusses how she began working in social care, the ups, the downs and the lessons she has learned. This session is not to be missed for all aspiring leaders out there.
Leading Through Complexity: Women Driving Systemic Change by Nicki Bramford, Founder of Auxology – Transformation Change.
Nicki is Founder of AUXOLOGY – Transformation Change. In her session, you will explore the unique challenges and opportunities for women leading in complex systems. Nicki identifies key leadership skills needed to navigate uncertainty, influence change, and foster inclusive cultures, and provide practical strategies for balancing organisational excellence with workforce well-being and innovation.
#IWD
