International Women's Day Week at Kendrick School
International Women’s Day on March 8th is a global day recognising the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women while calling for accelerated action to advance gender equality. The Kendrick Student Leadership Team organised many activities where we reflected on the contributions to society that women from a range of backgrounds, including those who started their journey as Kendrick students, have made. This year, the IWD 2026 Give to Gain campaign encourages a mindset of generosity and collaboration.
The week began with a talk by Dr Natasha Barrett. Her journey to becoming an Associate Professor at the University of Reading involved earning two undergraduate degrees and a PhD. What I learnt from her lecture is the importance of focusing on your passion and turning it into a skill. For example, she is a retired osteopath and continues to work as a Pilates instructor. Listening to her talk, her passion for teaching and helping others really came out. This aligns with the theme of ‘Give to Gain’, which emphasises the power of reciprocity and support. She highlighted the importance of building relationships, noting that the impressions you make can help to forge opportunities. While this advice applies to everyone, it is particularly vital for women to embrace these opportunities and step into roles as mentors, inspiring the generations that follow.
After attending this talk, I followed up my reflections by listening to Dr Parveen Yaqoob OBE, Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Reading. Her story particularly moved me as she highlighted the cultural expectations of women within her family. The most striking contrast was when she graduated from Oxford and was given wedding bangles, compared to her brother, who was given a trip to Egypt. Her determination to pursue a PhD made me personally think about how education enables women to become financially secure and independent. This is crucial to allow women to give so that others can gain. Without the necessary resources, knowledge, or time, we cannot amplify the impact of our support for others. We are fortunate to witness an increasing number of female leaders; as Dr Yaqoob noted, the next step is to look at women in power without assuming there must be someone else behind them acting as the "true leader."
The final talk I attended was arranged for the Sixth Form by Ms Kattirtzi, who invited Yasmina Siadatan to speak. She is the winner of The Apprentice 2009 and a former Kendrick Student. Her talk was particularly insightful because she knew what it was like to be surrounded by driven young women, a privilege which we experience daily. Her experience starting out as a business owner emphasised the importance of following your own timeline; seeing your peers with career-powered jobs at the start doesn’t diminish your own success, it just shows that success is not generic. This is a crucial lesson, especially as women are often pitted against one another in a modern culture that insists we must "have it all." Therefore, this year’s theme encourages that sense of community, which I am proud to say we do have in Kendrick: when other women thrive, we all rise.
On Friday morning, we were joined by the Mayor of Reading, Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles. She discussed the role she is playing to support charities tackling inequality in Reading, especially the Whitley Area. As a geography student, I am keen to challenge traditional perspectives on poverty. As we face ongoing economic challenges, our support for the Whitley Food Cupboard becomes ever more important.
Of course, I must mention the Bake Sale and celebration event on Thursday lunchtime, where there were many yummy cakes and fun activities to celebrate women. We raised £253.70 to add to our total of £500 for Smart Works Reading, who help unemployed women get the coaching, clothing and confidence they need to secure employment. Employment does more than sustain women’s lifestyles. It provides independence and financial security.
On that note, Mother’s Day has also recently passed. Sometimes, the most inspiring women in our lives are not the ones we see in the media. They are the ones who provide us with face-to-face support and a constant source of encouragement.
By Isabelle – Year 13