International Women’s Day is back on the 8th March 2022 and celebrates women across the world. This year the theme is #BreakTheBias.

We’ve got so many amazing women across Norfolk doing incredible things so we’re celebrating them across the month of March. We’ve also got some inspirational women who work within Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, and we're shining the light on them too.

We spoke to Alison Sefton, Head of Norwich High School for Girls...

Why is supporting women in business so important?

 School is where the journey starts. At Norwich High School for Girls, we encourage our students to fulfil their potential and look to a future where they can pursue their ambitions and make a positive difference. Whilst the majority choose to go to university, some may not and we support each individual girl’s pathway. We need to make sure that when ambitious young people are ready to step into the world of work, they will be encouraged, challenged and given opportunities to shine.

 Our students are endlessly creative, opinionated, passionate, innovative, talented, empathetic and kind. These qualities would be an asset to any business and they should be treated in kind to an inclusive and equitable workplace in whatever industry they choose.

What challenges do women face in the workplace that are different to men?

Unfortunately, the most up-to-date research shows that traditional gender stereotypes remain culturally universal with boys typically described as adventurous, enterprising, individualistic, inventive and progressive; and girls described as cautious, dependent, fault finding, shy and submissive.

 Single-sex education actually serves a subversive purpose: we seek to challenge traditional gender stereotypes, encouraging students to take risks and be adventurous to develop a strong sense of themselves free of any feeling that the script has been written for them.

 This follows into the workplace. Should our students want to take on a career in traditionally male industries like engineering or automotive, will their experience be on a level with their male colleagues? Whilst things are improving all the time, we are all always learning and training around unconscious bias and stereotyping - not just for gender but other characteristics, is vital across all industries.

Norwich High School for Girls.