three women seated and discussing at women in engineering event

This year’s theme is #EachForEqual, showing how everyone has a part to play in creating a gender equal world.

2 March 2020

5 min read

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day (8 March) is #EachForEqual, highlighting how we each have a role to play in helping to create a gender equal world.  Whether it’s actively challenging stereotypes, fighting bias, broadening perceptions, improving situations or celebrating women's achievements - each individual’s actions can make a difference.

Bernie Topham, Chief Operating Officer at the University said: "I feel really proud to be working at the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú. I have found it to be an institution which values and welcomes the contribution of women in the workforce and is determined to support and encourage our personal development and growth.

"I’ve seen first hand female colleagues benefiting and growing in confidence through programmes such as Athena SWAN and other development opportunities and I have always felt that my own personal development and growth at the University has been supported."

This International Women's Day 2020 I urge all women to believe in their own potential, to feel inspired by the achievements of other women and seize opportunities open to them

Bernie Topham, Chief Operating Officer at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú

International Women's Day 2020

Among the International Women’s Day initiatives at the University are:

Women of Westminster: The MPs who changed politics

Friday 6 March, 4.30pm–7.00pm

In this lecture, Rachel Reeves, herself an MP for Leeds West, will talk about the book she's written to bring the forgotten MPs out of the shadows and looks at the many battles fought by the Women of Westminster, from 1919 to 2019.

Women at War film screening

Saturday 7 March, 1.00pm

Celebrating women around the world who are rebuilding communities affected by conflict. A music teacher and choirmistress leads a double life as an eco-warrior, sabotaging the operations of the local aluminium smelting plant. As the authorities close in, she hears that her long-forgotten plan to adopt an orphan has been approved. Iceland, 2018, 100 minutes.

#MySTEMJourney

Our Global team and  have been celebrating the stories of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) globally - showing show young women that there are people like them pursuing their STEM goals and that they can do it too. Read the stories via #MySTEMJourney on  or .

#MySTEMJourney campaign

Our students share their thoughts about their own experiences to encourage more young women to go into STEM fields.

Speaker 1 We help make the world a better place. 

Speaker 2 Support us sharing our journey. 

Speaker 3 Let's inspire the next generation of women to. 

Speaker 4 Follow their passion for STEM.

[ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, ICP, #MySTEMjourney]
 

Athena SWAN Charter

More widely we're committed to creating a working, learning, cultural and social environment based on dignity and respect. As part of our commitment, we retained our Athena SWAN Bronze Award in April 2018, recognising our commitment to gender equality. We're currently delivering our Action Plan 2017 – 2021. In addition, 12 of our Schools and Departments hold the Athena SWAN Bronze awards in their own right. We're ambitious for the future and are working towards the Athena SWAN silver award in 2021.