Find out more about this year’s theme of #EmbraceEquity, and what International Women’s Day means to some of our Senior Leadership Team.
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day on March 8 was #EmbraceEquity. This is important as while Equality means that everyone is given the same opportunities, Equity recognises that individual situations are different, and people should be given the resources needed to reach an equal outcome. You can learn more about the difference between the two here.
We marked the day by hearing from some of our Senior Leadership Team about what the day means to them. First, we asked Angela McConville, our Chief Executive, a few questions.
“It’s unacceptable that where a woman lives, the colour of her skin, her accent or her faith, can influence the quality of care that women receive and the outcomes for women and babies.
“Every woman has the right to be listened to and put at the centre of their care throughout pregnancy, birth and parenthood. Achieving this requires care givers to understand and respect each woman’s unique circumstances.
“There needs to be strong, compassionate leadership and positive investment in staff to help achieve the cultural shift in attitudes and behaviours towards women that are already disproportionately affected by health and social inequalities.”
“In the 1970s, during the Troubles, my mother started a community playgroup in a rural part of Northern Ireland.
“She was a community organiser and campaigner – just like the many thousands of women who have been part of the NCT movement since the 1950s. It was part of my mum’s struggle for equity as a woman and a new mum, in a time of significant economic and social unrest.
“It clearly made a big impression on me, as throughout my professional life leading charities, I have been committed to working on issues of equity and social justice.
“I’m so very proud to lead NCT, our charity has a proud 65-year history of championing women’s health, education, agency and empowerment – campaigning and fighting for women’s rights in pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and postnatal care.
“We’re the charity that campaigned for women to have their birth partners present at the birth of their baby; that campaigned for women to have the right to breastfeed in public without discrimination. Today, the fight to #EmbraceEquity continues – there is much still to do to combat poverty, trauma, stigma, racism and discrimination.”
“My vision is that on IWD, now and in the future, we celebrate womankind in all its diversity and recognise where gender intersects with other important aspects of personal identity.
“I also feel hopeful for the many men who are and will show up as allies – at home, work and in society – championing and fighting for a world that is equitable for women, for all.”
We also spoke to Natasha Simpson, our Director of People, Education and Inclusion, about what the day’s theme meant to her.
Natasha said: “Women are a very diverse group and gender is intersectional. For me, different aspects of my identity, for example, race and ethnicity, and gender – intersect and influence how I am received and how I exist in the world.
“I believe that trying to celebrate Women, without recognising where gender may intersect with other aspects of identity, is incomplete. I am not sure it is possible to isolate these individual aspects of our identity.
“As such, I would like everybody to celebrate International Women’s Day, whilst recognising the importance of equity, as not all women are the same – they have different backgrounds, beliefs and identities – which in turn create differences in needs, experiences, challenges and barriers.
“So let’s promote and celebrate these differences, as it is through equitable actions that we can reach a place of true equality and inclusion for all women.”
Read more about this year’s International Women’s Day.
Find out about our Senior Leadership Team, including our new Head of Operations, Tope Medupin.
