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12 March 2018
On a day when the whole world commemorates women, the movement for women’s rights and the breaking of glass ceilings, the Badminton community gathered on Thursday 8th March to celebrate International Women’s Day 2018.
The day began at Badminton by welcoming the Lord Mayor of Bristol to a special International Women’s Day assembly. Councillor Lesley Alexander delivered an inspirational speech to the Badminton girls, speaking passionately on gender parity and her desire to see more women in senior positions in organisations and in society as a whole. Following the assembly, flag bearers representing the 35 nationalities within the Badminton community ceremoniously planted their flags along the path of the School’s Rose Garden and they blew in the wind alongside the School’s Flag for the remainder of the day, in salute of the celebrations.
Girls at Badminton also received a visit from Robyn Wootten, a Research Associate at Bristol University, who delivered a stimulating lecture on the assumption that gender differences perceived in character and behaviour are caused by biological differences in the brain. She discussed the decline in the ratio of women to men as you move up the hierarchy in STEM fields and spoke ardently on the importance of women pursuing such careers.
Throughout the day, timetabled lessons were adapted and girls were able to learn about an inspirational woman in their subject area. Lunch at Badminton was even given an International Women’s Day twist and included foods from each of the continents.
Mrs Tear, Headmistress at Badminton commented; “At Badminton, we celebrate the role of International Women every day. The school has a long history of educating girls from across the world and we are proud to currently have 35 nationalities represented in our community. We are advocates in teaching and inspiring all our girls to break through and disregard gender stereotypes in society whilst ensuring they are prepared and ready to make their mark on the international world beyond. Above all, we instil in them the need to make a positive contribution, take responsibility for their own actions and destiny and to be inclusive in all they do.”
