Posted on: 4 March 2021
International Women’s Day (IWD) is marked each year on 8 March; it’s a global day celebrating the achievements of women.
This year it’s more important than ever as women stand on the frontline of the pandemic as healthcare workers, caregivers, innovators and community organisers.
At CNWL, 77 per cent of the Trust’s workforce are women and almost all of the Trust’s executive leaders.
Two years ago on IWD, the CNWL Women’s Network launched. It is a gender-diverse community set up to strengthen the development of women and gender equality across the Trust.
This year we’ll hold a virtual event for CNWL women and allies to share their experiences of everyday courage and where they find strength from to persevere, venture and challenge.
Over the next week you can hear and read messages from CNWL’s women on courage. To start off we have a message from Claire our Chief Executive and Maria, Chief Nurse.
Claire Murdoch, CNWL Chief Executive – a thank you to staff for having courage to come in during Covid-19 and have the vaccine
Maria, O’Brien, Chief Nurse and Women’s Network Executive Sponsor
Watch other video messages from our senior leaders and Women’s Network below:
- Prof Dorothy Griffiths, Chair of CNWL
- Robyn Doran, Chief Operating Officer talks about courage and wellbeing
- Hannah Witty, Chief Finance Officer
Messages from network members
- In one clip Janice Sparkes, a CNWL Women’s Network Committee member who works in our Offender Care Services, quoted a famous poem by Edgar Guest
“Success is failure turned inside out - the silver tint of the clouds of doubt, and when you never can tell how close you are, it may be near when it seems afar; so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - it's when things seem worst, you must not quit.”
- Rebecca Dunkerely, Co Chair of the Women’s Network
- Nuria, Volunteer Service Manager
- Debbie
- Smita, Camden Baby Feeding Team Manager
We’ll be sharing more videos from staff on social media too throughout the day @cnwlnhs on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using these hashtags #cnwlwomen #everydaycourage
‘Everyday courage is being honest and communicating my needs even when it makes me feel vulnerable’
Smita Hanciles, Camden Baby Feeding Team Manager
‘Everyday courage means gaining confidence in sharing my thoughts and opinions’
Natalie Hickman, Peer Support Research Coordinator
‘Everyday courage is fighting for what you believe in, even when I feel nothing ever changes – because ultimately, it does’
Agnes Leger, Volunteer Coordinator
‘Everyday courage would be striving hard to stand in my truth as a black Muslim woman; standing up for truth even when it is hard to do so’
Zamzam Elmi – Baby Feeding Practitioner
‘Everyday courage is allowing myself to relax and take a breath without feeling guilty of not accomplishing the days to-do list’
Aisha Nakyambadde – volunteer peer supporter
‘Everyday courage is asking for help’
Mary-Ann Gilroy – Admin Officer and Peer supporter
‘Everyday courage for me is the commitment to breaking generational trauma’
Kalpana Kalidas – volunteer peer supporter
‘Everyday courage for me is trying to be sincere with everyone and accepting myself’
Yuri Sone – volunteer peer supporter
‘Everyday courage means allowing myself to be vulnerable, asking for help when I need it, accepting my story and myself and following the call whatever that may be’
Lucy Merali – Baby Feeding Practitioner
‘Everyday courage is asking again for a person’s name, that you’ve forgotten, but should have remembered OR asking someone’s name, even if you’ve been speaking with them for months at the school gate OR asking someone to repeat their name if it’s not registered the first (or second) time round. Names are so important’
Anna Glowaka, Volunteer peer supporter
Charan Chana, Advanced Paediatric Occupational Therapist in Ealing Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service shared this poem
I am very grateful for being a woman, being a woman has taught me the importance of perseverance.
The days of darkness when life seemed like a struggle the power of hope just took over and I just kept going.
The struggles seemed to never end around me whether it was society, living a life for others or my own mental state.
I just kept going.
I opened my eyes each morning and counted my blessings for this new day, wanting to reach my goals and achieve my dreams.
I just kept going.
I tell myself that I have to sacrifice my happiness for the people around me, my roles and responsibilities of life but my hunger and thirst for growth showed me the light.
I just kept going.
Each challenge gave me the drive to show the world who I could become, not just for me, but for the ones that care for me dearly.
This gave me the motivation to go that extra mile to achieve that one bit more.
And once again I just kept going.
The selfless love and grace I carry, I wonder where time has gone, I tell myself it is never too late as with this experience you have yet so much more to become.
All the roots and values I inherit from life itself I carry deep within my soul; this does not determine who I am today but yet who I will become, I will always keep going.
To get involved you can also join the global event: Saturday 6 March: BIG Celebration: All-day event with speakers, entertainment, celebrities, and more! Our live-streaming event – played on the website will be seamlessly delivered by our expert IWD 2021 Performance and Sound Team.
On Monday 8 March Live, you can watch a streaming replay of Saturday’s event on this website.