International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. Read on to find out what our Managing Director, Candace Miller thinks of this very special occasion for the sectors we support at SFJ Awards.
“International Women’s Day 2021 has taken as its theme ‘Choose to Challenge’, calling out gender bias and inequality wherever it appears and celebrating women’s achievements in all walks of life. Within the health sector, women have long been the majority participants in the workforce, with many major leadership roles within the system held by talented women.
Women also play a significant part in providing direct patient care, scientific and research services and running the logistical/ administrative functions that allow our hospitals, GP clinics and wider healthcare settings to flourish. In the Fire and Rescue services, women may not be in the majority, but increasingly women are at the top table, leading services as well as managing watches and operating on the frontline – it is not by chance that we now speak of ‘Firefighters’ as opposed to ‘Firemen’, the term which was so prevalent within living memory.
In Policing and the wider criminal justice sector it is the same, women everywhere have risen the ranks, commanding forces at local, regional, and national level and dealing with incredibly challenging situations that naysayers might in the past have thought them incapable of doing.
Within the work that we do within SFJ Awards we are totally committed to supporting women everywhere to excel and qualify for jobs and careers within the sectors we serve. Their gender is irrelevant to us, what matters is that they have achieved the required standard within the qualification or apprenticeship on which they are enrolled. And our quality assurance processes ensure that any evidence of bias within achievement rates is identified, explored, and challenged.
So, on International Women’s Day 2021, let’s come together to celebrate the achievements of women across the world who play such important roles in protecting and caring for the public.”
Candace Miller, Managing Director, SFJ Awards
Follow the conversation today on Twitter and LinkedIn with #IWD2021 #ChooseToChallenge
