Women at Imperial
Women at Imperial is an annual event that takes place around International Women’s Day (8 March). Over the course of a week we celebrate female staff and students at Imperial, past and present, and raise awareness of the support available in College for women. #imperialwomen
Women at Imperial Week 2023
A range of events for Women at Imperial Week, 6 to 10 March, have been organised across the College. If you are planning an event to celebrate the Week, please let us know so we can include your event here on this page.
Monday 6 March
Harassment training for managers
09.30-12.30, online training workshop
This training course from Imperial's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Centre is designed to enable managers to feel confident about managing claims of harassment, bullying, or victimisation.
Please see the workshop training page for more details.
Women in Tech: A Digital Career for All
11.00-12.00, webinar
Join ICT for a webinar that spotlights a variety of digital careers focussing on women in technology. Hear from guest speaker Tanya Powell, Co-CTO at Coding Black Females, talking about her career journey and her amazing work to enable the next generation of coders.
The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule
12.30-13.30, South Kensington campus
We welcome Angela Saini, award-winning journalist, broadcaster and author back to Imperial, to talk about her latest book The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule.
Influence and Negotiation
14.00-15.30, South Kensington
This interactive session from People and Organisational Development will introduce you to key principles of influencing and negotiation that can be applied in day-to-day workplace situations and provide an opportunity to practice some of these skills.
Perimenopause & The Menopause Masterclass
14.00-15.00, hybrid
This informative and engaging Masterclass is hosted by Dr Theodora Kalentzi and aims to equip the attendees with further knowledge on the perimenopause and the menopause, and how employers can support their staff.
Tuesday 7 March
In conversation with academic women
09.30-11.00, online session
Organised by Imperial's Postdoc and Fellows Development Centre, this event aims to share experiences of common issues faced by women in academia, with a panel of speakers and a Q&A.
Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship
12.00-14.00, South Kensington campus
This panel discussion, chaired by the co-founders of The Elevat(Her) Podcast, will feature Imperial female alumni who have started their STEM company, as well as experts in finance and entrepreneurship.
Please register for the entrepreneurship panel via Eventbrite.
Invisible Insecurity: How to deal with Imposter syndrome
14.00-16.00, in-person workshop
This People and Development session aims to equip you with the theory, research, and tools to understand the phenomenon of Imposter Syndrome, how it manifests, and ways to manage it.
You should sign up through My training via ICIS.
Wednesday 8 March - during the day
Women in STEM – International Insights
12.30-13.30, South Kensington campus
This panel discussion, chaired by the Provost, will hear from the experiences and insights of three women professors from Italy, Tanzania, and South Africa who have made important contributions to our understanding of mathematics, infectious diseases, and public health.
Find out more details and register via Eventbrite.
Structural Health Monitoring
14.00-16.00, South Kensington campus
Join Professor Zahra Sharif Khodaei, Department of Aeronautics, as she explores her journey of research and career within Structural Health Monitoring.
See more details and sign up to this talk through Eventbrite.
Inspiration Beyond the Bench
16.00-19.00, White City campus
The Faculty of Medicine's Academic Women Association is hosting a panel discussion with Imperial Alumni about their non-academic career paths. The panellists will share their experience and engage in an open discussion, followed by drinks and snacks to continue conversations.
Wednesday 8 March - evening
Women in STEM seminar: Conservation
18.00-19.15, South Kensington campus and online
This year's Women in STEM seminar from the Grantham Institute will kick off with a special message recorded by Dr Jane Goodall about her incredible work and experience as a woman in STEM. Then our inspiring panellists will discuss their careers, the challenges they have faced, diversity in conservation, and future trends and opportunities.
Finding your superpower with Lucy Blakstad
18.00, South Kensington campus
Documentary filmmaker Lucy Blakstad shares clips and anecdotes of her experience making her BAFTA and Emmy winning film “Sacred Brain”, about an extraordinary Mexican man who hopped the fence into the US and went from ‘harvest to Harvard’. By stepping out from behind the camera, Blakstad shares her discoveries about herself and her subject in ways that are relevant to all of us.
Thursday 9 March
Being allies to survivors of sexual and gender based violence
12.30-13.30, South Kensington campus
In this talk, Dr Adrija Dey will address how we can be better allies to survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) within universities, and how, through the process of allyship, achieve wider structural and cultural transformations.
Springboard development programme taster
14.00-16.00, online
The Springboard Women’s Development Programme is an award-winning programme that helps women to identify the clear and realistic steps they want to take, and develop the skills and self-confidence to take them. This interactive session will discuss ways of incorporating ‘me time’ into your day to day lives and explore assertiveness.
Sign up for this Springboard taster session online.
Friday 10 March
IAO Belonging interview with Professor Priscilla Reddy
12.30-13.30, online
Join Wayne Mitchell, co-chair of Imperial As One, in the latest in the staff network's Belonging series of interviews. This Week, Wayne talks to Professor Priscilla Reddy, one of the Provost’s Visiting Professors.
Women at Imperial Party
17.00, South Kensington campus
Take part as we mark the end Women at Imperial Week and celebrate all the women in the College! This is a great opportunity to meet other people from the College over some food and drinks, with a live band playing and some fun activities planned.
Videos of events from previous years
Leaders discuss 'Choose to Challenge'
To mark International Women’s Day and the start of Women at Imperial Week 2021, the EDI Centre hosted an online panel event with senior leaders in the College to discuss the #IWD theme “Choose to Challenge” which aims to celebrate women’s achievements; raise awareness of gender bias, and encourage action for equality
Leaders discuss 'Choose to Challenge'
Panel members discuss actions they are currently taking and the challenges ahead
To mark International Women’s Day and the start of Women at Imperial Week 2021, the EDI Centre hosted an online panel event with senior leaders in the College to discuss the #IWD theme “Choose to Challenge” which aims to celebrate women’s achievements; raise awareness of gender bias, and encourage action for equality
What do Imperial women #ChooseToChallenge?
What change making means, when they have challenged biases and who has inspired them
For Women at Imperial Week 2021 we asked staff and students what change making means to them, when they have challenged biases and who has inspired them.
What academia could learn from the military
Nadia Soliman compares her experiences in the British Army and as a young academic
For the Department of Life Sciences 2019 International Women's Day Lecture, Nadia Soliman compares her experiences in the British Army and her time as a young academic and reflects on leadership.
Nadia discusses the myth that women don’t have success in the military and the myth that military training has little relation to academia.
Struggles, Strategies and Secrets of Success
Panel discussion exploring the difficulties faced by women in the workplace
This panel discussion for Women@Imperial Week 2016 explores the difficulties still faced by women in the workplace and the challenges employers face in overcoming these difficulties.
Chaired by Anjana Ahuja (freelance science journalist), the panel comprised: Rachel Higham (MD CIO from BT group), Alison Atkinson (Director Capital Projects from AWE), Nupur Singh Mallick (HR Director from TCS UK), and James Stirling (Provost, Imperial College London).
The state of, and prospects for, gender equality in academia
Simone and Mark discuss progress made and the challenges ahead
For Women@Imperial Week 2020, Professor Simone Buitendijk, Vice-Provost (Education), and Professor Mark Burgman, Director of the Centre for Environmental Policy, reflect on the state of gender equality here at Imperial and elsewhere in higher education. Drawing on evidence and personal experience, they will reflect on progress made and the challenges ahead.
Gendered Innovations in STEM
Professor Londa Schiebinge talks about the importance of integrating gender analysis in research
For Women@Imperial Week 2018 Professor Londa Schiebinge, University of Stanford, discusses the importance of integrating gender analysis to achieve excellence in science and technology research.
More information Professor Schiebinge and her work can be found on the Gendered Innovations website.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Leyla Okhai discuses how organisations and individuals can take steps for positive change
For the 2017 Department of Life Sciences International Women's Day Lecture, Leyla Okhai, Head of the College's Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Centre, discusses how one size does not fit all, and how we can all take responsibility for positive change.
