International Women's Day 2022
#BreakTheBias #IWD2022
This year’s International Women’s Day has the theme #BreakTheBias – Celebrate women's achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality
We all exhibit bias, whether deliberate or unconscious. Discrimination and stereotyping can be hurtful, and damage careers and wellbeing. The need to prioritise actions to address racism and build equitable systems for achieving racial equality, particularly focusing on the barriers facing women of colour has been highlighted by LSTM’s recent race equality report. We know that sometimes there are other types of damaging bias including bias against people undertaking certain roles, who may find themselves at the receiving end of criticism and underappreciated for the pivotal contributions they make towards the organisation. So, to celebrate this years International Women’s Day we invited staff to nominate the ‘unsung heroines’ of LSTM. We had an amazing response with a total of 55 staff and teams nominated by their colleagues and some wonderful messages of appreciation. You can read a selection of these nominations below
To understand more about the impacts of unconscious bias we have invited Dr Pragya Agarwal a behaviour and data scientist and founder of a research think-tank The 50 Percent Project investigating women’s status and rights around the world to talk to LSTM staff and students in the week of International Women’s Day. Dr Agarwal will be talking to us about her recent book Sway SWAY: Unravelling Unconscious Bias
Below, you can also read the reflections from Dr Faith Aikaeli, a Clinical Research Coordinator at NIMR, Tanzania, on how she is successfully navigating the challenges of juggling a young family with a successful research career in Africa and learn how we can all do our bit to create a supportive environment for all to thrive, no matter what their circumstances.
Finally, there is an opportunity to take part in a walking tour of Liverpool to learn more about the pioneering women associated with this city.
So please read on to find more about the wonderful women of LSTM.
Happy International Women’s Day to all!
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International Women’s Day - Rantings of a young female researcher
If you empower a young female researcher today, you have empowered several generations of women and the future of a nation.
In recognition of International Women's Day 2022, Faith speaks about dealing with challenges that women may face in the workplace and throughout their careers, and how the support of family, friends and colleagues, is crucial for women to go on to build successful careers and achieve both personal and professional goals.
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Take Part in the Women’s History in Liverpool Walking Tour!
Join us this year to celebrate the pioneering women of Liverpool, who have helped shape the history of public health and women’s rights in Liverpool. We will take you to some of the houses, workplaces, and memorials of incredible women, to recognise and celebrate their contributions. The tour will last around 1.5 hours, beginning at LSTM itself!
The tour will start on Wednesday the 9th of March at 12.00 in the main reception hall (LSTM).
Limited places available, please e-mail Julie-anne.tangena@lstmed.ac.uk or anna.trett@lstmed.ac.uk to book your spot!
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Respiratory Research Team
Nominated this all-female team for their amazing work and contribution throughout the pandemic and ongoing research
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Martha Chinoya
Martha has achieved extraordinary success in extending access to LSTM’s education for participants in the global south, through spearheading the development of the first institutional online programme – the online Masters in Global Health. She centred the development of the course on critical perspectives on coloniality and enabling diverse perspectives on a more equitable future within global health. Martha has likewise led efforts to enable staff to consider what decolonisation means within LSTM and to develop processes for promoting decolonisation in education as founding Chair of the Decolonising Education working group. As part of this work, she has led efforts to offer opportunities for students to share their experiences and perspectives on racism and decolonisation and this has been an important component of making issues of race inequity visible within the institution. At a personal level, Martha always goes above and beyond her professional duties of care to individual students, prioritising care compassion, mental health and wellbeing. She is also a thoughtful and compassionate researcher and mentor to global southern colleagues in research, who foregrounds listening carefully to diverse voices across linguistic and cultural difference.
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