It is 120 years since young women arrived at Roedean on this site to earn an education.  This was an unusual endeavour in a male-dominated society, but one that serves as a timeless reminder of our collective capacity to defy expectations and forge a fairer world.  In 2018, we reaffirm our commitment to these founding ideals by celebrating 100 years of female suffrage.  To mark International Women’s Day, Roedean was proud to hold a Festival Celebrating Women on Thursday 8 March.  The School was delighted to welcome a diverse group of speakers to the event, all women, including 3 OR’s, who addressed the students on topics ranging from film-making and activism to Indian textiles, and from being a pilot and fashion to animal rights.  To hear from speakers who are at the forefront of their fields was exciting, enlightening, and, most of all, empowering.  We are delighted that the day was a great success.  Emily T (Yr 13) shares her thoughts on the day;

 ‘It was inspiring to see so many women thriving in every field and speaking so passionately about it.  From STEM to Indian textiles, there was something for everyone and I even found myself engaging with subjects I knew nothing about prior to the talk. Virginia McKenna spoke about the importance of individual power to make a difference, especially in her personal experiences which saved many orphaned and injured animals. We then heard from Dame Mary Archer who, having entered a male dominated subject, gave me advice that I will personally implement as I also go on to a degree in Chemistry. I then went to a talk that was completely different and yet probably my favourite of the day, despite having no experience in it.  I went into Jasleen Kandhari’s talk about Indian Textiles with no preconceptions, but I came out wanting to be as passionate about my own research as she was about hers. It was truly impressive to see so many powerful women enjoying their subjects and disregarding all stereotypes in order to achieve their goals, despite the challenges our gender may still face.’

List of Speakers
Dame Mary Archer – A life in Science
Holly Bourne – Why we need Feminism
Anabela Chan (OR) – 3 Careers in the Arts – challenges and successes
Rose Hudson-Wilkin – A 21st century woman should not re-create herself in a man’s world, but create a new world order
Jasleen Kandhari (OR) – Textiles of the South Asian Sub-Continent
Rebecca Long (OR) – Boudica Films – Creating a balance across the gender divide
Professor Mary Lovegrove – From pioneering CT scanning to influencing national policy
Virginia McKenna – Acting to Animals – the past 54 years
Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu – Activism – using the power of your voice
Professor Kate O’Riordan – Queer digital cultures
Gabrielle Rowles – Bouncing Forward – What does research tell us about women’s resilience?
Captain Anna Sandell Lundberg – Flying the dream