Last night, Bristol Junior Chamber hosted our first International Women’s Day panel, an evening focused not just on awareness, but on accelerating action.
Chaired by the brilliant Victoria Matthews and supported by Business West, our panel – Donna Speed MBA, CEO of We the Curiois, Gavin Marshall, CEO of Bristol Sport and Imogen Franklin, Head of Smart Works Bristol, explored what this year’s theme “Accelerate Action” really means in practice across the workplace, education and sport.
The conversation moved beyond surface-level discussion and into tangible change:
- Shared parental leave and menopause policies to address structural bias
- The critical role of male allyship, particularly in sport
- Amplifying women’s voices in meetings
- Allowing two minutes of thinking time before inviting responses
- Making decisions with a long-term view for women in leadership
If we continue at the current pace, pay equality is still generations away. Acceleration requires more than intention, it requires courage in everyday moments.
It was one of the most thought-provoking and practical panel discussions I’ve listened to and without doubt, one of the highlights of my presidency.
I’ll finish with Donna’s powerful reminder:
“If you can, you must.”