Cardiff Met Hosts Human Library Event On International Women’s Day

Cardiff Metropolitan University recently held a Human Library event to celebrate International Women’s Day. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The event gathered staff and students from across the university to mark the global event and celebrate the social, economic, cultural, political and environmental achievements of women around the world. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The event acknowledged and celebrated achievements of all the guest speakers, as well as celebrating successes of women in history. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Speakers from various backgrounds at varying stages of their careers shared their experiences and successes in story form as ‘human books’. This gave staff and students the opportunity to discuss different career pathways, learn from any challenges the speakers may have faced in their professional and personal life and generated conversations about how women can challenge inequality and be bold for change. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Speakers who shared their stories on the day included: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• Liz Andrews, Director of Cancer Research Wales
• Suzy Drane, lecturer in Sport Development and Performance Sport at Cardiff Met and Wales Netball Captain
• Tracy Myhill, Chief Executive Welsh Ambulance Trust
• Amy Lloyd, Cardiff Met alumna and writer who recently won the Daily Mail first novel competition
• Angela Gidden MBE, renowned UK designer and Cardiff Met Honorary Fellow
• Dilys Price OBE, Honorary Fellow and Founder of the charity, Touch Trust
• Anna-Beth Jordan, Technology Project Manager at BBC
• Rev Canon Robin Morrison, Cardiff Met Governor and former Church and Society Officer, Church in Wales
• Karen Dell’Armi, jewellery designer
• Claire Scantlebury, founder of Cardiff TEDx and Ignite events
• Barbara Wilding CBE, QPM, Chair of the Board of Governors

The informal environment of the event allowed students to talk about their own career aspirations and how they can ‘Be Bold for Change’, by standing up and speaking out about gender inequality to encourage change. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Speaking about her career, Founder of TEDxCardiff and Ignite Cardiff, Claire Scantlebury, said: “Sharing our knowledge and experience can help decrease gender inequality for women in and outside of the workplace, by helping them to be bold and confident enough to be themselves and not feel that as women they should have to deny their femininity or adopt overly masculine traits to be successful in business and the world of work.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dean of Cardiff School of Art and Design, Professor Olwen Moseley said: “I’d like to thank all the human books and event organisers involved in this successful event. I’d also like to congratulate staff and students for their bold contributions to International Women’s Day by contributing so willingly and attending. It was a fascinating and insightful event, which gave us the opportunity to understand what people would like to know about the lives and careers of the successful women at Cardiff Met. We will happily hold more events of this kind in the future.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​