On Monday 8 March, International Women’s Day 2021, Burges Salmon kicks off an exciting programme of virtual events taking place throughout the week as part of the global celebration and its theme this year of ‘Choose to Challenge’.
The agenda includes an awareness-raising launch event focused on the importance of International Women’s Day in the call to action to support gender parity, a presentation from award-winning GP and young people's mental health expert Dr Dominique Thompson on raising teenagers to thrive in the modern world, as well as a ‘lunch and learn’ session from menopause awareness expert Kerry Leigh at development consultancy Laughology.
The firm will also welcome Martel Maxwell, Scottish journalist, writer and presenter of Homes Under the Hammer, to speak about the challenges she has faced in her varied career and being a working mum in a 24-hour industry.
An internal panel session will mark the final event in Burges Salmon’s IWD programme: ‘The Big Ask’ will see panellists from across the firm’s legal and business services teams leading honest and open discussions in answer to questions posed by the audience around the theme of ‘Choose to Challenge’.
The events have been organised by the firm’s gender balance network, BBalanced, which was established in 2020 to support with identifying priorities and objectives to improve gender balance in line with Burges Salmon’s firm-wide diversity and inclusion strategy. BBalanced is the fourth of Burges Salmon’s D&I networks to be established, adding to:
- BProud – its well-established LGBT+ network;
- BCultured – its BAME network, established in 2018; and
- BEnabled – its disability forum.
Co-chair of BBalanced and senior associate Kate Redshaw says: “The firm has consistently recognised the importance of celebrating International Women’s Day and the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, and it’s fantastic that this year – for the first time – we have our dedicated gender balance network taking the reins to mark the call to action for accelerating gender parity."
Partner Liz Dunn, who is a member of the firm’s strategic board and chairs the Diversity and Inclusion Group, adds: “We’re delighted to be offering a wide range of events across a number of days that are open to all our people and we’re grateful to the fantastic guest speakers we have joining us for supporting us in this global celebration.”