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Women’s Day: Wellington’s Woman leaders in their own words

WCIS WellingtonCollegeSH 2023-03-30


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Today is International Women’s Day. It is a day to honour the women in our life — our mothers and grandmothers, our spouses, our sisters, our friends and our colleagues. It is a day to express gratitude for the difference they make in our lives. Perhaps more importantly, it is a day to reflect on how much work must still be done around the world when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion. There are still barriers to break down, glass ceilings to shatter and stronger foundations to build.



International Women’s Day is also a time recognise our heroes. And while the initial impulse may be to look to public figures, we know that we are surrounded by heroes her at Wellington. They craft our curriculum. They teach our pupils. They manage our finances. They keep our community engaged. So, today, we asked four female leaders in the Wellington Community to share what this special day means to them in their own words. 





Kay Yang
Deputy Head of Whole College



The establishment of Women's Day is, on the surface, an initiative to respect women's rights and interests, and, on a deeper level, it is an initiative to respect each individual life and maintain the dignity of each person. Three years of pandemic have underscored this inherent dignity. It has made us realise that our lives are interconnected, regardless of our gender, racical or cultural identity. The pandemic has also taught us that we are not the only species on the planet and that we must share the earth’s resource with other creatures. Respect for each individual life, building a mutually inclusive and supportive society, strengthening coexistence and sustainable development should, therefore, be the guiding force behind all our deeds and the ultimate goal of education. We are one.


Her hero


Everyone has their own unique strengths and characteristics. I personally admire Yang Jiang, a modern Chinese writer, literary translator and researcher of foreign literature. She was born in 1911 and passed away in 2016. Mrs Yang experienced a century of social development and change in China. Her proficiency in many languages and deep understanding of many cultures forged the noble temperament and mental toughness that enabled her to face trials and tribulations with dignity, humility and forgiveness and ultimately become an accomplished academic. Her translations of Don Quixote, Gil Blas, Little Laizi and Phaedo are all gems. Her writing reflects her character, pure, yet deep and bountiful.




Lynsey Breeze
Bursar


As Bursar, a traditionally male-dominated role, International Women’s Day holds particular significance to me as it provides an opportunity to reflect on women in education, and mostly those worldwide who sadly are forbidden from accessing it. Today, you can take a driverless car and shop in a cashierless store, yet girls, simply because they are girls, are denied access to a basic education, there is still much to be done.


Her heroes




I deeply admire Queen Elizabeth II — the consummate professional — and Jacinda Ardern — a dynamic leader who has broken barriers in politics, while (crucially) also raising a young family. It is harder being a female leader, and even harder with young children. You never feel you are doing either role justice. Ardern is known for her empathetic and compassionate leadership style. Her response to the Christchurch mosque shootings in 2019 were widely praised — her handling of the aftermath of the tragedy, and her statements of comfort and solidarity with the Muslim community resonated around the world. At the time, she had a nine-month-old baby, most women would have still been on maternity leave.



Charlotte Knight-Benjafield
Executive Head of Early Years



International Women’s Day is an inspirational and positive day for men and women to take a moment to reflect and celebrate. It is a platform celebrating difference and tolerance as global citizens. This fits so well not only with our Wellington Values, but also our five I’s, especially Inclusivity.


Her heroes

I admire many women, including my fantastic team at the Wellington College Early Years Centre who work alongside me every day and ably demonstrate our Wellington Values. For famous women in history I admire Amelia Earhart, the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic ocean. She showed courage and determination, as she did not every give up on her goal. So inspirational!



Katrina Downer
Chairwoman of FoW



Today is an opportunity to stop and celebrate all women who have and continue to make the world a better place. To celebrate all efforts in making society equal for all genders, that everyone has freedom of choice in what role they take on in society. It is also a time to appreciate the support from feminist men who recognize the inequalities and actively help women in breaking down barriers.


Her heroes


I admire women like Zaha Hadid who broke down many barriers in the architectural field and created such dynamic, exciting sculptural buildings. I also admire Madonna and Coco Chanel – both creative visionaries tackling women’s issues in different ways. Dream big, be original, be authentic, stay curious!


Happy International Women’s Day to our teachers, staff, pupils and parents. Thank you for enriching the Wellington Community.



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