International Women’s Day

Today is International Women’s Day, a time for us to celebrate the amazing women here at ZeroLight and to reflect on how far the women’s movement has come. It is also an important reminder of how far we have left to go. We asked some of the brilliant women of ZeroLight to share their thoughts on some questions to mark this important day.

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What does International Women's Day mean to you?

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International Women's Day holds profound significance, not just as a moment of celebration, but as a poignant reminder of the ongoing battle for gender equality. It serves as a beacon, illuminating the progress made while highlighting the journey ahead towards true parity. Yet, this awareness should not be confined to a single day but engrained into our daily consciousness. Each of us is responsible for serving as an inspiration for the younger generation we are guiding in this ever-evolving world.

Eva Poppe, Chief Growth Officer

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For me it's always been a good opportunity to hear about women working in different (maybe unexpected) fields. It was actually IWD talk that got me interested in the more technical side of design.

Christine Dauncey, Product Design Manager 

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It's a tricky one for me as I am all for pushing women to be anything they want to be - the sky's the limit (without going to America Ferrera on it). However I would say I find it a difficult topic as there are also so many issues facing men today such as mental health and suicide rates in men but there is no international men's day.  But for me a huge thing it means looking at women around the world. We are very fortunate in the UK where, aside from people’s own prejudices, women have the same rights as men. This is not the case in the rest of the world and something we need to remember and continue to fight for. 

Mhairi Harris, Project Manager

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It is an acknowledgement of how far we’ve come, from not being ‘allowed’ to work, vote etc, to what wonderful successful women we have to look up to. It is also a celebration of our strengths, and how although we might work differently it doesn’t mean we are not an asset to an organisation. 

Annie Bedwell, Project Manager

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‍I think it is important that women are supported to thrive throughout their careers, regardless of what day it is. Coming from a working class background, there were very few examples of women in leadership positions whilst I was growing up and I believe having positive female role models is incredibly important to expand ourselves and unlock what we believe is possible. These role models and expansive women need to be showcased continuously, rather than one day per year, in order for this to become the norm in society. I do think it's great to have IWD as an anchor in the year to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the brilliant women around us, but these achievements should certainly be recognised more frequently than that.  

Erin Turnbull, Executive Director - Talent Development

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Which women inspire you most?

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There are countless women who inspire me, each in their own unique way. Women like Cindy Gallup  Founder & CEO of IfWeRanTheWorld, who fearlessly and quite bold campaigns for equality, and Serena Williams, who has broken barriers in the world of sports while championing equality. Closer to home, I draw inspiration from the women in my family, friends, and colleagues who demonstrate resilience, determination, and compassion every day.

Eva Poppe, Chief Growth Officer

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I'm inspired by women who are authentic, who understand themselves and who push the boundaries of what is possible for themselves and others. I'm a big reader and I find authors like Jeanette Winterson and the late Hilary Mantel both unabashedly and fiercely authentic in a completely inspiring way. I'm also always impressed by the likes of Margot Robbie and Reese Witherspoon, both incredibly savvy & entrepreneurial actresses who have built successful businesses that champion women's stories. 

Erin Turnbull, Executive Director - Talent Development 

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Just to name a few: Zaha Hadid - love her work. Danielle Feinberg - What a job! Ray Eames & Lilly Reich - I'd love any of their pieces. 

Christine Dauncey, Product Design Manager

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Greta Gerwig - for writing the America Ferrera speech - never has something resonated with me more. 

Greta Thunberg - so young, so powerful

Marie Curie-  pushing huge boundaries for women in her time

the Pankhurst sisters - fighting for our right to have a say

Maya Angelou - writing of dreams

My Mam - a force to be reckoned with

My Granny -  pushed boundaries as a women in agriculture 

Mhairi Harris, Project Manager 

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My mum - A lady that has had a lot of hardship in life and yet still manages to be positive, do beautiful things for others and push forward in life. My friends - A selection of ambitious, strong and highly intelligent women.

Annie Bedwell, Project Manager

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What do you think are the biggest issues that women in tech/business are facing today?

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Expectation - In certain roles I think there is sometimes an expectation to ‘behave’ or conduct yourself in a certain way. In the last few years it has been my goal to be my authentic self, rather than trying to ‘BE’ the potential preconceptions of what is expected of a project manager - within reason of course!

Lack of Representation - In previous roles, senior positions have all been held by men and this did perpetuate the male dominated culture. This is where ZeroLight is AMAZING, we have representation at the senior level and the company culture is fantastic. For me, it's made being a woman in a male dominated industry, plain sailing. 

Annie Bedwell, Project Manager 

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Challenges persist, particularly in male-dominated sectors like tech and automotive. Gender bias, lack of representation, and unequal pay continue to impede the advancement of women. Moreover, the delicate balance between professional pursuits and familial responsibilities adds another layer of complexity. Addressing these challenges demands collective action and unwavering commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion. Men must actively champion this cause, recognizing that gender equality benefits society as a whole. While progress has been made, there is still much ground to cover on the path towards true equity.

Eva Poppe, Chief Growth Officer

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I think even today not a lot of women are encouraged or see a future working in tech or design. In university and throughout my career there has always been a 'much' smaller percentage of women. 

Christine Dauncey, Product Design Manager 

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Unfortunately women still only make up 28% of the tech workforce so there is still a significant way to go in driving better representation across the industry. This number is increasing slowly and hopefully this means that we will see more girls choosing to study STEM subjects and go into tech careers in the future. I'm a firm believer in modelling positive representation to school age students and in the past we've run several Girls In Tech events @ ZeroLight to showcase the kinds of careers that are open to them. Tech is a huge part of the world we live in and we need more women opting for these careers, in order to ensure that our technology is not just designed and developed by men.

Erin Turnbull, Executive Director - Talent Development 

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I think there is still a stigma in certain industries at times that women, especially younger women, can't possibly know what they are talking about.This is something I experience a lot at GForces especially in Dealer Groups. Walking into a room of 10 very "old school" car dealership owners was something I thrived on being able to walk out having changed their possible pre conceptions.  This is changing which is brilliant to see but naturally takes time. Some industries are still "male dominated" but this is also changing and its wonderful to see so many women in tech and automotive now in high power positions. MMNA is a great example of this at the moment with Kim Ito.  There is naturally also still the battle between childcare and parenting and full time career paths. The government putting in new childcare support should really help parents with this moving forward and split paternity was a HUGE leap towards less pressure on women to balance career and parenting. 

Mhairi Harris, Project Manager 

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