Development of Women Speakers' network

In response to interest from Fellows, and initiated by the Fellowship Council, the ‘Focus on: Women’ event (which was held at the RSA in March this year in alignment with International Women’s Day 2010) was the first step towards forming an active network of Fellows with an interest in gender issues and diversity to begin to address some of the issues facing women in the 21st Century.

The event was well attended with over 100 women gathered to hear our inspirational female Fellow speakers, and a subsequent level of interest in taking part in the network and collaborating on ideas and solutions to make a positive impact together. Following her recent attendance at one of the RSA’s free public events where information on this network was being shown to the audience prior to the speakers, current Fellow Louise Burfitt-Dons got in touch with her idea for an RSA Women Speakers' Network, which she outlines and explains how you can get involved:

"The communication of ideas and opinions through public speaking is one of the most influential ways of inspiring and progressing social change. However, it is also reported to be people’s number one fear.  In particular, women can sometimes find it challenging.  Research has shown that while their primary focus is on relationships and connecting, social and cultural pressures conspire to make them uneasy about ‘standing out’ and ‘developing a public voice.’" 

"More importantly, it could mean that good ideas don’t get promulgated. In a world hungry for fresh and urgent input to build a more capable and inclusive society, I am looking for Fellowship support and feedback on an initiative to form a RSA women speakers network."

"The RSAWSN would be a network of speakers and the subjects they cover. Its function would be to support those involved to initiate or to participate in speaking events and debates, in particular, but not exclusively, women’s initiatives; and to inspire more female speakers. As a voluntary initiative Fellows would obviously have to be willing to donate their time and expertise."

"It seems like an ideal time for developing a network of this sort because the topics that were once considered ‘women’s domain’ like bonding, networking, pacifying, empathising are emerging more and more in corporate leadership lectures."

"The female workforce is now over fifty percent in some countries and women mostly run the households affected by the million or so job cuts coming up shortly so their awareness of the perils of climate change are essential. With the economic recovery dependent on public spending and women responsible for in some categories up to 80 per cent of that decision making, women’s influence is no longer just a gender topic, but a planet issue. So there’s a lot to talk about and initiate here at the RSA."

"As the RSA currently has one of the UK’s leading public events programme on pressing social issues, I think the RSA Women’s Speaker Network can compliment this and has potential to become a leading brand and inspiration for all women looking to find their place in the world." 

If any other Fellows are interested in helping expand these initial ideas into a purposeful and useful initiative please get in touch with me, Louise Bufitt-Dons by email."

Louise Burfitt-Dons FRSA