RSA Women Speakers’ Network: launch event

The RSA Fellowship Women Speakers’ Network is a Fellows’ initiative that aims to inspire more women to participate in public speaking. On Tuesday 9 November, the network will hold its launch event in London, with a number of RSA Fellows addressing ‘the great female debate’ by answering the question: Do women speak too much or too little?

Louise Burfitt-Dons, the Fellow leading the network, is of the opinion that they speak too little: although there are women pre-eminent in every field, it’s still often the case that conferences, addresses and debates are dominated by male speakers.

After floating the idea for the network in the newsletter back in July 2010, Louise found that many others agreed with her: over 180 Fellows responded to her invitation to join a group exploring issues that affect women in society through debates and talks.

The network’s launch event, which will be held at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, features a number of speakers drawn from the Fellowship. The principal speakers will be Molly Harvey, past president of the Professional Speaking Association; Tim Fox, Head of Energy and Environment for the IMechE; Abigail Appleton, Head of Speech Programming for BBC Radio 3; and Dr Karen Moloney, psychologist and author.

In addition to providing a forum for discussion and debate, the network is hoping to provide opportunities for group mentoring for women who wish to improve their confidence or technique when speaking in public. There are also plans to develop a database of women speakers within the Fellowship as a resource for people organising events.

You can find out more about the launch event, and register to attend, using Eventbrite.  If you’d like to find out more about the Women Speakers’ Network, please contact Louise Burfitt-Dons.