International Women’s Day celebration event 2024
Newcastle University Business School recognised International Women’s Day with a celebration event on Wednesday 6 March.
8 March 2024
The event organised by Dr Yulia Dzenkovska, Dr Eftychia Palamida and Dr Rebecca Casey, brought together international and local speakers from a range of industries.
The North East is known for being a hotspot for social enterprise and leadership roles of women in local social enterprises with 55% of social enterprises in the North East being led by women, 7% more than the UK average*.
Inspiring Inclusion
This year’s theme of International Women’s Day is 'Inspire Inclusion' which aims to promote forming a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment to make a more inclusive world for women.
The event was a celebration for the diversity of our international community and promoting global citizenship. Attendees at the event heard from speakers including Kate Duffy (Managing Director of Junction Point CIC), Melissa Middleton (Business Support Coordinator at PNE) and Afi Dometi (Founder and CEO Africawad CIC). The speakers in attendance were women social entrepreneurs, and those supporting social entrepreneurship in the North East, who shared their insights on this year’s theme and discussed challenges and opportunities to network with the attendees.
Attendees had the opportunity to network with other guests and panellists after the discussion to share ideas and thoughts and build connections for potential collaborations in the future.
Celebrating solidarity
The event was successful, gathering attendees including the public, students, staff, alumni and local businesses.
The event also showcased the work that is done by Newcastle University within the region and globally to support women in leadership roles.
Dr Yulia Dzenkovska said of the event: “The International Women’s Day celebration was a powerful reflection of the vibrant social enterprise community here in the North East. It was an honour to bring together such inspirational figures who are each contributing uniquely to building a more inclusive world. Their stories and insights have undoubtedly ignited a spark in all of us to pursue meaningful change.”
We celebrated international women entrepreneurs that pave the path for economic prosperity and social empowerment
Dr Eftychia Palamida added: “At our International Women Entrepreneurship Event, we emphasised the voices and achievements of women to inspire and drive change for generations to come in an international setting. We celebrated international women entrepreneurs that pave the path for economic prosperity and social empowerment.”
One of the attendees shared their experience from the event: “I really enjoyed the (International Women’s Day) event. which brought together an inspiring group of women. Even though I don’t work in the field of social entrepreneurship, there were many lessons and tips for me to take into my personal and professional development.”
How you can get involved
If you would like to get involved with International Women’s Day, find out more on the official International Women’s Day website. Make sure you check out the event coverage highlights, which will be live over the next week.
*State of Social Enterprise 2021 in the North East report by Social Enterprise UK