Two days after she told her employer that she was pregnant with her first child, Joeli Brearley was sacked from her job by voicemail. It was an abrupt end to a successful role, and she soon realised that her experience was not unique. The ‘motherhood penalty’ is one faced by many women through pregnancy and maternity discrimination, yet current legislation does not protect women. Joeli launched Pregnant Then Screwed in 2015, as a space for mothers to share their stories and today the charity...

We expect modern medicine to uphold principles of evidence and impartiality and to be free of prejudice, including around gender. But the history of medicine is founded on bias toward the male form and patriarchal attitudes toward the understanding, expression and policing of women and their bodies have informed their care since Ancient times. With women presented throughout history as ‘unreliable witnesses’ to their own pain, illnesses and needs, how much of this implicit dismissal remains...

While women push forward to make gains in pay gaps, conquer professional arenas and increase parental choice, at home they still do the majority of the housework, as well as much of the emotional labour of keeping a household running. Why is this imbalance still a factor in so many domestic arrangements? In the UK, the average heterosexual British woman puts in 12 more days of household labour per year than her male companion, with ‘having it all’ now understood as ‘doing it all’. What needs...

Male violence and intimidation against women is a universal problem; it exists in every country in the world, at all socioeconomic levels and within all ethnicities. It is a problem of abuse of power, of silenced voices and often of a lack of accountability.   In the UK, misogyny is finally set to be recognised as a hate crime – something that will pass into law this autumn. But it has taken years, if not decades, of campaigning to push it over the line, Why? And why are we still debating the...

Maya Gabeira is changing the ambitions and expectations for women in the demanding and often dangerous world of big wave surfing. Having started her surfing career aged 15 on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, she is now one of a small number of elite women athletes in this traditionally macho field — and has been pivotal in breaking down barriers in a sport that only started offering equal prize money to women in 2019.     Today, Gabeira is still one of only three female big wave surfers with...

The classic advice for imposter syndrome sufferers is ‘fake it until you make it’, but this leader suggest a different approach... learning to love your imposter.     In Love Your Imposter, business leader Rita Clifton CBE suggests that the traditional advice of ‘faking it until you make it’, might not be for everyone. In this deeply honest book — part memoir, part guide to forging a successful career, and endorsed by former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — the previous UK...

The past 12 months have been somewhat of a masterclass in crisis management for business leaders, and none more so than for those in the travel industry — struggling to respond to limited global movement and fast-changing restrictions due to the pandemic. Being in the ‘eye of the storm’ demands strong and agile leadership and a willingness to make fast and effective decisions. In this podcast episode we talk to MD of Gold Medal Lisa McAuley about how she has approached the challenges of the...

Girlguiding has been a force for female empowerment since 1910, and today it is the leading charity in the UK dedicated to girls and women. But a world where the challenges and pressures faced by young women are at once familiar but also markedly different, how does the organisation ensure it stays relevant and effective in supporting its members? We talk to CEO Angela Salt about the continued power of Girlguiding to foster resilience, self-belief and leadership skills in the next generation...

In a year that has tested our resilience, can having faith improve your wellbeing and ability to cope? In the latest everywoman podcast episode, author, broadcaster and coach Rev Joanna Jepson discusses the role of faith, both religious and non-religious in ourselves, our community and our world, in how we approach life’s challenges. She discusses her approach to faith — and losing faith — in her own career, which includes being the first chaplain to the London College of Fashion and an army...

What is happiness and how can we have more of it, in every sphere of our lives? That’s the million-dollar question that New York Times bestselling author Sophie Hannah sets out to answer in her latest title.    Though this non-fiction title is a departure from her usual genre, Sophie Hannah employs the devices better known to her crime fiction detectives: she analyses the evidence, from ancient texts by Aristotle to holding late-night sessions with American life coaches, navigating plenty of...

International Men’s Day on the 19th November aims to celebrate the value men bring to the world, their families and communities, highlight role models and raise awareness of men’s wellbeing. We talk to its founder Dr Jerome Teelucksingh about the need for IMD, why it shouldn’t be in ‘opposition’ to International Women’s Day and how highlighting the positive contributions of everyday men is important for a balanced, inclusive society.  

In 2015, at the age of 25, Jasmine Twitty became the youngest ever judge to be appointed in the USA. Five years later, and now a senior judge in the state of South Carolina, her career has fast-tracked her to international renown, as well as making her a role model for young women and women of colour wanting to enter the legal profession. In the latest everywoman podcast episode, she talks about the drivers that have propelled her forward in her life, including being intentional in all...

A leader in its field for diversity and inclusion, with a goal to recruit from a far larger pool of candidates, free the talents and change perceptions of marginalised people in India.    Aradhana Lal, the chain’s Vice President of Brand, Communications & Sustainability Initiatives, is a key driver of this mission, which gives jobs and careers to those who have been marginalised through domestic violence, acid attacks, learning and physical disabilities and socioeconomic...

When Catherine Arnold became the 15th Master of St Edmunds College in October 2019 she brought the tally of female heads of colleges across Cambridge University to 50 percent. An impressive statistic, considering women weren’t even allowed to become full members of the 800-year-old university until 1948. One of Oxbridge’s most diverse and international colleges, St Edmund’s was founded 550 years ago to house Catholic students, previously excluded from the university for centuries. As such,...

A few years ago, curator and presenter Sarah Urist Green left her office in the basement of an art museum to travel around visiting a diverse range of artists, asking them to share prompts that relate to their own ways of working, creating and making. The result is this beautiful coffee table book, which invites you to get in touch with your own inner artist, with a range of assignments you can fit into your day to inspire creativity and creative thinking. You don’t need to draw, paint or...

With modern news offering a relentless focus on negative events it’s easy for us to understand this agenda as ‘reality’ – something that Positive News, a daily online and quarterly print magazine dedicated to ‘constructive journalism’, is aiming to challenge. In this podcast episode, we talk to Acting Editor Lucy Douglas on the power of perspective, and the importance of engaging and empowering readers and giving them reasons to be hopeful about the future.  

“There’s no doubt we’re in a much better place than we were three months ago” – Public Health England Principal Epidemiologist, Dr Meaghan Kall discusses Covid, collaboration and the challenge to achieve diversity in health and science. With Covid-19 at the forefront of the world health agenda, Principal Epidemiologist at Public Health England, Dr Meaghan Kall has been working to map the data over the past few months to increase knowledge on the virus in the population. In the latest...

Sarah Anderson, CEO of The Listening Place, challenged orthodoxy around supporting those with suicidal ideation when she launched The Listening Place in 2016. This unique service offers those with suicidal thoughts a place to talk openly about their feelings without being judged or given advice – in this podcast episode we talk to her about smashing taboos and changing the conversation around mental health.

In her book Acting With Power, Stanford Graduate School’s Professor Deborah Gruenfeld sets out to convince us that we all have more power than we realise, and that by learning how to ‘act’ out our roles in a more powerful way, we can all be better versions of ourselves at work, at home and in the community. In this edition of the everywomanBookClub podcast, everywoman’s Rebecca Lewis challenges Professor Gruenfeld to help us become more powerful in our relationship with the boss, and learn...

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the travel industry is under immense pressure, as curtailed global movement continues to have a massive impact on all aspects. Around 10 percent of the world work in the travel industry in some way, and it is those on the ground at the bottom of the supply chain, from independent hoteliers to tour guides, that look set to be worst hit. In this everywoman podcast sustainable luxury travel expert, Juliet Kinsman discusses the positive impact that travel can...

Broadcaster, motivational speaker and everywoman trainer, Sally Kettle knows about the power of a goal to transform your life. As an ocean rower, she was the first woman to row the Atlantic twice, from east to west - once with her mother, Sarah in 2004. But it’s not just the big , audacious goals in life that have the power to shape us, as she discusses in this everywoman podcast. How and why we set goals – big and small - at all stages of our lives and careers is key to moving us forward...

Imposter syndrome is said to cost UK businesses billions. Make 2020 the year you leave it behind   It’s hard to achieve your full potential if you’re constantly worrying that ‘they’ might find out you’re not good enough, don’t know as much as you should or that you got to where you are by accident. If this sounds familiar then you are in the grip of ‘imposter syndrome’, an internal limit that keeps both men and women from achieving all they can – and want to. Author Clare Josa is the UK’s...

We talk to Jennifer Petriglieri, author of Couples That Work, about the pitfalls and potentials of negotiating dual careers.   Associate professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD business school, Jennifer Petriglieri has spent over a decade researching how people’s close relationships shape who they become professionally and personally. Her new book Couples That Work looks at how dual-career couples can thrive in love and work. We talk to her about the common mistakes that we can fall...

The summer of 2019 was all about women’s football – with all eyes on the Women’s World Cup. But while the tournament captured international imagination, the sport itself has been slowly and steadily growing in popularity away from the spotlight. With women banned from playing professional football until 1971 in the UK, there’s a lot of catching up to do to achieve gender parity. In this everywoman podcast episode, we talk to Gavin Makel, Head of Women’s Football at Manchester City FC about...

When Rachel Clarke and Melanie Welsh set up communications and strategy practice Strat House they knew they wanted to work in a new and more balanced way. The resulting innovative working practices they have put in place – from 180 days a year maximum working to “mountain time” to combat ‘always-on’ digital culture - are creating a healthier business environment that puts results behind presenteeism. At the same time, they are working to create a workplace that allows their employees to grow...