International Women's Day: The starring young women of Sheffield Girls'

This International Women’s Day we celebrated both women across Sheffield and our pupils closer to home with The Star newspaper and their Women of Sheffield awards last Thursday, followed by The Telegraph’s feature covering three of our girls and Mrs Gunson answering the thought-provoking question, “How can girls make their mark in an ever changing world?”

Mubanga, part of our Sixth Form in Year 13, said, “I think the biggest mark girls can make is just being themselves. I think that being yourself and not really taking into account what the world says about you and what you think about yourself is the biggest statement anyone can make, and it’s the most constant thing. In a world that’s always changing you’ll be the one that stays the same.

“I try and make my mark by being kind and choosing to be understanding and forgiving even when you don’t understand a situation.”

Anubhuti, Year 11, said, “Girls can make their mark on the world by just being themselves. Girls should try not to think about what society thinks of them and all the stereotypical roles of women, because I think the stereotypical views create a pathway for them in terms of careers that they naturally get directed towards. Being in an all-girls school creates a new view of life for the girls who come here.”

“I think that being in an all-girls school has really influenced my perception of the question, not just for me, but for other people as well. Society is changing more and more these days with the younger generation of girls like me, knowing more about equality.  In the past it used to be the premise that ‘men do the jobs, women do the housework’. It’s really impacted me to be in a girls’ school, in that it’s opened me up to considering a wider variety jobs, eventually to try and overcome the salary gaps, which are still a huge issue.”

Other events celebrating International Women’s Day in school included a visit from writer and illustrator Kate Pankhurst, who talked about the most influential and inspiring women in history documented in her children’s book series ‘Fantastically Great Women’, and the Social Justice Society’s showing of ‘He Named Me Malala’ tomorrow, a film centred around activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai.

Looking outward to Sheffield as a whole, The Star’s Women of Sheffield awards that took place last Thursday celebrated some of the many women making the city proud. Sheffield Girls’ was honoured to sponsor one of the 12 total awards, the Mary Ann Rawson Award for Education, which “awards the teachers and education enthusiasts of Sheffield” according to The Star’s website.

Sheffield Girls' is an independent girls school in Sheffield, taking on pupils from pre-school to sixth form.