A previous blog or two, I mentioned that, as part of IYC 2011, myself and some colleagues would be attempting to host a networking breakfast for women. It was a great success, we did get the freebies from the RSC as well as veet, tunnocks wafers, IYC badges, Glasgow nail files....Although our internet link with the University of Limerick failed, our own presentation and workshops (Women in Business and Women in Interdisciplinarity) were very successful.
Originally, we had thought we could get 250 people to come, then we cut it to 100 after some advice and costs. Seven days before ‘show time’ we only had 6 people sign up to it. Six. [Insert small panic.] Disappointingly not one of those 6 was a female academic from our own institution. After an aggressive advertising campaign, we had 96 people signed up by the end of the week and we breathed a huge sigh of relief-re-enactments from The Apprentice avoided. We did get a female academic attending for a brief while but what I don’t understand is why was it so difficult to get people to come. Was it because of the dreaded word ‘networking’ or was it because it was advertised as a ‘woman’s event? I personally loved the idea of women trying to support each other or just celebrating their position as a woman in science. Although every feedback form gave high praise some revealed that they would have preferred if there had been a similar event with men. Another said “this event has not changed anything.” What was the expectation? Overall, I think the workshops and discussion groups highlighted the problems that women felt they faced (some even admitted that we contributed to) and areas where action needed to be taken so maybe that has changed something. A discussion to generate an initiative and support is much better than an initiative on its own.
Originally, we had thought we could get 250 people to come, then we cut it to 100 after some advice and costs. Seven days before ‘show time’ we only had 6 people sign up to it. Six. [Insert small panic.] Disappointingly not one of those 6 was a female academic from our own institution. After an aggressive advertising campaign, we had 96 people signed up by the end of the week and we breathed a huge sigh of relief-re-enactments from The Apprentice avoided. We did get a female academic attending for a brief while but what I don’t understand is why was it so difficult to get people to come. Was it because of the dreaded word ‘networking’ or was it because it was advertised as a ‘woman’s event? I personally loved the idea of women trying to support each other or just celebrating their position as a woman in science. Although every feedback form gave high praise some revealed that they would have preferred if there had been a similar event with men. Another said “this event has not changed anything.” What was the expectation? Overall, I think the workshops and discussion groups highlighted the problems that women felt they faced (some even admitted that we contributed to) and areas where action needed to be taken so maybe that has changed something. A discussion to generate an initiative and support is much better than an initiative on its own.
