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GWI Advocacy Webinar
Thursday 21st May 2020
GWI Advocacy Webinar
With the exclusive participation of NGO Committee on the Status of Women New York guest speakers: Houry Geudelekian, President and Ivy Koek, Vice Chair. GWI provides a global voice for women graduates through a bold, multichannel and innovative advocacy strategy. GWI works at the international level with the United Nations and its different mechanisms, other international agencies, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to eliminate the barriers women and girls face when trying to gain an education. This third webinar of the 2020 GWI Webinar Cycle “Connecting across Borders Growth of Knowledge and Friendship” will provide participants with an in-depth overview of the GWI advocacy strategy. GWI members will also learn how to utilize GWI advocacy channels to strengthen their own NFA voices.
4-5pm (Central European Summer Time) on Thursday 21st May 2020
Ideas for staying busy whilst ‘Staying At Home’
We would like to offer some ideas for keeping busy whilst staying at home. For example, Sutton Coldfield are doing a Poem Exchange scheme.
A message from Professor Janet Lord
“Wandering Mind” by Jasmit Kaur Phull
Our son Jaspal, who is a Surgeon in Bath, spoke to me on the phone and when I asked him how he is getting on with wearing PPE, he said how uncomfortable it was and it gave him headaches. He said he used two paracetamols, before he wore his PPE. The Poem “Wandering Mind” is a result of a true feeling of Mother’s pain through her pride for her family working in the NHS.
The gardens are looking beautiful
The birds are chirping high
But my mind is wandering and wandering
Beneath the blue sky
The sunshine smiles through the windows
In every room of the house
whispering and singing songs
bringing message of hope to browse
I try and smile to myself again and again
to take away, the true heart pain
Pain that I can feel
At the loss of the numbers revealed
and I do cry
I cry softly, I cry loud
Am I going crazy, no…..not at all
The gardens are looking beautiful
The birds are chirping high
But my mind is wandering and wandering
Beneath the blue sky
What can I do, what can I do?
I ask myself –
A ray of hope sneaks in
to say, find God in Thyself
Dear Lord, I have put my trust in you
I have Faith in you
I pray to you today, for our loved ones
for all at NHS and for the world humans
Give us Hope, give us Joy
Give us Togetherness, a new way to try
Now, we are your caterpillars
Please make us into butterflies
The gardens are looking beautiful
The birds are chirping high
But my mind is wandering and wandering
Beneath the blue sky
WAND (Women’s Association for National development is offering free virtual dance classes to help relieve stress, for those in self-isolation etc every Wednesday at 11. Please call Kiki if interested. You will need Zoom to join in.
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Take a free course
If you have time and would like to broaden, deepen or refresh your knowledge of history, science or languages the OU have a huge range of courses on offer.
More free online courses
Birmingham University
University of Queensland, Australia
Ivy League Colleges
Harvard University
Stanford University
British Council
Yale University
MIT University
Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship
UWE Conference & AGM
Save the date!
17th – 20th September 2020
We are pleased to invite you to the UWE Conference and AGM in Paris.
Academic Women and the Challenges they face – their stories then and now.
Research from the British Federation of Women Graduates (BFWG) highlights the problem areas
North West 2019 Academic Presentation Day
This year, all was well – indeed, beautiful weather – and those of us who made this journey arrived and returned home safely.
However, for our President-Elect, Jasmit Phull, this October visit will be memorable when she stopped off in Manchester and visited the Arndale Centre only to find herself yards away from an horrendous incident where three people were stabbed.
New Brighton, which was sunny that day, provided a peaceful backdrop to an occasion when we could listen to research students talking about their work.
As the idea behind the Bursary is to help students develop presentation skills, Gill Clerici offered helpful assessments and useful guidance at the end. Elsie Gilliland chaired the Day’s proceedings which had been organised by Evelyn Campbell Smith.
As a visitor from “over the Pennines”, I would like to thank BFWG North West for their welcome and say how enjoyable the day was. Much work had been done leading up to the event. Such occasions show how BFWG Local
Associations working together can interact with their communities and help students.
It was a most successful and enjoyable day.
Catherine Pinion, Independent
Certificates and Prizes at 2019 Presentation Day
Jasmit Phull, President Elect of the British Federation of Women Graduates, very graciously agreed to present the prizes to the Presentation Day competitors and they and the 2019 Travel Bursary winner were also given Certificates of Attendance to add to their CVs. Here they are at their moments of glory.
Lydia Simpson
Presentation Day Winner
Lydia Simpson was interested in the effect of altitude on peoplenand how those who are native to extreme heights, such as the Himalayas, Ethiopia and Peru, have greater stamina than those living nearer sea level. Think of the help that Sherpas have given to climbers and of athletes breaking world.
Imogen Durant
Presentation Day Runner Up
Imogen Durant had looked at twentieth century poetry and explored the extent to which cinematic vocabulary had been used. Language is ever-evolving and the inclusion of new words can often be taken for granted.
Emily Eisner
2019 Travel Bursary Winner
Emily Eisner, winner of the 2020 Travel Bursary had undertaken a study involving those with psychiatric disorders and how they responded to the use of a specially designed smartphone app. That they were showing the confidence to continue their treatment had been an encouraging result.
Nominations for Office 2020
Margaret Middlemass
Vice President
Proposer Leeds LA
Seconder Norwich & Norfolk LA
Alys Blakeway
Trustee, Sybil Campbell Trust
Appointed by Trustees
Caroline de Silva
Trustee, Sybil Campbell Trust
Appointed by Trustees
Vacant
Additional VP
Yvonne Makwali
Eastern Region Rep
Proposer Greater London
Seconder Canterbury
Vacant
Central Region Rep
Jennie Landsberg
Chair / Finance
Agreement to carry on as no other person forthcoming. Change of constitution needed.
Gail Sagar
Eastern Region Alternate
Proposer Greater London
Seconder Canterbury
Aisha Alshawaf
Ffwg Governor
Proposer Canterbury LA
Seconder Winchester LA
Bias in the workplace
our next project
Can you help?
We are looking for women who have suffered bias in the workplace, conscious or unconscious, as we intend to conduct case studies of women’s experiences of this and how education about bias could/did help in overcome it.
We want women from the UK in all walks of life – but not from Academia as we have many examples already from Higher Education who told their stories.
- Have you or someone you know suffered?
- Was any training offered and did it help?
- Are you a trainer or know of one offering programmes to industry/business on this problem?
If you can help please contact your Local Association of BFWG, or one of our Independent members. Visit the Members page for details of LAs or email gillian.hilton@bfwg.org.uk
A guide to conducting the case study interview is in preparation and awaiting the approval of our Research Ethics Committee. We can assure confidentiality, as no names or places or work will be mentioned.
Members,
Can you offer to do a case study interview of someone you know, or someone who we put you in touch with?
The more offers of help we receive to conduct one interview, the less work for individuals and we hope to have as successful a result as for the former project on Academic Women.
Thanking you in advance!!
Gillian Hilton VP
You do not need to be a member to apply for these Awards.
Help us to promote your next event…
Please let us know if we can help publicise any of your upcoming events on the BFWG Facebook page, LinkedIn, Twitter or on the BFWG Website with the help of Gillian ,Sheila, Rebecca, Rosie and Gloria.
The more information we put out there the better we will get known. So let us have any material you have please to show the world what BFWG are doing.
gillianlshilton@gmail.com (Facebook, Twitter)
gbanner@bfwg.org.uk (BFWG Website)
webadmin@bfwg.org.uk (LinkedIn)
2019 Westminster Seminar
On 14th November, members of BFWG gathered from across the country to attend the Westminster Seminar sponsored this year by Baroness Hazel Byford DBE.
The BFWG President welcomed everyone and introduced the Baroness who was involved for many years with the WRVS (Women’s Royal Voluntary Service) and was also lay canon at Leicester Cathedral, Master of the Worshipful Company of Farmers and a member of the House of Lords since 1996.
Azul Zorzoli, a PhD student from Argentina, has received the Johnstone and Florence Stoney Prize, which recognises outstanding academic excellence in postgraduate researchers.
Dr Gillian Murphy mentioned there is much in the archives on which to base a PhD or other research project.
British Federation of Women Graduates Featured in Girls Who STEM’s “The Best STEM Organizations For Girls & Women”
Our Latest Newsletter
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The British Federation of Women Graduates brings women together locally, nationally and internationally and helps women worldwide to exercise their right to education and economic independence.
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Looking for a new challenge?
Please log in and visit the Members page to find out about current Opportunites and Grants on offer.
BFWG needs you!
What do Marie Stopes (1880-1958, paleobotanist and family planning pioneer), Eleanor Rathbone (1872-1946, MP for the Combined English Universities ) and many promiment women from 1907 to date have in common?
They were or are all members of BFWG, the British Federation of Women graduates
(formerly the British Federation of University Women).
Join one of the country’s leading 6-0 Organisations which fought for women’s suffrage and still fights for women’s rights and empowers women at home and overseas through education. Affiliated to GWI (Graduate Women International, which has UN consultative status and celebrates its Centenary this year) and UWE (University Women of Europe), you’ll have an international voice and can and will make a difference and will have contact with 54 sister organisations Worldwide.
The BFWG, through its two charities, is one of the largest providers of doctoral scholarships in the country, on the grounds of both need and on academic merit.
Membership benefits also include involvement in and access to projects (this year’s includes a research project interviewing working and retired academics), lectures, seminars such as the popular, annual Westminster Seminar sponsored by a peer or MP, travel, volunteering, a Research Presentations Day, a magazine published three times a year and social events at local level organised by the Associations.
BFWG brings women together locally, nationally and internationally.
Find friends, connections, stimulus and support wherever you are.
Be part of it and us!
Grants & Awards
Birkbeck University of London
Diversity100 PhD Studentships
Birkbeck is offering five studentships for PhD students starting their studies in Autumn 2020. These scholarships actively address under-representation at the highest level of research, and encourage BAME students to consider academic research in all disciplines.
Full details and how to apply can be found HERE
Closing Date: The closing date for applications is midnight on Monday 11 May, 2020.
Women in Street Names
A British Federation of Women Graduates project to highlight women in street names in the UK and Ireland.
If you would like to know more about the BFWG, please watch our ‘Meet the Management Team’ video.
The BFWG is a diverse
Through
Dr Diya Gupta, winner of the BFWG Barbara Northend Scholarship, which was of great help during the writing up of her PhD thesis.
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Outreach Programme
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The Sybil Campbell Collection is now an Independent Trust
On 1st January 2011 the Sybil Campbell Collection Trust became independent. Although very closely linked to BFWG it is now owned by the Sybil Campbell Collection Trustees. At a special meeting on 11th July 2010 members of Executive, as Directors of BFWG, voted unanimously that the Sybil Campbell Collection Trust should be separated from the Scholarship Trust and become a separate charity.
News
The Latest News from University Women of Europe
The Latest News from Graduate Women International