Sunday 8 March was International Women’s day, and this year’s theme was ‘Make It Happen’.
To mark the occasion, the School of Engineering and Digital Arts hosted a charity coffee and cake morning on 6 March in the Jennison building. The profit raised from the purchase of refreshments from J’s Tea Bar amounted to £170.37 and this will be donated to Women’s Aid, a national domestic charity that helps up to 250,000 women and children every year. The organisation works to end violence against women and children, and supports over 350 domestic and sexual violence services across the country.
To mark the occasion, the School of Engineering and Digital Arts hosted a charity coffee and cake morning on 6 March in the Jennison building. The profit raised from the purchase of refreshments from J’s Tea Bar amounted to £170.37 and this will be donated to Women’s Aid, a national domestic charity that helps up to 250,000 women and children every year. The organisation works to end violence against women and children, and supports over 350 domestic and sexual violence services across the country.
Staff in EDA also wore their purple clothes to work. Purple is the domestic violence awareness colour and was also one of the colours adopted in 1908 by the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) to symbolise the plight of the Suffragettes. Purple symbolises justice and dignity – two values strongly associated with women’s equality.
EDA recently submitted an application for an Athena SWAN Award. The Athena SWAN Charter, aims to advance the representation of women in science, technology, engineering, medicine and mathematics. While the focus of the Charter is on the Sciences, the work of the Kent Athena SWAN Working Group is aimed at improving the working environment of all staff – both men and women.