International Women's Day

"There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish." - Michelle Obama

Today is International Women’s Day. A day to celebrate each other and reflect on how far we have come. As a woman I am proud of the progress that has been made over recent years, to lessen the inequality between the genders.

Emily Davison made history when she threw herself in front of the King’s horse at Epsom Derby, to protest against women’s suffrage. Emily’s belief, in the equal rights for women, were so important to her that she risked her life in the hope for change. Emily died from her injuries four days later on the 8 th June 1913. Five years after her death, over 8 million women were given the parliamentary vote and 50 years after Emily’s death (June 1963) the first women travelled to space. Events such as this has helped give women the freedom of choice that we have today.

In the workplace, there are more and more women in senior roles, who are in some cases, working alongside a workforce of predominantly men. Women now have the choice to be who they want to be and do what they choose to do. May this be starting a family, pursuing their dream career, or a mix of the two, we continue to remain powerful and in control of our own lives.

Although the fight for equality continues, it is important to highlight the breakthroughs we have accomplished over the years. 50 years ago, it was commonplace for women to have children and stay at home. Fast-forward to 2022 and the female employment rate has now increased to 71.8%. Here at ACS, our women employees are integral to our success. Over half of our employees are women, and we buck the national trend as we have more women in senior management positions than men!

Meet some of our wonderful women at ACS...