Recently, the world celebrated International Woman’s Day. 

It was an opportunity for people to come together and both celebrate women but also continue to rally for equal treatment and representation. 

In America, the first of these days took place in 1909 when some 15,000 women came together in New York to protest against poor working conditions and wages. 

Subsequently, each day has had a theme, and in 2023 the #EmbraceEquity campaign seeks to get the world talking about why equal opportunities are not enough. 

People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action. 

This is especially relevant in schools. 

Here at John Kyrle High School we must work hard to remove barriers to learning and ensure that everyone in our family succeeds. 

Women play an enormous part in our education system. 

In 2021/22 some 74 per cent of the teaching workforce was female. 

We are blessed to have outstanding women practitioners and role models at John Kyrle High School. 

Even so, no country to date has achieved what could be described as gender parity. 

The World Economic Forum estimates that at our current trajectory it would take 135.6 years to close this gap.  Clearly, there is much more to do. 

I salute all the women role models who play such a significant role in our work with the amazing young people of Ross-on-Wye and those women who have inspired me personally to be a better leader and a better person.