Portsmouth schoolgirls inspired for future careers at event featuring successful women

An event in celebration of International Women’s Day was organised by EBP South, a charity bringing business and education together.

Nearly 100 girls aged between 13 and 17 from schools across Portsmouth visited Lakeside North Harbour on Tuesday to hear from 10 guest speakers with interesting stories about their careers and barriers they had faced.

Women from fields such as mechanical engineering, performing arts and human resources shared knowledge and tips about being respectful and kind, taking small steps and being confident.

One speaker was Caroline Shawl, technology research lead at DSTL, who said: ‘It’s OK to not know what you want to do and hopefully we are able to show them that their path is not set out.

‘I have got four children and I don’t want the world to be how it was for me growing up, I want them to grow up in a world where their gender is not even a discussion.’

This was the first event the charity had run specifically for women, and organisers were amazed by the positive response.

Cath Longhurst, chief executive of EBP South, said: ‘I think it’s gone really well, the feedback from the schools has been phenomenal. They have made new friends and spoken to people they would never have spoken to.’

Contributors came from a variety of backgrounds and they all came away from the event feeling inspired.

Entrepreneur Keshia Stewart, owner and director of TeachTech Solutions, said: ‘It’s just been so inspiring, EBP has put together such an amazing lineup of women. To be able to share your journey with the young girls is amazing.’

Heather Smith, finance officer at EBP, added: ‘If I could say one thing to somebody which could potentially change their life then we have achieved something.’

Helen Wallis, a singer and dance choreographer, was keen to encourage young women towards performing arts careers.

She said: ‘There’s a huge stigma about this being a career, with all the government cuts the first thing to go is the arts. No-one thinks it’s a career path but it absolutely is.’