Celebrating The Women Driving CodiKoat Forward
CodiKoat are keen to highlight the importance of celebrating International Women’s Day and want to recognise the role that our female colleagues have played in our journey to date.
We are proud to be a diverse, equal opportunities organisation and will continue to drive change by ensuring that we maintain the highest standards possible.
Here are the thoughts of the women driving CodiKoat forward, discussing why it’s more important than ever to be celebrating each other.
Celebrating Women
Virologist Cigdem Williams believes it’s critical to have a dedicated way to celebrate women: “Women are the backbone of our society…however we are nowhere near on equal footing yet. International Women’s Day represents a chance to remind ourselves that women can do just as good a job, if we’re given the chance.
This is not a day to dismiss men; it is a day to elevate women and openly talk about gender equality”.
CodiKoat Microbiologist Robyn Jerdan hopes that events like International Women’s Day can recognise the achievements of women, but also highlight how far society still has to go: “It’s important to recognise how far women have come in overcoming social and economic barriers that have prevented us from being viewed as equals.
It’s great to be able to celebrate the incredible minds and achievement of women throughout the STEM industries. It’s also a day for everyone to reflect and acknowledge where improvements and imbalances still exist and how this can be improved.”
The Importance of Role Models
Having positive, visible role models can help shape the lives of young people and were it not for events like International Women’s Day, many great achievements may still go uncelebrated.
For Senior Polymer Chemist Masoomeh Bazzar, having strong role models has always influenced her: “It’s so important to have visible role models. In recent years I've been inspired by Professor Sarah Gilbert and Professor Catherine Green, then in the past there’s famous figures like Professor Marie Curie. Having these figures helps guide young women into choosing the right path, giving an example of how to make your dreams come true”.
For many, our earliest inspirations come in the form of family and that’s the case for Office Manager Clare Osborne: “My mum was my ultimate role model. Having raised and cared for our family whilst working a full-time job, she never buckled under pressure and was always there to provide me with love, support, advice and guidance as I navigated life’s journey. I aspire now to be as much of a positive and influential role model to my daughters that my Mum was to me.”
Making Positive Changes
While positive steps continue to be taken as we towards a more diverse, balanced society - there is plenty still to be done. Maryam Arjangfar, Project Manager, believes: “Businesses can play a huge role. Implementing policies that avoid gender discrimination at the hiring level, promotions based on merit and creating appealing environments for mothers will all help women thrive.”
Sarah Howard MBE is CodiKoat Chair, as well as Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce: “It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to celebrate women and in particular shine a light on women in leadership roles and the fantastic work they’re doing.
Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed first hand the challenges that women must overcome to reach the top of male dominated professions and while we’re in a much better position now, there is still so much to do. Businesses like CodiKoat have the opportunity to create meaningful, positive change by continuing to have talented women at the heart of what we do.
I want to congratulate all of our team on their incredible work to date and look forward to celebrating new and exciting female stories as we continue to grow”.
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This article is part one of a series celebrating the women at CodiKoat and the journeys that brought them to us.