News

International Women’s Day at OUP

06 March 2020

For International Women’s Day on 8th March, we asked some of our people how they support or empower women through their work.

Melissa Amato
Marketing Assistant, OUP Canada

‘As a founding member of the Canadian branch of the OUP Women’s Network, it is my priority to provide women working in Canada an outlet to focus on career, skill, and personal development through events and roundtable discussions. But, it is through the creation of the CWN that I have realized that the greatest role professional women can play in each other’s careers is that of support and encouragement.’

Dr Patricia Fara
OUP author, and Emeritus Fellow at Clare College, Cambridge

‘One day they’ll find out it’s only me!’ Many Cambridge students feel they don’t deserve a place in such a prestigious University, and they always seem astonished when I talk to them about impostor syndrome and explain how it affects me as well as many of my female colleagues. I hope that sharing my own concealed anxieties will help to convince younger women that they too can achieve a senior academic position.’

Felipe Gandra
Executive Assistant, OUP Brazil

‘I am aware of the privileges I have exclusively for being a man, and the gender inequality existent in our patriarchal society. Bearing that in mind, my personal commitment is to be an ally to the movement toward extinguishing sexism. Continually watching my biased behaviors and standing against sexism whenever it appears, are the minimum attitudes that I must adopt. Furthermore, I engage myself in actions that promote gender equality and female empowerment, as they are things I can do to help make the world better for everybody.’

Fathima Dada
Education Managing Director, Oxford

‘Regardless of who I work with, I have high expectations of everyone that works with me. Partially because of that I give people opportunities that they may not otherwise have had. I trust them to do a really great job and I provide the support they need. It’s the setting of the high expectations and creating the opportunities that helps women develop more quickly.’

Annabel Daly
Head of Journals Marketing, Oxford
 
‘Everyone has unique gifts and talents to bring to the world and often women, especially, feel huge pressure to fit in. It may feel like you are trying to be someone else, remoulding yourself into your view of “ideal” or how a role “should” be. This can be a fast-track to imposter syndrome, stress, and may actually prevent you from delivering that value we all so want to create for ourselves, our families, communities, and organizations. I’ve created a Career Mojo workshop that I’ve run across OUP to help others tune into their strengths, what they care about, and what the world needs from them, and this all happens in a safe, creative, and playful environment. This increases self-awareness. And once that’s done, the trick is to own it. Something women often find challenge with, but having a support network and accountability also helps here, with mentoring and peer coaching being important—and there are plenty of formal and informal opportunities to do this within OUP. Once you’ve done that, it’s about being curious and respectful of others and their differences. This is what creates empowered people, diversity in teams, and ultimately better outcomes in all areas of our lives.’

Raheela Baqai
Marketing Director, OUP Pakistan

‘OUP promotes and maintains a culture of equality and diversity and has created a safe environment for all to work and learn on the job. I feel it is my responsibility to take all possible initiatives in my capacity to uphold these principles by identifying new opportunities for growth and development for women and to ensure more exposure for their personal and professional mentoring by involving them in projects such as Literature Festivals and other marketing events. It becomes all the more important in daily work and communications as ‘amazing things happen when women speak and act with honesty helping to empower other women.’