It's a day to reflect, celebrate, and inspire action, encouraging a school environment where our young women can thrive. One of the best parts of my job is the role I get to play in shaping minds, inspiring futures, and empowering the girls at CHSG to believe in their own potential and make a difference in the world.

IWD is a powerful reminder of the ongoing fight for gender equality. While progress has been made, many barriers still exist that prevent women from achieving equal opportunities in all areas of life – this directly impacts our girls. This year's IWD theme, "Accelerate Action", emphasises the urgency of addressing systemic barriers and biases that hinder women's advancement across various sectors. At the current pace, achieving full gender parity is projected to take until 2158—approximately five generations from now. This statistic underscores the critical need for immediate and decisive actions to expedite gender equality. By participating in IWD 2025, we at CHSG collectively commit to accelerating the pace of change, ensuring a more equitable and inclusive world for our girls.

IWD provides an opportunity to recognise the amazing contributions of women, both in our school and around the world. By highlighting the accomplishments of women across all fields, we inspire our students to see what's possible and to believe in their own potential. Inspiring women from every subject are on display around the school throughout March and will feature in our assemblies this month. Our Year 9 and 12 students have started working with the Diana Award on their Mentoring Programme. The programme connects young people with mentors who provide guidance, support, and encouragement to help the girls build confidence, develop essential skills, and achieve their goals. The program is designed to empower youth, especially young women, to become leaders and change-makers in their communities. On IWD, the program serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of mentorship in empowering young women, helping them navigate challenges, reach their full potential, and inspire future generations of female leaders. We are so excited to see the impact of this programme on our CHSG students.

As educators and leaders in our girls’ lives, it’s vital that we empower our students by offering them role models who show that success is achievable for all women, regardless of background. Celebrating IWD helps create a space where girls can embrace their ambitions, overcome barriers, and believe in themselves. IWD is also an important reminder to challenge persistent gender stereotypes. By encouraging our students to pursue their dreams without the limitations of outdated ideas about gender, we help them create their own paths and define success on their own terms. This month at CHSG we have external speakers coming to talk to the girls – from criminal barristers, political correspondents to the CEO of a charity. These speakers provide diverse perspectives, inspire new ideas, and offer valuable role models who can motivate and inspire our students to reach their full potential. We have a range of other events going on to celebrate from house competitions, movie nights and our HerStory Afternoon Tea. We know our girls will gain a lot from these experiences.

To all our incredible staff I want to take a moment to thank each of you for the incredible work you do every day. You are shaping the future, inspiring our students, and creating an environment where every girl can feel empowered to reach her fullest potential. The impact you have goes beyond the classroom—you're making a difference in the lives of young women who will go on to change the world.

To all our amazing students, on IWD, remember that you are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to. You are powerful, resilient, and full of potential. Keep challenging the limits, breaking down barriers, and supporting each other along the way. The world needs your voices, your leadership, and your vision for the future. Believe in yourselves, because we believe in you. #teamCHSG.

Pippa Jones

Assistant Headteacher

Carshalton High School for Girls