With well over a century of history and change, the first International Women’s Day (IWD) was held in March 1911.
IWD isn’t country, group or organisation specific. It’s a day of collective global activism and celebration that belongs to all those committed to forging women’s equality.
The campaign theme for 2024 is ‘Inspire Inclusion’:
“When we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion, we forge a better world. And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment. Collectively let’s forge a more inclusive world for women.”
You can read more on the IWD website.
To mark IWD at thinkWhere, we asked the women on our team about their thoughts on being a woman in geospatial and how to inspire inclusion.
“I am proud to be a part of a leadership team which is equally represented in terms of women and men. Women bring different ideas and approaches which enhance creativity and innovation.
“It is an interesting and varied industry and having greater representation not only benefits individual careers but contributes to the improvement of the industry. Inclusion means participation from people with diverse perspectives and experiences, all of which contribute to a better outcome.”
Aimee Rossi, Geospatial Data Manager
“I love working in geospatial, and one of the many things I like about it is that from my perspective it is an inclusive, welcoming community, with lots of different opportunities to get involved.
“Whilst the higher ranks of geospatial businesses do still tend to be dominated by white men, I am encouraged that my female colleagues and friends within geospatial are achieving so much with their careers, and don’t seem to be hitting the glass ceiling so often found in other industries.”
Fiona Hemsley-Flint, Geospatial Development Manager
“In my experience geospatial is a great career path for women, offering a huge amount of variety and opportunity. Through my career I’ve worked in organisations alongside many exceptional women, often in leadership roles, and I’ve seen how their talent and commitment are really helping to shape our industry.
“I’ve found the geospatial industry to be welcoming and inclusive overall, but it’s still important to ensure women are given opportunities to showcase their talents, build strong networks and develop their careers.”
Alison Moon, Head of Geospatial Projects
“The geospatial community has grown significantly and it’s great to see women thrive.
“To me, this year’s theme highlights the importance of diversity and collaboration for social impact. The geospatial field has a lot to offer. It’s important to welcome inspiring individuals to explore technology as a force of good.”
Eleni Athanasiadou, Geospatial Product Specialist
“It’s definitely important to encourage more women into geospatial. I think it is a historically male-dominated profession, and having more women within this career line allows broader thinking and perhaps different ways of collaborating to achieve results.
“Also having more women in geospatial will encourage younger girls to take up an interest in it as they will see it as more accessible.”
Lydia Wright, Geospatial Product Specialist
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Alan Moore, Head of Geospatial Services at Idox, has headed up thinkWhere for many years.
He said, “We have always had a strong focus on diversity, equality and inclusion in thinkWhere since its inception. Having a diverse team is key to innovation, to effective problem solving and to collaborative engagement.
“I’m really proud that we have such talented and inspiring women in the team, whose capabilities, expertise and creativity drive our continuous improvement and our focus on customer success.”
