A month of activities is set to celebrate inspirational women at the University of Nottingham.

As the countdown to International Women’s Day 2019 #BalanceForBetter begins the University has started to showcase the incredible talent, skills and contribution women are making every day.

On Friday 1 March we launched our Inspirational Women social media campaign. It follows a recent invite to staff and students, asking them to nominate female colleagues in Nottingham and our campuses in China and Malaysia by explaining their inspirational contribution to the University. Almost 150 submissions were received celebrating women at all levels and job types.

Each day throughout the month three nominations will be shared via social media channels. At the end of March 2019 a collage of inspirational women will be created and all nominations will be available to read.

Professor Sarah Sharples, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion said: “I’m delighted by the response to the campaign and the breadth of nominations we’ve had come in. It is incredible to see the number of inspirational acts, some big, some small, taking place around the University and the contribution women are making on a daily basis.

“Perhaps what is even more humbling is the response of the nominees, many of whom are genuinely surprised that someone finds them inspirational and took the time to nominate them.”

Elsewhere across the University there are a number of both cross university and specialist events led by faculties.

A key highlight on Friday 8 March is an annual joint conference held with Nottingham Trent University (NTU).

Speakers at these events will share a range of experiences from within academia, professional services and industry, giving valuable insight into how we can support gender equality and intersectionality within our university communities, higher education, and more broadly.

Throughout March the University will be sharing news and research stories with a special focus on achievements and contributions of women as well as relaunching a digital version of the Women’s Expertise Guide — a joint venture with NTU which brings together a catalogue of expertise for media and policy makers.