A KINGSTON University women's enterprise network hosted a special seminar last Wednesday (March 9) in celebration of International Woman's Day.

The Kingston University Women in Enterprise Network (KUWEN) was established in March 2021 to provide a safe and vibrant community of business women comprising of students, graduates and members of the international business community.

Speaking about KUWEN, Dr. Yuliana Topazly, senior lecturer in Entrepreneurship at Kingston University, said: "We decided look at how we could minimise those barriers affecting business women and create a community where pretty much anyone - majority women but it doesn't have to be - are able to connect, find the support and share the best practices in their communities in a safe environment."

The network hosts monthly guest speaker events, monthly one-to-one sessions and bi-monthly peer-to-peer support groups.

This month the network invited Jackie Groundsell, owner of the 1230 The Women's Company and Birds on the Blog website and Shikta Das, a genetic epidemiologist and data scientist currently working as a real-world events director at AstraZeneca, to celebrate International Women's Day.

"The whole agenda this year is break the bias and I think it's particularly relevant in the current environment because there is so much going on around the world," said Dr. Yuliana.

The event also brought attention to International Women's Day, an annual event celebrated globally on March 8.

Dr. Yuliana commented: "I wish International Woman's Day wasn't just a day, I wish it was a state of life that we have this conversation in everyday life.

"Let women exchange their experiences and stand up for a more diverse and equal world and take action towards women's equality, in everyday life not just in business."

She added: "Running a social enterprise for many years and doing lots of work in business and with families across South London, I'm realising that we as a group are not very good at celebrating.

"I hope the seminar will help women look at how we can support each other and accelerate women's equality in the current environment."