Relentless, persistent, creative, intentional … all of these adjectives came to mind when I sat, fascinated, for several hours recently in Manila traffic.
I watched, admiringly, how – very patiently and yet determinedly – cars and mopeds wove across semi-static lanes, finding their own way through a dense and impenetrable morass of vehicles.
“It was genuinely riveting to observe.”
Particularly impressive was the path carved out by an ambulance, which found gaps in the traffic where none had previously existed, and which seemed to nudge and squeeze its way through to its goal, leaving all other road transport in its wake.
It was genuinely riveting to observe, and while I am not sure that my feeling was entirely shared by my more traffic-weary hosts at the British School Manila, I was delighted to witness the phenomenon in action, with the fresh eyes of the newly arrived.
I was in Manila for the inaugural WISE conference – Women in International Schools Empowerment – which brought together female leaders and aspiring leaders from international schools across Asia, and from further afield.
It was a superb event which genuinely lived up to its goal of nurturing, inspiring and empowering women in international schools. Every aspect of the conference, from one-to-one sessions, workshops and keynotes (one of which, on unconscious bias, I was honoured to deliver), was carefully thought through. The powerful flurry of gratitude which flooded LinkedIn after the event bore testament to the impact that the conference had had.
“It is illogical that women are still significantly underrepresented in senior leadership roles.”
International schools encompass an extraordinarily broad range of institutions – a far, far greater breadth of shape, style, curriculum, audience, community etc than is to be found in national schools. This is so even in places which possess the diversity of cultures found in, for example, parts of the UK.
All teachers and leaders – male and female – working in international schools develop skills of resilience, flexibility, ingenuity and resourcefulness which should make them highly prized assets in any school worldwide… so it is illogical that women, who make up more than half the educational workforce, are still significantly underrepresented in senior leadership roles in international schools.
“I was hearing them encouraging one another to weave their way forward.”
As we were reminded at the conference, however, many blocks still stand in the way of women in international schools – indeed, arguably in all walks of life – because of prejudice, discrimination, stereotyping and bias. At times, these blocks can feel just like the dense and impenetrable morass of the traffic in Metro Manila.
But wait. Relentless, persistent, creative, intentional … all of the adjectives I experienced in the traffic of Manila came equally strongly and clearly into my mind as I sat, entranced, in the WISE conference hall.
I was surrounded by phenomenal international women educators, listening to their stories and hearing them encouraging one another to weave their way forward, and not to be afraid as they nudge, squeeze and show the world what they can do. It was a marvellous thing to watch.
“No hurdle will prove insurmountable.”
International schools are able to give their students a head start in global citizenship, because they are living and practising it every day. Shifting the balance of leadership in international schools, so that women leaders attain equal representation, will make these international schools even more powerful role models for schools across the world.
My experience at WISE leads me to predict that, like the Manila traffic, no hurdle will prove insurmountable for these women leaders.