New Women’s Staff Network launched on International Women’s Day by Trust

To mark International Women’s Day (Wednesday 8 March), Medway NHS Foundation Trust has launched its first Women’s Staff Network.

It aims to help make the voice of female colleagues, and those who identify as women, stronger by:

• Advocating for women’s interests and ambitions and to empower women across all pay grades and job roles.
• Supporting the Trust in creating an inclusive place of work.
• Creating a sense of community by building relationships across all staff groups and other networks, acknowledging intersections between sex and other protected characteristics, for example race or disability.
• Offering support by sharing ideas and personal experiences and identifying areas where additional support might be required, signposting to the relevant sources of assistance/support available both internally and externally, and to explore solutions to the issues and opportunities raised by the members.
• Accelerating change by providing feedback and input into the Trust’s policies and processes.
• Enhancing career and personal development through initiatives such as events, training, communications and resource sharing and encouraging personal and professional learning and development.
• Engaging with other Trust staff networks and communicating all events to ensure they are visible to all colleagues who identify as women.

The colour scheme of the Women’s Staff Network’s logo is a nod to the women’s suffragette movement which campaigned for the rights of women. Suffragettes wore purple for dignity and loyalty, green for hope, and white for purity, and we hope it captures the network’s values and ambitions.

Chair of the Women’s Staff Network Alison Davis, who is also the Trust’s Chief Medical Officer, said: “We are committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive organisation and the launch of a new Women’s Staff Network is an important step in the Trust’s journey to ensuring inclusivity for all staff.

“I’m proud to say that here at Medway we also have (Dis)Ability, LGBTQI+, Armed Forces, and BAME staff networks. Our staff are our greatest asset and through networks such as these we can tackle issues for all under-represented and disadvantaged groups and individuals within our organisation. Importantly, if our workforce feels supported and happy this positivity reaches the very people we are here for – our patients.

“Working alongside our other staff networks, the Women’s Network will have a key role to play in making Medway NHS Foundation Trust a great place to work for all.”