Celebrating the women who inspire us this International Women’s Day

This International Women’s Day staff from across the International and Private Care (I&PC) service at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) have come together to share the inspirational women in their life.

My late mother. She came to the UK as part the Windrush generation to train as a nurse. After a successful nursing career, she went on to manage a world class sterilisation unit here at GOSH. Amongst many admirable traits my mother loved helping others. From sharing her home and housing families fleeing an active volcano in Montserrat B.W.I, to sending surgical instruments no longer in use to countries in need, her list was endless. A true inspiration and role model.  
Dionne, Scheduling Manager

My mother inspires me the most for many reasons. She is hardworking and gives her all in everything that she does. She never gives up when trying to fulfil her dreams and aspirations - balancing being a great mother at home and her career. I hope to be just like her.
Zainab, Arabic Speaking Marketing Assistant

The fabulous I&PC management team. What a beautifully diverse mix of strong, independent, and inspirational leaders. Each and every one of these women has different skills, strengths and attributes and we all mould together and inspire one another on a daily basis to achieve great things and provide the best possible care and service for our patients and families. The knowledge, experience and expertise of each individual is what makes I&PC so successful and beautifully unique in its own way. We are all different, but we are walking the same path in different shoes.
Katia, Hospitality Services Manager

Yad lost her mother-in-law in 2020 due to COVID. Here she and her daughter remember their mother-in-law and grandmother, respectively.

 My grandmother inspired me from a young age, because she would always tell me stories about her childhood and her past. As a woman in the early 1900s she wasn’t given the same freedoms we have today to express her passion, which was poetry. She would write poems but was unable to pursue her dreams in publishing. The reason she inspired me is because she continued to push forward despite the social construct that women weren’t allowed such jobs. She still pursued this as a career, and she published a book at the age of 94, filled with her best poems dedicated to my family. Therefore, I always looked up to her for this confidence and superiority, while always remaining humble, altruistic, and extraordinary.

My mother-in-law was an inspiration for me too and she is always in my heart and mind, she will never be forgotten.  
Yad, Arabic Interpreter, and her daughter Mina

Baroness Doreen Lawrence.

Following the racially motivated murder of her son, Steven, in 1993, I remember watching as Doreen Lawrence was thrust into the spotlight when she raised concerns about the inadequacies of the police investigation into her son’s death at a time when it was not customary to challenge government agencies so openly. I vividly recall watching her on the news and being struck by her bravery, her dignity and her determination to improve a situation she knew was unacceptable. In an interview in 2013, Baroness Lawrence explained that she “could have closed my door and shut myself away, but that is not me, and my children were not brought up that way” and I have no doubt it was these beliefs that led her to campaign tirelessly for justice for her son and for other victims of racist crime.

By working to address issues of social injustice, Doreen Lawrence has proven that her son's death at least made a difference – she has ensured that institutional racism is recognised and challenged, she continues to campaign for a fairer, more equal society for everyone and she has demonstrated extraordinary compassion and resilience in the face of enormous adversity. She is, in my opinion, a truly inspirational woman.
Kate, Head of Nursing I&PC

The figure who inspired me is my late mother because of her kind heart and always making sure people around her are taking care of before her. I learnt from her to smile, no matter what the circumstances. She made me understand what life is about and taught me to be strong and how to face all problems.
Saya, Arabic Interpreting Leader

The female figure that inspires me has to be my mum, who is one of the strongest and most resilient women I know. She has faced a lot of heartache and loss in her life but despite this never gave up, her work ethic, positivity and true dedication to others is immeasurable. She was both a mum and a dad to my brother, sister and me after my dad died when we were young. She is truly amazing and if I am ever half the woman she is I will be incredibly proud. 
Claudia, Matron I&PC