The University of Wolverhampton is set to hold an event in celebration for International Women’s Day on Friday 14th March 2025 Women Leading Change – Celebrating Triumphs and Breaking Barriers. This event will take place at the Technology Centre at the Wolverhampton Science Park.

This event will see women who have excelled in their careers and have changed the social, cultural, economic and political arenas. The welcoming address will by Opinderjit Takhar and the keynote speaker on the panel is Sureena Brackenridge MP of Wolverhampton North East.

A celebratory event sure to inspire, these powerful women will explain how they have defied barriers and overcome challenges to achieve great success. Sureena will discuss her own personal journey, the struggles and give an insight into what it takes to become a leader inspiring the future generation. The guest panel will also participate in a question-and-answer session and explain how they overcame their own obstacles and how women empowering women is a powerful thing.

The end of the panel will feature Saida Chowdhury (pictured)  the poet who is set to publish her forthcoming debut poetry collection, ‘Broken Minds’ in the next few months. Saida has likened her book to the Japanese art practice of ‘Kintsugi’, whereby broken pottery is mended with liquid gold or lacquer with gold dusting. The emphasis is to highlight and beautify the cracks and not hide them.

Saida has applied this philosophy to people and their own personal scar, physical and mental. “Your past is nothing to be ashamed of, but a beautiful part of your history”. Her intention now is to remove the stigma around discussing mental health, so that people can access the help that they need. The foreword for the book has been written by Sureena Brackenridge after meeting Saida on the Ian Henery Radio show for Black Country Xtra, part of Black Country Radio.

Here they were on a panel also featuring Tal Singh of Soul Brite Seva CIC discussing mental health and wellbeing. Saida has written as poem specifically for the International Women’s Day celebration event. “What an absolute pleasure and honour to have the opportunity to read one of my own poems amongst such inspirational women.” Sara Aslett, Strategic Business Development Manager, commented that “it would be a fitting addition the event” and “a great way to close the event”.

No doubt this event intended to showcase the achievements of women and the barriers that they have overcome through sheer resilience is definitely one to inspire.