08/03/2024
Happy International Women's Day! As always, we are proud of be a women led organisation and are celebrating all our colleagues as well as women across the globe.
Finishing the week, a reflection from our Wellbeing Advocate Nicki
💜 The theme for IWD this year is - what does this mean to you?
Inclusion is creating a culture where people feel a sense of acceptance and
belonging. It means that differences are not just tolerated, but embraced. Inclusive
workplaces should promote different voices which we can all learn from, and where
businesses can gain from a rich diversity of talent. It benefits everyone to make a
conscious effort to create an inclusive culture, and offer a platform to others,
especially those who are marginalised. To quote Toni Morrison: ‘If you have some
power, your job is to empower somebody else’.
💜 How do you think yourself and OHS in our daily practice?
As a counsellor and psychotherapist, the key part of my work is forming relationships
that help people feel accepted for who they are. The humanistic approach of therapy
is built on a framework of empathy, genuineness, and positive regard, which are
qualities that I believe can be valuable in all relationships - not just those in the
therapy room. I lead a mental health group for OHS clients, which has included
session topics such as cultural diversity and understanding – led by guest speaker
Rehana Ashiq – and neurodivergence, amongst others. Our health education topics
have included women’s health and the menopause, which is gaining a great deal of
interest. Inclusion is an essential part of the conversation around workplace health
and wellbeing, a conversation that we at OHS are keen to promote.
💜 Who are some of the women that inspire you?
Without hesitation, our MD (also my mum), Lynne. She’s
been a single parent of four children who started with nothing, and through sheer
graft and determination, progressed in her career as an OHN,
and built our highly successful business. She has taught me that the sky is the limit,
and has instilled in me a strong ‘work hard, play hard’ ethic!
Other inspirational women I admire are those who break the mould, such as Rosa
Parks, Maya Angelou, Malala Yousafzai, Greta Thunberg, and Dolly Parton. The
people I support who have been subjected to sexual violence and domestic abuse,
work incredibly hard to empower themselves and are a constant inspiration to me.
And finally, a shout out to my daughters, Amber (8) and Jasmine (6), who are both
inquisitive and charismatic young people; I hope they can learn from women past
and present to make an inclusive future for their generation.
