Women’s History Month 2018

March is Women’s History Month, a celebration of remarkable women and the contributions they have made to society, economics, culture and politics. Women’s History Month is always held in March to coincide with International Women’s Day, which took place on Thursday 8th March 2018 this year.

So which women have made history during Women’s History Month in 2018? 

1. Andria Zafirakou

British Teacher, Andria Zafirakou became the first UK Winner of the Global Teacher Prize. Mrs Zafirakou; who teaches art and textiles at Brent secondary school, has learned basic phrases in languages such as Hindi, Tamil and Gujarati to help communicate with children’s parents. She has organised extra lessons during the week and the weekend, to give her students a quiet place to study. She also runs a self-defence class to help students stay out of gangs, and is the CPD lead in her school. Wow, what an inspiration!

2. Rachel Shenton

First time screenwriter, Rachel Shenton wrote a film named ‘The Silent Child’, which has won an Oscar in the Live Action Short Film category. The Silent Child is a film about a profoundly deaf girl learning to communicate through sign language, with the help from her social worker. The story is based on true events and highlights the daily struggles that deaf children face. 

3. World Down Syndrome Day Mums

50 mums created a viral video with their version of “Carpool Karaoke”, with their children who have Down Syndrome for World Down Syndrome Day on 21st March 2018. The video shows the mums and their kids using Makaton to perform Christina Perri’s hit “A Thousand Years”. You can watch the heartwarming video here. 

4. Mattel

Toy maker, Mattel announced that Barbie had been given a makeover and they had created 15 new “Shero” and “Inspiring Women” dolls. The dolls are designed to help inspire young girls to follow in the footsteps of iconic women, and follow their dreams. The new dolls depict women from all industries and include Frida Kahlo (artist), Amelia Earhart (aviation pioneer), Katherine Johnson (NASA Mathematician and Physicist) and Nicola Adams OBE (boxing champion) to name a few. 

Whilst doing some research on inspirational women I came across so many inspiring stories from females across the globe; it’s clear to see that women and girls are excelling in all industries and sectors. So, who knows what the next month will bring…

Kent-Teach are inspiring the next generation of teachers through our #IMINCHARGE campaign. Click here to find out more.