International Women’s Day at DUAL UK – March 2025

International Women’s Day at DUAL UK – March 2025

To celebrate international Women’s Day at DUAL UK, women from around the business came together to hear from a few of our senior female leaders, and to network with one another in an open and inclusive environment.

The women who spoke covered a multitude of life experiences, from those with long careers to those at an earlier stage in their professional journey. Some had young children while other ‘children’ were fully grown; some of the women didn’t have any children. Others were animal lovers, long distance runners and podcast lovers, living and working up and down the country. Many felt they were “fairly ordinary”, but all were deeply inspirational and worthy of celebration.

Everyone who attended agreed that it was a valuable and worthwhile session. Here are some of the key takeaways:

1. Coping with imposter syndrome. For one of our speakers, returning from maternity leave was hard, but speaking to a coach helped reframe some of the anxiety around not being good enough. Instead of worrying about what she was not able to do, this woman instead focused on what she wanted to learn. Others agreed that the feelings of imposter syndrome can be channelled to push ourselves to go further.

2. The elephant in the room. Shockingly, only 50 years ago Lloyds was a male only environment. Although it is still not uncommon (particularly within the insurance industry) to walk into a meeting entirely comprised of men, and no less intimidating, the upside of being the only woman in the room is that you are more memorable! It is also a reminder for all of us to make everyone feel welcome and appreciate that someone might be feeling awkward at times.

3. A marathon not a sprint. A reminder that our careers can be long and that things throughout life come and go in phases – it’s not always possible to be running at full pelt and important to accept that priorities can shift throughout a woman’s life, for example, if she has caring responsibilities. It is important to have balance and to share that need with others around you. Let others know that ‘not now’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘not ever’ and remember opportunities can come around again.

4. Go for your health checks! Mammograms, smear tests and other less-than-enjoyable tests, can really save your life. Also, while not every woman will have children, all women will go through the menopause.

5. The importance of community. We agreed that it’s important to talk to others and make time for meeting up during and outside of work. Find groups that support your interests and passions and bring people into your communities too! Let people around you know what you need and involve them in your journey (people like to help!)

6. Don’t be frightened. Ask for help and pay it forward when you can.

And finally, we asked our senior women to share some words of wisdom and this is what they offered us:

• “Don’t beat yourself up and keep trying.”
• “Believe in yourself and reflect on all things you’ve overcome.”
• “Get enough sleep: a night without sleep is a day without perspective.”
• “You can’t please everyone all the time so stick with what you believe in.”