RSA Women Speaker Network
`To be a public speaker you have to expose yourself. Everyone is forced to look at you, listen to you. Whether you like it or not they will judge you. No one can be there on your behalf.'
Louise initiated the RSA Women Speaker Network through the RSA Fellowship in 2010 to increase self confidence in women through more formal speaking as well as to help promote humanitaran issues from a female perspective. The network consists of a diverse range of female fellows of the RSA who hae achieved leadership status across a wide range of fields including construction, engineering, design, academia,science and technology. The mission of the network is `To raise women's profile in society by greater involvement in public speaking.'
Read moreLondon 2011: Are We Kind Enough?
November 10th, 2011
Somerset House, The Strand, London WC2R 1LA
More details:
Louise Burfitt-Dons's speechWomen and the Big Society 2011: Blast from the Past or New Vision
June 28th 2011
Somerset House, The Strand, London WC2R 1LA
`Working Tgether: When Women Speak, Do Men Listen?’
March 8th 2010
Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London W1
The Great Female Debate: Do Women Speak Too Much Or Too Little?
9th November
7-9pm Institution of Mechanical Engineers HQ
1 Birdcage Walk, Westminster
London
SW1H 9JJ.
Transcript of speech:
I’m Louise Burfitt-Dons, the fellow of the RSA who began the initiative we’re launching tonight.
I will shortly be introducing our panel guests who will speak for five minutes each.
If you could please hold your questions until they have all completed their presentations I will then open the floor for your comments bearing in mind we have five further two minute speakers To be introduced during that period
A brief summary of this initiative which grew from a piece of research pointing to
Societal pressures on young women not to speak in public and my particular concern was that in a world with pressing issues we couldn’t afford that state of affairs.
We have to hear women’s voice.
And it seemed to me that Fellows of the RSA should do something about that fact
The RSA being home of being the home of English debate.Also an organisation which included women as far back as 1754,
A truly pioneering gesture for the time.
And it is obvious from that William Shipley - the founder -
Wanted to hear women’s voice at the RSA
To do with social progress.
However a clear impression I have gained from the 250 emails in to me
From fellows across the world
Women aren’t being heard enough
For a number of reasons
However before we can do anything socially useful with this initiatve
We must begin again to try to identify why this so.
Hence the topic of tonight
The issue: Do we speak too much or too little?
My husband grew up in New Zealand as one of three boys
It was in the forties, no television, let alone, you tube
They spent much of their time around the table debating
His mother couldn’t get a word in
When they could no longer agree
His father would say `What does mum think?'
As my husband said `she was always right!'
How often have you heard that?
Women have a way of getting straight to the point
Cutting to the chase; they don’t always put it elegantly
There is not one person who doesn’t know that woman
That grandmother, mother, or Aunt, Who doesn’t get involved
But suddenly comes up with the nub of the problem
We don’t speak enough.
Then anyone who joined 7 million viewers who watched The Apprentice the other week when an all women team displayed anything but – arguing and shouting over each other would be likely to suggest the opposite: we talk too much.
But is women’s voice being fairly represented across the broad sweep of political economic and social issues?
Other speakers:Welcome address Neil Latham, FIMeche, IMeche Equality and Diversity Representative
Chair and Introduction: Louise Burfitt-Dons FRSA, initiating Fellow
Molly Harvey FRSA, Past President of Professional Speaking Association and Corporate Speaker
Dr Tim Fox CEng, FIMechE, FRSA, Head of Energy and Environment, IME
Abigail Appleton FRSA, Head of Speech Programming, BBC Radio 3
Dr Karen Moloney FRSA psychologist and author
Rowena Vestey FRSA , mentor Design Council
Kate Davies FRSA CEO Housing Association
Dr Tina Basi FRSA, Sociologist and ethnographic researcher, author of ‘Women, Identity, and the Indian Call Centre Industry’
Saba Salman FRSA, Journalist, Social Affairs The Guardian
Sue Warner, FRSA Founding Director Speakersbank
RSA WSN
June 2010
Louise Burfitt-Dons"The communication of ideas and opinions through public speaking is one of the most influential ways of inspiring and progressing social change. However, it is also reported to be people’s number one fear. In particular, women can sometimes find it challenging. Research has shown that while their primary focus is on relationships and connecting, social and cultural pressures conspire to make them uneasy about ‘standing out’ and ‘developing a public voice.' "
"More importantly, it could mean that good ideas don’t get promulgated. In a world hungry for fresh and urgent input to build a more capable and inclusive society, I am looking for Fellowship support and feedback on an initiative to form a RSA women speakers network."
"The RSAWSN would be a network of speakers and the subjects they cover. Its function would be to support those involved to initiate or to participate in speaking events and debates, in particular, but not exclusively, women’s initiatives; and to inspire more female speakers. As a voluntary initiative Fellows would obviously have to be willing to donate their time and expertise."
"It seems like an ideal time for developing a network of this sort because the topics that were once considered ‘women’s domain’ like bonding, networking, pacifying, empathising are emerging more and more in corporate leadership lectures."
"The female workforce is now over fifty percent in some countries and women mostly run the households affected by the million or so job cuts coming up shortly so their awareness of the perils of climate change are essential. With the economic recovery dependent on public spending and women responsible for in some categories up to 80 per cent of that decision making, women’s influence is no longer just a gender topic, but a planet issue. So there’s a lot to talk about and initiate here at the RSA."
"As the RSA currently has one of the UK’s leading public events programme on pressing social issues, I think the RSA Women’s Speaker Network can compliment this and has potential to become a leading brand and inspiration for all women looking to find their place in the world."
