I have recently become involved in two rapidly growing movements known as @WomenED and @WomenEdTech and #WomeninTech.

WomenEd is a grassroots movement which connects existing and aspiring leaders in education. Having offered a session on Leadership in Education and what this means in terms in the Digital space, I have been fortunate to offer coaching and mentoring to women in senior leadership positions in education.

With an active role in EdTech, I am now involved with @Womed Ed in the EdTech space and represent the group in educational events, conferences, festivals and networking events. Working closely with @WomenEd, I am in the process of compiling a collection of short stories produced by the women in @WomenEd.

It is titled “Women Leaders Tell their Stories” –  to be published in 2019.

With a great rush into EdTech and its rapid growth into institutions, I was also honoured to chair a panel of leading WomeninTech ranging from CEO’s in Digital Innovation to COO of Multi-Academy Trusts, to Director of EdTech Evolution and Innovation, and Digital Literacy Coaches and Integrators in Schools in Singapore. We found that many of the challenges that women face in the workplace are the same as those for men. These challenges include work/life balance, parenting, juggling the many responsibilities and sometimes, just coping with multi-tasking.

For those at the conference, we were left with some words of advice: The first step to overcome any challenges that women face in leadership positions is awareness. Awareness of succumbing to external pressures and bending to power in which she would believe she would need to conform to a particular role model with associated actions in which she is preconditioned to think.

It is, however, important to remember that women have their own natural talents. They need to identify their unique talents, understand what they bring to work, rely on their emotional intelligence, and ensure that their voice is heard.