Women’s Equality Day: Learning, Listening and Lifting Each Other Up
Every year on 26 August, Women’s Equality Day provides an opportunity to recognise the progress made towards gender equality, celebrate the achievements of women and reflect on the work that still needs to be done.
While the day marks the anniversary of women gaining the constitutional right to vote in the United States, its message today is much broader. It’s a chance to talk about equality, challenge assumptions, celebrate the women who inspire us and consider how we can all help create environments where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
To mark Women’s Equality Day, we asked members of the Touchdown team to share their thoughts on women, confidence, advice and the people who have inspired them. Here’s what they had to say.
Who is a woman you think more people should know about?
Peter Huleatt
“I think we can all learn something from NYC urban activist Jane Jacobs. Her activism during the 1960s helped prevent the construction of the Lower Manhattan Expressway, protecting her home and those of her neighbours, as well as neighbourhoods across Lower Manhattan.
As a woman critiquing the male-dominated field of urban planning, she was often dismissed as a ‘housewife’, and her opinions were criticised. But her continued activism and authorship of The Death and Life of Great American Cities helped turn public opinion against urban renewal projects across the United States.”
What’s something you’ve learned about confidence from a woman?
Gemma Carter
“I feel lucky to work alongside a strong team of women at Touchdown, and they’ve taught me to trust my instincts. Even when self-doubt creeps in, they remind me that I have good judgement and the experience to make the right call — and encourage me to go for it.”
Olivia Manning
“Nobody is expecting you to know everything – and not having an immediate answer doesn’t make you any less smart. The more you stop putting pressure on yourself to have the ‘right’ answer straight away, the easier it becomes to trust yourself, ask the right questions and know you’ve got this.”
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received from a woman?
Alex Morris
“Just before I left for maternity leave, former colleague and super mum Katie Schaeffer gave me the best advice: ‘ignore the advice’. Not because advice isn’t valuable, but because ultimately, you know yourself and your baby best.
It was exactly what I needed to hear, and it’s something I’ve carried with me ever since — in motherhood and in life. Take what feels right for you, and leave the rest behind.”
Lily Allan
“The best piece of advice I’ve ever received from anyone was from my step-mum. Her mantra was that it is not what life throws at you, but how you deal with it, that defines you. I have found that this has applied to basically every challenge or opportunity that I have faced, and it has never steered me wrong!”
Celebrating the women who shape us
From historic figures who challenged the status quo, to colleagues who remind us to trust ourselves, and family members whose words stay with us for years, these answers are a reminder that equality is about more than a single day.
It’s about creating a culture where women’s voices are heard, achievements are recognised and people feel empowered to be themselves, take opportunities and support one another.
This Women’s Equality Day, we’re celebrating the women who have inspired us — and the women who continue to inspire us every day.
