Women In Leadership Symposium: Acting & Practicing Together

Purpose: In September 2022, UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous, made three ‘asks’ in her Opening Remarks a the HeForShe Summit. These were calls for men and boys across the world:

• Recognise the root causes of gender inequality that are universal despite varying contexts
• Challenge negative masculinities and showcase inclusive leadership and responsibility
• Take responsibility for sharing platforms, to lead by example in elevating women’s and girls’ participation and leadership

The CHEAD Women in Leadership Symposium for 2026 draws on these three asks to foreground what allyship means and to explore what this means specifically within contemporary Higher Education Creative Discipline settings. We have two keynote speakers:

• Professor Kathryn Mitchell: Vice Chancellor of University of Derby
• Nikki Lanier: CEO of Harper Slade and Inclusive HR Attorney

The symposium takes the form of two workshops, where participants of all genders will work together to build the foundations of a Working Paper on our allyship ‘asks’ for our sector: actions for ourselves, our communities of practice, our institutions, and the regulatory changes needed to support greater progress in advancing equity.