Christina Hughes - Woman of Influence
On Monday 23 November 2023 Christina Hughes, Founder and CEO of Women-Space, received recognition of her work to change the dial on equalities in the workplace in Baroness Sandy Verma’s annual celebration. Below is Christina’s speech from that night.
Lalit Taylor, Exec Producer and Director of Events, BBC Academy Fusion, was an outstanding Mistress of Ceremonies, Tamanna Verma and her company Petit Lion superbly organised everything and we were delightfully entertained by singer, Eleni C.
On my way here this evening I received a text from my bonus son. He told me not to let that imposterism get in the way of enjoying my evening. How can I not feel an imposter, standing here in front of all you awesome women? The achievements of my companion influential women - Mama Helen, Ritu Chhabria, Dr Swati Dhingra, Sue Fox, Melinda Johnson, Katrina Keating, Professor Geeta Nargund, Lopa Patel, Dr Roni Savage, Mazine Nwaneri - are nothing short of remarkable. It is a real honour to be standing amongst you.
There have been two huge turning points in my life. Both incredibly impactful. Going to university was one. The other was establishing Women-Space.
I was one of only two girls from the local council estate at the grammar school I attended. I assumed my life would be working for a short while and then getting married and having children – ie the standard pattern. So I left school at 16, went to the local further education and dropped out as I felt friendless and found a series of jobs in offices. I was on the expected track for girls of my kind.
But education was unfinished business. In my mid-20s I made a leap of faith. I applied through clearing for a place at Warwick. It happened so fast that one day I was in the office where I worked. The next I was on a university campus. It was ….. wow. I loved every minute.
I ended up as a Professor of Women and Gender, Pro-Vice Chancellor at Warwick, Provost at Sheffield Hallam and Interim Deputy Vice Chancellor at Kent.
I could never have imagined that trajectory - even in my middle age - let alone when I was a teenager.
But CVs mask truths. What you don’t see on my neatly laid out two-page resume of upward progression are the mis-steps, the failures and the challenges on the way.
I had an interview a few years ago. It was for a Deputy-Vice-Chancellor role at an Australian University. I was offered the job. But not until – post the interview – ‘checks’ were made with my current employer. They thought I was too nice and wanted to know if I could be tough. They had yet to hear Jacinda Ardern talk about how you can be both. Kind - and tough.
I didn’t take the job.
It’s a fact that women have to navigate a tricky path in their leadership styles between being seen as either too male (read: the bitch) or overly female (read: cry baby).
I’ve been both.
It was in my first management role that I became mega-bitch for some of my colleagues. For them, as I tried to devise a strategy or say “no” or dealt with some tricky issues, these were fatal signs that I ceased to be an academic colleague and had moved to the murkiness of management.
Needless to say, in those situations, I have had many moments of sobbing my heart out when I got home – as my husband will testify!
The thing is leadership is so equated with masculinity. Men can practise “care-less” management without moral disapproval.
Women can’t.
Over the past two years I have listened to many women talking about their careers and the challenges we face. One spoke about having a miscarriage and going to work the next day. Another spoke of her fear that she was losing her mind as the menopause kicked in. Another had had four rounds of IVF - all had failed. None of these women said a word to their boss or their colleagues about these situations. Why? Because they knew that this would be held against them in terms of any career progression.
From worrying about what to wear at that important meeting to fear of leakage when having a heavy period. From checking in on an elderly parent to making sure their children’s homework is done. We women carry the weight of the world before we step out of our homes.
Women-Space is working hard to do two things. Put some much needed love and compassion into the world. I can’t imagine anyone can say we don’t need it! And to champion for change by making the private troubles that women face everyday - their weights of the world - public issues. Some great work has already happened with the menopause, which we are now allowed to speak about out loud, and period poverty. But there is so much more that needs to be done. We can, for example, start with the need to create working environments where women are no longer seen as zero loaded workers with nothing but the job to think about. We are whole people with whole lives. Such is the need for this work globally that Women-Space has already expanded with the launch of Women-Space Australia last week, led by the remarkable Dr Naomi Dempsey.
So what would I say to my younger self knowing now what I have experienced and achieved? “Bloomin’ ‘eck’” frankly is what I would say. Who would have thought that that girl from a Birmingham Council Estate could do so much.
I would also point her – and all women in the world - in the direction of the words of the fabulous spoken word poet Vanessa Kissule – Take Up Space. Spread yourself wide as men do. Inhabit spaces where there are still far too few women. Nurture your ambition. And when you get there open the door for other women to follow.
From my heart to yours, Baroness Verma – Sandy – for this awesome recognition. I am still in shock that I am standing here. I can’t thank you enough and am so glad you are in the world doing this work for all our benefit.
Christina