IWD Event - Inspiring The Next Generation of Women & Girls in Portsmouth

International Women's Day 2025 Empowering the Next Generation of Female Leaders in Sport, Politics, Technology and Business.

We are encouraging a small donation for each ticket and all proceeds will be given (less ticketing platform costs to The Girls Network after the event). Please give what you can afford to.

If you are an education provider then please contact us on [email protected] for a promotional code, please note that this is capped at 10 places per institution due to demand for seats. Thank you.

We are thrilled to announce an extraordinary event to celebrate International Women's Day 2025, bringing together a community of inspiring women, influential leaders, and trailblazers in sport, tech, business, politics, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) industries.

This landmark event will be hosted by Becky Lodge, Computer Weekly’s Top 100 UK Tech Leader, and is designed to inspire the next generation of women and girls to break barriers and pursue careers in sectors historically dominated by men.

Hosted by the Marriott in Portsmouth, this event is suitable for those wishing to hear women's inspiring stories of success in their chosen career and for young women and girls to actively hear from role models in their chosen field. Allies are welcome to attend the event too alongside education providers. Please note that anyone under the age of 18 will need to have an adult parent or guardian attend with them on the day. Thank you.

Event Overview:

Please note that the event will be photographed and video will be used. By attending the event you agree to take part in publicity and photos and also video (possibly with testimonials). Thank you.

• Date: March 5th 2025
• Time: 11am-1pm (main event) with tea and coffee provided with networking 1-2pm
• Location: Marriott Portsmouth – Venue Partner
• Host: Becky Lodge, Top 100 UK Tech Leader (Computer Weekly 2024)
• Partners: Nation Radio, Marriott Portsmouth, University of Portsmouth Business School, STR Recruitment (AI & STEM recruitment specialists), The Girls Network, Desk2Educate, Little Kanga Ltd.

Event timings:

11am - Registration and delegate arrival

11.15am- Event commences with introductions

11.30am - Fireside chat commences hosted by Becky Lodge

1pm - Fireside chat concludes and tea and coffee provided for networking

2pm - Informal networking closes

Note: Lunch is not included as part of the event, but food is available in the main bar area to purchase should you wish to stay for lunch.

Fireside Chat Panel - Expert Speakers:

• Olivia (Livvy) Breen - Para-athlete and Welsh BBC Cymru Sports Personality of the Year
• Dame Caroline Dinenage DBE MP
• Amanda Martin MP
• Donna Jones Police and Crime Commissioner (IOW & Hampshire)
• Becky Lodge - TechRound100 Tech Company (#16 2024) @ Desk2Educate - Host
• Paula Falck - The Girls Network
• Tammy Markley - Chartered FCIPD Cluster - Director Marriott International
• Hollie Smith - Operations Director - Navis Consulting - Compere

Allyship providing support to this event and attending the event will be:

Martin Waters - Sales Leader - Marriott Portsmouth

Stephen Morgan MP - Portsmouth South

Dan Lodge - University of Portsmouth Business School

This International Women's Day, we invite you to join a dynamic event that celebrates the achievements of women across sectors, while creating a platform for discussion, inspiration, and empowerment. Whether you are a young girl considering future career paths, a woman looking to progress in your career, or an ally who believes in the power of diversity and inclusion, this event is for you.

Why This Event Matters

Historically, industries like sport, business, tech, engineering, politics, and STEAM have been dominated by men, with women often underrepresented or sidelined and those with disabilities (or different abilities) as women have often been overlooked, despite their major impacts on society in their chosen fields of operation.

Women continue to break down these barriers, and we are witnessing more women than ever before stepping into leadership roles across these traditionally male-led fields. Through the insights and stories shared by our distinguished guest speakers, we aim to further inspire young women and girls to envision themselves in these roles, fostering a sense of possibility, self-belief, and ambition as our esteemed panel share their stories and personal journeys of success, the barriers that they have overcome and the emerging trends for the future in their sectors.

Our esteemed speakers include:

- Olivia (known as Livvy) is a multiple award and medal-winning para-athlete, and, in 2022, became the first Welsh female track athlete to win a gold medal in 32 years. With cerebral palsy, she qualifies for the T/F38 (track/field) category and her events have included long jump, 100m and 200m sprints and the 4x 100m relay. She also has impaired hearing and some learning difficulties. Livvy is very positive about her cerebral palsy and a fantastic role model for others with the condition.

In light of her recent efforts, which arguably make her the current most recognisable sports personality in Wales, she was awarded the title of BBC Cymru Sports Personality of the Year 2022, Athletics Weekly’s Para-athlete of the Year 2022 and the St David’s Award for Sport.

: As the host and a recognised leader in UK tech and a passionate advocate for neurodivergence having both ADHD and dyspraxia, Becky has been an advocate for diversity and inclusion throughout her career and has sold over £0.5BN of products and services during her sales career; and is considered within the top 1% of tech leaders in the UK.

A regular voice on the future of technology including slots on the BBC and Sky News and national radio speaking on tech leadership and women’s place in the digital world, Becky is a multi-award winning entrepreneur and in 2024, her tech start-up Desk2Educate was awarded the TechRound 100 award at #16 of UK Tech companies to watch. In 2024 Becky spearheaded a campaign to reverse a funding decision by Innovate UK on the Women in Innovation Awards; garnering the support of 500 women in a what's app group over 24 hours, Becky got £2.1MN of public funding reinstated to female founders by organising a social media campaign starting the 'Let's Fund More Women' grass roots movement, dedicated to helping more women funded in business in the UK and worldwide. Becky is on a number of think tanks and taskforces for improving female funding and inclusion and gender partity in the UK and globally.

Donna Jones - Police and Crime Commissioner (Hampshire and Isle of Wight)

Donna Jones was born in Portsmouth and still lives in the city with her husband Neil and their two sons. She attended local schools and went to college in the area.

After travelling around Europe, Donna started working for the Halifax Building Society (now part of the Lloyds Banking Group). She completed her professional banking and investment exams and worked for the bank until she was elected on to Portsmouth City Council in 2008.

Donna is the only woman to have served as Leader of Portsmouth City Council (2014-2018). She received national recognition for the unique approach she adopted in pursing an income generation strategy to mitigate reductions in public spending.

Donna has been a Magistrate for fifteen years and was the youngest member of the judiciary in England and Wales when appointed in 2005.

She sits on the board of the National Museum of the Royal Navy and the national Children’s Charity, A world of Friends. She is a Non-Executive Director of Portico Ltd (formerly MMD Shipping) and is currently the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Tammy Markley commenced her career in Human Resources working for Marriott over 15 years ago and worked at various hotels on the South coast until 2009. She then moved from the hotel industry to develop her career and gain a broader HR experience across various sectors including Education, Public Sector, Leisure and Events, where she managed a team of HR professionals delivering commercial HR Advisory services to a range of clients nationally as the HR Advisory Lead for Kier (formerly Mouchel) an infrastructure services company. Tammy returned to Marriott in 2016 and in that time has supported 19 hotels across the Golf and Country Club Cluster and South, West England and Wales Cluster as the Assistant Cluster Director of Human Resources. In addition, Tammy has been instrumental in the delivery and implementation of a number of UK&I projects including the complex transfer of 5 hotels to Britannia Hotels Ltd and most recently the Covid-19 reorganisation in 2020. Tammy was awarded the ‘Outstanding HR Peer’ Award at the 2019 Lisbon Conference and has successfully completed her level 7 CIPD qualification and is a Fellowship member of the CIPD.

Members of Parliament: Leading MPs will share their unique experiences navigating the political landscape, discussing their roles in championing gender parity and creating policies to support women’s advancement. MP's attendance may be subject to change at this event, due to possible recall for Parliament, whilst we endeavour to have the stated MPs as part of the panel, we cannot guarantee that they will be at the event due to Parliamentary protocol if they are recalled to Parliament on the day of this event.

Dame Caroline Dinenage DBE MP is the MP for Gosport.

Caroline In Parliament

As a strong supporter of small and medium-sized enterprise, UK industry and skills training in Parliament, Caroline was a member of the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Select Committee. In June 2013, she was appointed the Small Business Ambassador for the South by the Prime Minister.

Caroline is passionate about boosting literacy and numeracy in the UK, and called for the BIS Select Committee to launch a landmark inquiry into the country's basic skills gap. She also formed the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Maths and Numeracy.

Caroline has a keen interest in defence issues, served as the Vice-Chairman (Navy) of the APPG for the Armed Forces for 4 years and successfully campaigned to secure a medal for the Arctic Convoy veterans of WW2. She has regularly spoken up on Forces welfare issues, such as the effect of the airbridge from Afghanistan on R&R times, where she secured a key concession.

In April 2014, Caroline was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP.

Between May 2015 to September 2021 Caroline served as a Government Minister. Over this time she covered six different Government Departments and worked for 7 different Secretaries of State. Between 2015-2018 she served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice and Minister for Women and Equalities, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women, Equalities and Early Years at the Department for Education and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance at the Department of Work and Pensions. In January 2018 Caroline was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Health & Social Care before moving to Minister of State for Digital and Culture at the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from February 2020 until September 2021.

Since rejoining the back-benches in September 2021 Caroline has been elected onto the Women & Equalities Select Committee and appointed to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. In May 2023 Caroline was elected as Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.

Until the 2024 General Election was called, she was the Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Carers and the Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Internet, Communications and Technology Forum (PICTFOR).

Partnering for Success

We are grateful to our esteemed partners, whose support has made this event possible:

• : The Business School is a leader in fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership among women. Their support of this event highlights their commitment to gender parity and diversity in education and business.
• : An AI platform being developed by Becky Lodge to improve inclusion and diversity in entrepreneurship to support women and minority business owners (ADHD/Dyslexia) with aspiration to start and scale-up. One of the UK TechRound 100 Top 20 tech companies 2024.
• : Specialising in AI and STEM recruitment, STR Recruitment is committed to promoting the representation of women in these industries. Their support ensures the event’s focus on guiding women into key sectors that are shaping the future. The STR Group is a global STEM Talent Recruitment organisation, with offices in the UK, USA and Europe. Established in 2000, they comprise 5 unique brands that each specialise in science, technology and engineering-related fields. The company is a corporate member of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and holds numerous accolades from both local and industry awarding bodies. Most recently, this includes the REC’s Best Company to Work For 2023, the Solent 250 Award for Employer of the Year and the Global Recruiter’s Best Medium Recruitment Company 2024.

• : Our media partner, Nation Radio, will help amplify the voices of the women leading change in tech, politics, and STEM, ensuring that the event reaches a broad and engaged audience and to encourage inclusion in the radio broadcast sector.
• – creating aspiration for the next generation of girls from areas of deprivation through their charitable work, founded by Becca Dean MBE this movement helps with social mobility and provides mentoring for girls to provide positive role models to assist them in choosing career paths that matter to them.
• TACaccess - provides a cost-effective and efficient solution for delivering mental health therapy to children and young people across the UK. With an extensive network of accredited and thoroughly vetted therapists, TACaccess allows educators, institutions, and caregivers to efficiently source, select, and manage therapy providers for children and young people.

Thank you to our venue partners at the Marriott for supplying the venue and the catering for the event as part of their commitment to supporting equitable change in business.

Supporting the Next Generation

In addition to the high-profile speakers and networking opportunities, this event is committed to inspiring the next generation of female leaders. We are proud to partner with , an organisation dedicated to helping girls from underprivileged backgrounds achieve their potential. Through mentorship, support, and guidance, The Girls Network aims to inspire girls from areas of deprivation to pursue higher education and enter the workforce with confidence.

By attending this event, you will be helping support the vital work of The Girls Network and similar initiatives, as they help girls find career paths and achieve their dreams. We encourage attendees to make a voluntary donation to our nominated charity, supporting the work of organisations that empower women and girls.

Who Should Attend?

This event is open to:

• Women: Whether you are starting out in your career or looking for new opportunities, this event offers a space to connect with like-minded professionals, gain insight from industry leaders, and find inspiration to take your career to the next level.
• Girls: If you are a young woman considering your future career path, this event is the perfect opportunity to hear from role models who can guide you in choosing a career in tech, politics, or STEAM. Learn from women who have already carved out their careers in these fields and gain a clearer sense of how to navigate the journey.
• Allies: This event also welcomes allies—however one identifies!— those that are passionate about promoting diversity, inclusion, and gender parity in their workplaces and communities. Allies play a crucial role in advancing the cause of women in male-dominated industries and ensuring that women’s voices are heard.
• Education providers - we are eager to gain the support of local education providers, this event is suitable for career development for schools, colleges and undergraduates alike.

Join Us:

This International Women’s Day, take the opportunity to be part of an event that will spark change, inspire action, and empower future generations of women and girls. With the support of our incredible partners, we are excited to bring together a community of influential leaders, change-makers, and passionate advocates for gender equality.

Registration Details

The event is free to attend, but spaces are limited, so we encourage you to register early to secure your place. A donation to our nominated charity is welcomed to further support the work of The Girls Network and similar organisations that champion the advancement of women and girls in male-dominated industries.

Sign Up Now!

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be part of this inspiring event. Together, we can help shape a future where women and girls can thrive in careers that have long been dominated by men, creating lasting change for generations to come.

Register Now to secure your place at this ground-breaking International Women’s Day event.

This event is supported by the Offices of Amanda Martin MP for Portsmouth North and Stephen Morgan MP for Portsmouth South.

STR Group - Event Partner

Livvy Breen - Para-athlete will be speaking as part of the panel at the event.

Donna Jones - Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and Isle of Wight will be speaking as part of the panel at the event.

Becky Lodge will be the host of the event and part of the expert speaker panel at the event.

Marriott Portsmouth is the venue partner for the event.

Nation Radio South - Media Partner

TAC Access - Event Partner

Desk2Educate - Event Partner - SEND Entrepreneurial Tech Platform - TechRound100 #16 Tech Companies to Watch 2024

Tammy Markley - Marriott Cluster Director of HR will be part of the expert speaker panel

Host or Publisher Little Kanga Ltd - The B2B Growth Experts