But what if women did not have to be exceptional to be equal?
What if we didn’t have to be the first, or the best at something?
What if being a female engineer wasn’t remarkable?  What if women and men could compete as equals?
I don’t want to make history as the only woman, I want to be one of many, many women.

Taking to the pulpit at Abbey on International Women’s Day, Friday 8 March, Louisa (Remove, CC), spoke of the continuing need for change to bring about true equality for women and girls in many aspects of life. Speaking alongside Melissa (Remove, MM), the pair focused on their experiences in sport, playing in teams with few girls, and continually seeing that number decrease, owing to a lack of support or encouragement to continue. Melissa said: “Eventually, I found a women’s cricket team where I was welcomed and valued for my contributions. But the reality remains: the burden shouldn’t fall on me to seek out a new team to feel comfortable or included. Every girl should feel empowered to participate in sports without the fear of judgement.”

Louisa noted the women who stood out from the crowd — Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie, Serena Williams — but wanting to see a world where it isn’t necessary to stand out to be seen as exceptional and equal. “So how might we change this?”, she asked. “For the girls, we need to believe in more. When you’re in this situation, just think, what will others say about you? That you shouldn’t be here? That it’s unladylike? That we’re not built for this? Or maybe they’ll say you’re strong and that you can’t be stopped. That you make it look easy. You make it look good. We need to believe in more.”

The address concluded: “I hope that one day, we won’t need this day. We won’t need a day to celebrate how far we’ve come. We won’t need a day to prove that we are just as equal, or capable, or valued. We won’t need a day to relive the comebacks, the firsts, or the titles we’ve won. We won’t need a day to rally behind the ones fighting to change the rules.”

Also at Abbey Alex (Sixth Form, DD), Alisha (Sixth Form, CC) and Emily (Sixth Form, PP) stood to sing The March of the Women, written by composer Ethel Smyth in 1910, to words by Cicely Hamilton, which became an anthem for the suffragette movement with its calls to action: “March, march, many as one, Shoulder to Shoulder and friend to friend.”

And although not seen, Ahjung (Sixth Form, BB) was certainly heard, as she took to the Abbey’s organ for the morning service.

More musical celebration of IWD took place at a special Music Society, with six performances showcasing women composers, including two works by French composer Cécile Chaminade played on violin by Louis (Lower Shell, GG) and piano duet by Alex (Sixth Form, DD) and Crystal (Sixth Form, LL); a Mazurka by Amy Beach played on cello by Harris Westminster Sixth Form student Danny; a song written and performed by Orla (Remove, CC); and finishing with the 1990s Houston/Carey power ballad, When you Believe, sung by Emily (Sixth Form, PP) and Aelwen (Sixth Form, CC).

Feminist Society held a pair of meetings during the week, looking at women in music and shining a spotlight on favourite artists, before Madonna was praised as the cultural icon she has been for the past 40 years.

Mimi (Sixth Form, PP) and JunXi (Sixth Form, RR) put forward Chappell Roan and Paris Paloma as examples of musicians, right now, forwarding the voice and the experience of women. “We think it’s really important as women to feel represented and both these artists do just that”, said Mimi. “Both artists rose to fame through social media. Social media is accessible to everyone so people can find their music easier, since they’re able to upload shorts and teasers of their music it’s easier to draw people in”, added JunXi.

In praise of the best-selling female recording artist of all time, Head of Economics (and self-confessed super fan), Lisa Newton, looked at the life and work of Madonna, a creative chameleon, campaigner, self-reinventor, and musician who has paved the way for many of today’s global female superstars, who are ‘standing on the shoulders of a giant’.

And finally, no event at Westminster is ever properly celebrated without biscuits or cake — for International Women’s Day, a cookie sale with proceeds going to the Malala Fund, to support women and girls in education.