The ECWO team is made up of avid readers and podcast listeners and we have some great suggestions to keep you stimulated, inspired and laughing along no matter where you are in the world!
We Do Not Care!
First up, if you are going through peri-menopause or menopause and are on Instagram run to follow Melani Sanders - @justbeingmelani. In the space of a few months she has gone from posting about perimenopause (“I literally was looking for some reading glasses and I said aah there are some glasses and I put these on and as I was reading I was trying to figure out why I can’t see,” she shared at the end of April, wearing a pair of dark sunglasses) to creating the WDNC – the We Do Not Care Club which is the best ever breathe of fresh air for anyone going through perimenopause or menopause. Head to the entry on 13 May and you will hear why Melani launched the club and scroll on from there. We guarantee you will LOL – especially when she starts wearing her Founding member of the We Do Not Care Club notice written on a paper towel, held in place with paperclips. The great thing about the WDNC Club is that everyone is welcome to add their experience in the comments which Melani then delivers in her inimitable way.
Some of you will remember Rebecca Stephens who led four inspirational ascents of Kilimanjaro as part of the RSM Kilimanjaro elective. Developed by our founder, Prof. Dianne Bevelander, it saw more than 70 MBA students attempt to summit the highest mountain in Africa, in the process developing insight into themselves and their peers. Rebecca was the first British woman to reach the summit of Everest in 1993, and we have recently discovered a series on BBC Sounds in which she explores how climbing Everest has changed, creating both opportunities and challenges. You can find it here.
Prof. Barbara Banda on the concept of the "Model Black"
Our faculty for Women in Leadership, is Professor Barbara Banda, the author of The Model Black. She was recently on the She Leads For Legacy podcast, discussing the experiences of Black British professionals navigating leadership and workplace culture. The conversation explores the impact of representation, the concept of the "Model Black," and practical steps for creating more inclusive workplaces and is accessible here. If you’re a Dutch speaker, head over to our friends at Foundation Women Connected on YouTube to tune into their ongoing series of podcasts, Wij Hebben Wat Te Vertellen, which sees women from different generations share relatable stories and discuss topics that deserve more attention. You can also find the podcast on Spotify and Apple.
Delve into the Women's Prize book winners!
If you’re looking for books to read over the summer why not explore the winners of the annual Women’s Prize, the home of women's voices.
Dutch debut novelist Yael van der Wouden has won the prize for fiction for The Safekeep (which members of our team can attest is a compelling read), while British doctor Rachel Clarke took home the nonfiction award for The Story of a Heart – a topic close to the heart of our Executive Director, Prof. Hanneke Takkenberg.
And if you’re looking for something to seriously ponder over the holiday in preparation for the second half of 2025, sink your teeth into this article by Maartje Laterveer who was our closing keynote speaker at our 2023 conference. It’s titled Emotional Intelligence in the Age of AI: What Are We Outsourcing When We Automate Ourselves? and it’s an important read, written by the leadership consultant, keynote speaker and writer, who specialises in gender and diversity, leadership development and psychological safety We also recommend this article by Maartje in which she says that it is time to stop telling women that they are insecure and instead companies should focus their attention on changing the systems that make women insecure.
Finally, inspiring researcher Maria Carmen Punzi is a co-author of the publication Tackling Period Poverty in the EU which you can read here and we have also been getting to grips with the recent working paper, Global Labour Hours in Paid and Unpaid Work: Inequality, Productivity and Structural Transformation, 1800-2100 which we think you will also find an important read.
* Look out for news about ECWO's On The Same Page bookclub after the summer!