UWL celebrates International Women’s Day

The University of West London (UWL) marked International Women’s Day (IWD) on Sunday 8th March, with a variety of events and activities celebrating the achievements of women, whilst promoting gender equality.

The London College of Music (LCM) held a series of events on Wednesday 4th March curated by Litha Efthymiou, Senior Lecturer in Composition including networking opportunities and popular music performances. Highlights included a talk from composer Dani Howard on her work with world-renowned orchestras and musicians, performances by pianist Jelena Makarova and flautist Sara Minelli of music by women composers including LCM composition students Maria Collings, Francesca Boulton and Erinn McDonnell and a panel discussion on women in the music industry chaired by Dr Efthymiou.

Dr Efthymiou commented: “We celebrated the achievements of women, raised awareness of ongoing inequalities, and advocated for greater equity and inclusion across the music and performing arts industries.”

The School of Computing and Engineering (SCE) celebrated the achievements of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), while reflecting on the importance of continuing to build inclusive environments where women can thrive.

PhD researcher Mariya Ivanova’s publication co-authored with Professor Konstantin Nikolic titled “Application of Machine Learning for Predicting G9a Inhibitors” was selected for inclusion in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Digital Discovery International Women’s Day 2026 Article Collection.

Professor Anastasia Sofroniou, Professor of Mathematics and Chair of Women in STEM (WInSTEM), participated in local secondary school Ark Acton Academy’s IWD Networking Event. Whilst an online gathering brought together female colleagues to reflect on the significance of IWD, the progress achieved through the WInSTEM initiative and watch messages of appreciation from around twenty male colleagues.

Professor Anastasia Sofroniou commented: “It was wonderful to see male colleagues come together to record messages of appreciation for their female counterparts. It reflects a strong sense of camaraderie, where colleagues support one another, show mutual respect, and truly value each other’s research, teaching and contributions to the academic community.”

Westmont Enterprise Hub held an event as part of their WomenShine series entitled ‘Give to Gain: Sharing Success, Building Futures’ for entrepreneurs, pre-startups, startups, founders, women and men in business.

In a fire-side style discussion, guest speakers marketing strategist and founder of Bravebird Tania Chakraborti, social media consultant and ceramic artist Charlotte Tomkins, and career coach and HR consultant Thais Altgott shared the real stories behind their journeys. They talked about the lessons learned, challenges overcome, and the power of giving back as a catalyst for long-term success.

Interim Executive Director of Westmont Enterprise Hub Angela Kanwar commented: “It was an evening of honest conversation, meaningful connection, and fresh perspective celebrating the impact of women lifting others while building their own futures.”