#IWD: Ester Ruskuc

Linda Barclay Isles

Friday 8 March 2024

International Women’s Day 2024 – #InspireInclusion 

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to champion the power of women’s voices and drive positive change.
 
We spoke to women across the the University who all have one thing in common – an unwavering pursuit of equality. We asked them why they thought it was important to mark IWD, who inspires them and what they love about being a woman.

Ester Ruskuc, Vice-Principal (Strategy, Policy and Planning)

Why do you think it is important to mark International Women’s Day?  

Women have had to work very hard to get to where they are today to be recognised as equal, and there is still a way to go. Celebrating that process, recognising the women who didn’t just stick their neck out, but also suffered hardship, is really important. 

The emphasis on ‘international’ is also important. In most situations in the UK we have a lot of equality and positive reinforcement of that equality, although we are not quite there yet. There are also parts of the world where this is very far from reality. Through International Women’s Day we encourage other women to keep on the cause and to see the opportunities that they can create for themselves by carrying on. Regardless of where a woman who could do with our help is, we should help her.

What did you want to be when you were young?  

When I was very small, I wanted to be a singer. After that, all I ever wanted to do was change things for the better, there wasn’t ever a particular position that I wanted to do it from. I wanted opportunities, and the positions that enabled me to do that and I wanted to have ownership. When you’re young, you want to change the world. It’s later that you realise that you actually have to decide where you can make real impact. 

What is the one thing that you would like to see done to help further equality for women? 

I would like to see more women help women. I’m very aware of the things I have had to overcome to progress or succeed in life. Why should others also have to do it the hard way? If I can give advice or describe what worked for me, maybe that enables them to get there quicker or, really importantly, help them with confidence. I feel that one of the things that women need more of is confidence.  

You know, there is research that shows when there is a job advert and a woman sees it, a woman will see all the things she cannot do, and then will say I’m not sure I can go for this job. A man sees the job advert and says, ‘oh, these are all things that I can do’ and even if it’s only 40% or 50% they think they were made for the job, and so they go for it.  

Therefore, what women need is support and advice to have confidence, and to see themselves as not just a possibility and equal, but as good as [men] and absolutely have the ‘ I can do’ approach.  

 I think as women we can encourage each other to recognise when we are putting ourselves down and when we are not giving ourselves enough credibility for the things that we can do.