Winners from the IWD Achievement Awards pose and celebrate the launch of the Women's Commission
Tower Hamlets Council has launched a Women’s Commission to cultivate a strong, inclusive, and fair borough, which supports and empowers local women, and creates equality of opportunity in work, public, social or family life.
The Commission is calling out for local women to find out more, to share information about its work, and to consider taking up an active role as one of the new commissioners.
The new commission was officially launched at a special International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration and awards event which took place on Thursday 7 March.
The event was an opportunity for local women to come together, enjoy music and dance performances, and to celebrate the achievements of women with awards across categories including female carer, volunteering and business leadership.
Winners at this year's TH IWD Achievement Awards were;
- Unsung Hero award 2024 - Ferdous Ahmed
- Female Carer of the Year 2024 - Mirza Hazira Begum
- Female Volunteer of the Year 2024 - Ruma Afroze Rakhi
- Female Business Leader of the Year 2024 - Farzana Begum
- Womens Group of the Year 2024 - Mohila Ongan
Addressing the IWD event, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman said:
“I want to convey my thanks and best wishes to each and every one of you for the contribution that you are making in your respective lives in protecting, promoting and supporting the people of this borough, across London and beyond.
“We are investing heavily in projects and initiatives that support women and young girls, from free swimming sessions and school meals, to university bursaries and Education Maintenance Allowances.
“We are working with local developers and housing associations to produce more family sized homes, to tackle the serious overcrowding we face and the impact it has on mental health. And we are also starting the work to deliver a new culturally sensitive women’s centre for women in Tower Hamlets.”
A dedicated Women’s Commission section of the council website has been created at www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/womenscommission with further information including a call out to consider joining the commission, ahead of the deadline for applications on Friday 12 April.
The website introduces the overarching mission to “create inspiration, empowerment and equity for all women.” It provides further details on the mission including directly supporting women to achieve their full potential, and creating innovative services that champion women’s rights.
The objectives of the commission will include learning from the lived experiences of local women and tackling barriers to equality faced by women and girls, with a particular focus on the four areas of health, community safety, community leadership and employment.
The commission will be reaching out across the borough and conducting several resident engagement sessions to hear and learn from personal experiences and insight into different services women access across Tower Hamlets.
The commission will then produce an agreed Women's Strategy, with a specific time limited and practical action plan for its delivery.
Posted on Tuesday 19th March 2024