Friday High Five – what’s been in the news

The best piece of advice dispensed at our International Women’s Day event in Manchester yesterday was: “Be confident about what you know about, and honest about what you don’t.”

Sarah Ellson’s refreshing advice comes at the end of a week where we have seen the ravaging the world has suffered at the hands of swaggering men who display no humility and the worst traits of the bully.

Defence stocks may have risen on the back of the shock that more will have to be spent on rockets and guns than on essential public services, and there may be more jobs in aerospace in Lancashire, but that is a bittersweet upside. 

The ease with which major global corporations have ditched their commitments to diversity, following Trump’s executive order, should not dissuade us to continue to encourage and support change to the ways of the past, to a world that was created by, and for the convenience of, men. 

Sure, it’s easy to be cynical about some initiatives. This time last year ANS celebrated International Women’s Day, yet still point blank refuses to acknowledge the immense harm that was caused by that entity’s former CEO, when it was called UK Fast, in that very same building.

But maybe silence pays. This week we reported that the private equity owners Inflexion have put the business up for sale for £400m.

I meet amazing considerate and thoughtful business leaders all the time. The changes to how women are treated, how racism is reversing in the workplace, for the most part, gives me the confidence that the present march of “the thick right” is a blip in the progress of humankind.

Celebrate the achievements of women this weekend and keep the faith.